Lauren and I met 4 years ago. Her brilliant wit and energy make everyone want to be in her gang. She had one of the very first pairs of E.L.V. DENIM jeans and she has been a muse ever since.
We met at a very fancy event, The Evening Standard Theatre Awards, and we pretty much became firm friends right away. I think your humour and energy is what drew me to you, also your very quick wit! Have you always had this positive warm energy?
Oh we had fun! Thank you. I think I have, and it’s definitely got me into some trouble over the years but in a way it’s been a useful tool. I suppose I’m quite English in that I enjoy a dose of self-deprecation. I’ve always been drawn to humour to communicate and to feel relaxed or to relax others in situations.
Please tell us your journey to becoming a principal at The Royal Ballet?
It was a long one full of love, graft, sacrifice, joy and ultimately something that felt like my destiny. From a village hall in Torquay at 3yrs old to performing ballets that I once dreamt of has certainly been a journey with no wand waving... actually I have held a wand a couple of times!! I left home to join the Royal Ballet School in Richmond Park aged 11. That signified things ‘getting serious. I wasn’t an obvious talent when I arrived but I inner belief that helped me through all the challenges and a quiet steely determination that I needed in order to improve. I joined the Royal Ballet company in Covent Garden when I was 17. In many ways becoming a principal felt like a whole new beginning. With an art form like ballet the scope of discovery and improvement is endless. As a principal I was given the gift of a lifetime of beautiful roles and opportunities to create new ballets with incredible choreographers which I’ll always be grateful for.
You were one of the first people to have a pair of E.L.V. DENIM jeans. In fact, I have the twin of your pair! What do you love about my jeans?
The first pair I had, made me feel so cool! The pair I had in particular offered a relaxed silhouette which was a great contrast to my pink tights and skinny jeans. I love the idea that they wouldn’t exist without you sourcing the vintage denim and giving them a new lease of life. It’s a beautiful story and they are beautiful jeans. Bravo Anna .
I made a little jacket for the beautiful Peggy! She probably stole the show, how have you adjusted to motherhood and getting back into shape to perform?
I couldn’t believe it when I saw her bespoke jacket. What a lucky girl, we adore it! Peggy was so happy at the shoot and everyone was so sweet with her. She was a natural... what have we started?! I think I’ve adjusted quite well so far and have worked hard to structure my days so I can really focus on work but have frequent time with my girl. I’m rehabilitating/coaching at the moment and every few weeks my program increases in intensity and volume which is getting me closer to feeling in shape to perform again. It’s really hard but I’ll keep going. I have Peggy to think about now so training needs to be more efficient and effective than ever. It's still fairly early days so I’m still adjusting and finding my feet, especially ‘en pointe’! It’s frustrating having an idea of how I’d like to look and feel and the reality being far from that currently. It’s also mentally hard to keep the self belief when I’m not very good at what I usually feel capable and free in! I wish I could wave that magic wand and be back performing at full speed but in the meantime, I’m learning so much in the process and I have Peggy as my forever mascot now!