Ballet Q&A!

Coucou à tous! C’est Aurélie et Sandrine, et aujourd’hui, nous allons parler à propos de notre chose préférée—la danse classique. C’est très important dans nos vies ; alors, nous pensons que nous devons écrire ce post.

We are writing this post in honor of us both getting accepted to le ballet de l'Opéra National de Paris's first ever summer intensive. We are sure we'll have a great time, and we'll blog all about it!

Ballet is an important part of both of our lives. We both live and breathe classical ballet, and we both aspire to have professional dancing careers someday. Although we do not get along, we thought that we should collaborate and give readers an inside look on our lives as dancers. To organize this, we wrote some common questions and answered them. Sandrine’s responses are in purple, and Aurélie’s are in pink. It just makes sense to use our favorite colors for these things.

We also hope you enjoy our ballet photos, too!

How old were you when you began dancing?

S: We were both four. In my case, my mom signed Sabine and me up for a pre-ballet course because that’s what most moms were doing with kids our age. Ballet seems to be the one thing that almost every little girl (and some little boys) tries, but not everybody is dedicated enough to stay with it. Sabine certainly didn’t stay with it; she had a hard time focusing. In fact, she quit after the first class. I’m not one for discipline or structure, but something about ballet was different and alluring.

A: I was four, too, like Sandrine said. My parents took me to see a ballet, and after seeing it, I wanted to give it a try. Needless to say, I fell in love! I feel most alive when I'm dancing.

What is your favorite ballet?

A: Mon dieu, that’s like asking Sabine to pick her favorite Miley song! I’ll try to choose my top four: La belle au bois dormant (The Sleeping Beauty), Coppélia, and Le lac du cygnes (Swan Lake).

S: That really is like asking my sister to pick her favorite Miley songs! Um, my ultimate favorite is Don Quixote. I also like Paquita and Giselle (that just so happens to be my middle name).

What is your dream role?

S: This is an obvious one, considering I’ve stated it many times before. I would love to dance the role of Kitri in Don Quixote.

A: I would love to play Aurore in The Sleeping Beauty! Being a fairy (particularly the Lilac Fairy) wouldn’t be bad, either.

What is your favorite role you’ve danced this far?

S: Dew Drop Fairy in The Nutcracker!

A: I agree with Sandrine!

Who is your favorite professional dancer?
A: Aurélie Dupont has been my idol for as long as I can remember.

S: While Aurélie Dupont isn’t my favorite, I love that she was promoted to étoile after dancing the role of Kitri! I hope the same thing happens to me someday! Anyway, I love Agnès Letetsu and Dorothée Gilbert.

What is your favorite company?
S: Le ballet de l’Opéra National de Paris, bien sûr !

A: Same with me. I like other companies, too. I enjoy good, professional dancing no matter the company.

What is your favorite ballet documentary?

A: L'espace d'un instant—it’s about Aurélie Dupont! That is my favorite, but I also like La Danse (which is about le ballet de l’Opéra National de Paris) and First Position.

S: I like La Danse and Tout près des étoiles the best, even though I enjoy all ballet documentaries.

What are your favorite ballet-related TV shows and movies?

S: Breaking Pointe is my favorite TV show. It’s a reality show about Ballet West. I have to admit, Ronnie is extremely attractive if I do say so myself. Movie-wise, I like Black Swan because it is “darker”. I also loved Center Stage.

A: I like Bunheads. I think it is a cute TV show, though Sandrine disagrees with me. I like Breaking Pointe, too, but nobody likes it as much as Sandrine. I absolutely HATED Black Swan! I thought it was one of the creepiest movies. I prefer Center Stage. I also like Aurore. 

Do you do any other types of dance?
S: Yes, I take some jazz classes for fun, and I love them. It’s something different. I’ve taken some modern classes, though I’m not a huge fan of modern. I have also taken character classes in the past.

A: I only stick to classical ballet. However, I have taken character and tap classes!

What are your other hobbies?

S: I love doing hair and make-up. I’d even consider opening my own salon. I also love shopping and fashion. When I retire from dancing professionally, I’d love to be a celebrity make-up artist or stylist or something.

A: I love playing the flute (I’ve considered doing that professionally before), fashion design, photography, and helping children. 

Do you dance? If so, we would love to hear about your experiences. It's always awesome to meet other dancers.

Bisous,
Sandrine et Aurélie