A Chat with Tamara Rojo on Teaching Artistic Emotion

How to train children to become future dancers with artistic emotion.

Talking with Tamara Rojo

Yesterday I had the pleasure to meet and have a little chat with Tamara Rojo, the artistic director of the English National Ballet and one of the best dancers in the world. In good Spanish we chatted.

One of my main concerns on ballet education at the moment is the lack of artistic emotion of english dancers on stage. Schools and teachers have the power to cut out a personal expression on a search for a style, or to nurture it; I work to empower it.

Tamara is famous for her emotional presence on stage and so I asked her what is her opinion about this matter and if she had any suggestions on how not to cut student’s self out of them. To always do whatever inspires them was her advice. “When they are young, put some music on and let them dance freely; improvisation in young ages is very important", she said. This will lead them to one day find their own style. “A 5th is a 5th and a port de bras is a port de bras, but everyone has their own way to do it", she admitted.

Apparently we both agree on this matter. As a teacher, I let my students have their own style, their voice; it helps develop confidence and self expression, and is what makes them special. I do not see them as machines, but as humans with own thoughts, own bodies and own souls.

I told Tamara in my classes for little ones, we let our imagination fly visiting the Space, the Circus or the Zoo, and in our adventure we get to do our train in our high tippy toes to get there, our sensitive hands to smell flowers or pick up some stars, our balance in the trapeze, and our skips to come back home. “But when I ask my students what we did last week, they do not remember the steps, they only remember the story!”, and we both laugh.

Tamara Rojo and me (reads right to left)

Tamara Rojo also suggested to take children to attend ballet performances and see real ballet dancers on stage. Funny, as I am now arranging tickets to take my younger ones to see “My First Ballet: Coppélia”, an English National Ballet production for children aged 3+.

I can prepare students for vocational training and a professional dance career, but this is not what matters the most to me. What I do care about is that they have fun, enjoy learning dance, grow into good persons and are inspired by ballet as an art form, and that this gives them life.

It was a great moment and very inspiring talking with Tamara. With me, ballet enriches children’s minds and hearts; children become fulfilled beings and dancers with own style and voice and, in the future, will be more humans ready to star uniquely on a stage.


Photos by Roman Perona