Q&A With Guest Instructor Bethany Kingsley-Garner
We were so excited to welcome Bethany for her first guest Instructor masterclass with Ballet Fusion in March 2021! We absolutely LOVED her class and learnt so much.
Bethany Kingsley-Garner is a Principal Dancer with the Scottish Ballet Company. She performs across the UK and around the world in theatres such as the prestigious Mariinsky Theatre and The Kennedy Centre in the USA.
Born in Devon, Bethany trained at the Royal Ballet Schools from age 11 and graduated with Honours in 2007. During this time, Bethany performed with The Royal Ballet Company in numerous performances including ‘The Nutcracker’ and ‘Swan Lake’.
Having joined Scottish Ballet in 2007, Bethany was promoted to Soloist and then Principal Dancer. In 2016 she was nominated by the Critics Circle for Outstanding Classical Performance. In addition to performing title roles, she is actively involved in Dance Education teaching and guest coaching at workshops and seminars. She has recently been awarded certification for her teaching from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and was selected as a Champion of Scotland to inspire, motivate and encourage young people, alongside being an Ambassador for Scotland. Bethany was a Ballet Mentor for the BBC Chanel 4 programme Young Dancer 2019, and most recently the creator of the Be Inspired Dance collection with Move Dance.
After the masterclass, we managed to nab an exclusive interview with Bethany to find out more about the life of a prima ballerina! So here goes...
What age did you start dancing?
My older sister was already a big part of the creative industry, so I grew up in a household full of piano music, theatre and dance.
I took ballet lessons from age 3; it seemed to come very naturally to me and I felt happy performing. At aged 11 I successfully auditioned for the Royal Ballet School in London and after the full 8 years of training I graduated with Honours and won several awards. I was then approached by the director of Scottish Ballet who offered me a contract and soon after, I moved to bonnie Scotland to join the company. I was given many opportunities from the start and 14 years on I am a Principal Ballerina performing the roles I love, to audiences world wide.
What’s a typical day at Scottish Ballet like for you?
I train six days a week, 10am – 6pm, and complete over 120 performances per year. The day involves ballet class, strength training and working on the current productions coming up.
Favourite career highlight?
My career highlight would have to be performing at The Royal Opera House in London. It was a celebration of the choreography of Sir Kenneth MacMillan 25 years after his death. Top British dance companies were invited to perform together and Scottish Ballet revived one of the oldest works called ‘The Fairy's Kiss’. I was performing the role of fiancée which was originally created for his muse, the famous ballerina actress Lynn Seymour. She was an icon of mine growing up so it was a particularly breath-taking experience for me. Also returning to The Royal Opera House again but as a Principal Ballerina performing for my family and London audiences.
Another rewarding moment was receiving my promotion to Principal on stage following my performance of Odette/Odile in Swan Lake. Hearing the audience applaud and cheer whilst I was overcome with emotion, tears running down my face, will be a moment which will last forever.
Did you always know you wanted a career within classical ballet?
I always knew I loved dancing, but I also loved going to church and wasn’t sure whether I wanted to be a vicar or a ballerina! A priest in the audience for a pre-show talk actually came and spoke to me afterwards about the similarities – sharing your joy with a group, experiencing something which lifts you up and mentoring younger people. I also loved athleticism and running when I was younger, but it was dancing that stuck. From the moment I arrived at the Royal Ballet School (White Lodge) when I was 11 and touched the finger on the bronze statue of Margot Fonteyn (a tradition for all students), I was hooked.
What advice do you have for anyone starting pointe work?
It’s so important you have trained your foot strength to be able to sustain the correct posture on pointe, even now 14 years into my career I still work on my feet every day with rises and band work. Also making sure you have the right shoe for you - you want to be able to go through the foot and make sure you can feel all metatarsals working. I have been wearing Freed of London pointe shoes since my first pair aged 12 and had the same maker!
Aside from ballet, are there any other dance styles/sports you enjoy?
Yes lots! Any creative movement I love and seeing the positive impact it has on so many. I also enjoy strength training and running in the great outdoors come rain or shine! I have found much benefit from training outside of the studio with my stamina and also being able to keep my body fit and healthy.
Favourite dance-wear brand/dance bag essentials?
Well, it must be the ‘Be Inspired’ collection with Move Dance. A collection I created inspired from this beautiful art form. As dancers, we each have a creative journey of development which is individual. I believe the influences, experiences and people that feature in your journey contribute greatly to who you are as an individual and colour the heart of your dance passion. With this, the ‘Be Inspired’ collection was born. This collection is a celebration of this journey and everything which has inspired me along the way; from the people, to the music, to the roles I have performed or the ballets which have defined me. I wanted to share my journey with you through this beautiful dancewear. Each garment has been carefully and thoughtfully crafted and represents the grace, drive and freedom we experience as dancers.
So, there you go, a sneak-peak into the life of a principal ballerina!
Thank you so much for sharing this with us Bethany and we can’t wait to have you join us for more guest instructor Ballet Fusion classes in the future!
See our upcoming Guest Instructor Online Ballet Classes here.