Stina Quagebeur
Text Tabitha Lasley
Ballet dancer Stina Quagebeur was born in East Flanders but has spent most of her life in London, where she’s now a dancer with the English National Ballet. She is currently touring in The Snow Queen
01 You divide your time between Bruges and London. How
does life in the two cities compare?
I’m actually from small town called Sint Lievens Houtem,
but my parents have a holiday home in Bruges and it’s
definitely my favourite place in Belgium.
Life in Bruges is much slower. There’s much more of a
community feel to the place. People say hello to each
other in the street and everyone knows the doctor here -
it’s very parochial. London is a very busy and chaotic
town. It’s nice to go home and slow down.
02 Where do you live in London and why?
I’ve been living in London since I was 11 - I grew up in
an English boarding school. Recently, I moved into a
flat near Tower Bridge. It’s a new area for me, so
there’s lots to discover still. I love Borough Market,
which is a short walk away along the river.
03 Where do you go in London to soak up some culture?
The South Bank has recently been regenerated and is a
great place to go for the latest music and dance. You
can walk along the riverbank towards Tower Bridge with
friends afterwards. It has some of the best views of
London, especially by night.
04 Where’s your favourite place to eat in Bruges?
There’s a little place called Tante Marie just outside
Bruges, in Damme. It’s a brass erie really, and it does good coffee and cakes.
05 What advice would you give to someone who’s visiting
Bruges for the weekend?
Bruges is only small, so take a bicycle round or explore it on foot. Otherwise, take a horse and cart around the
centre and soak up the scenery. It’s a really romantic place, especially at Christmas, when there’s a ice rink and lots of market stalls around the town square.
06
Where’s your
favourite place
to shop?
In Bruges there are quite a few small boutiques that
sell one-off pieces. There’s a shop called Essential,
which stocks clothes by designers from Antwerp. If I’m
in London, Spitalfields Market on Sunday is great.
Otherwise High Street Kensington is right by where I work, so when I have a break it’s easy to go and spend money.
07 Which is your favourite city to perform in and why?
It would have to be Barcelona. It’s got a beautiful
theatre, which has recently been refurbished, and it’s a
great city for restaurants. There’s also plenty of
places where you can go and chill out after the shows.
08 How do you cope with stage fright?
Usually, I don’t get nervous because I’m involved in
every performance - you get used to it. If it’s a new
role, I make sure I’m ready slightly earlier and keep my
mind occupied with positive thoughts.
09 What made you want to dance?
Apparently, when I was two years old I watched the whole
of Swan Lake with my eyes fixed to the TV. Three years
later, I decided that was what I wanted to do. My
decision was made and it has never changed.
10 Professional ballet must require an enormous amount
of discipline. What’s the hardest thing about being a
ballet dancer?
Dealing with injuries and the constant battle to keep
your body in form while touring and performing up to 12
shows a week. And remembering to have a life!
11 If you weren’t a dancer, what would you be?
That’s a hard question because I’ve wanted to be a
dancer since I was five. But I love art and drawing. I’
ll probably go into interior design after my dancing
career is over.
12 Which phrases do you most overuse?
“Live the life you’ve imagined” or “13 The grass is
always greener on the other side.”
13 You had a role in the film The Upside of Anger. Did you enjoy it?
I danced in one of the scenes with Keri Russell and
Kevin Costner. It was great to experience what it was
like behind the scenes of a film, but I didn’t enjoy
repeating the scene 15 times. On stage, you only get one
chance.
14 What are you working on at the moment?
At the moment I’m on a seven-week tour around England.
I’m performing in a complete new ballet, The Snow Queen
by Michael Corder, and in Swan Lake.
Over Christmas we’re performing in the Coliseum in
London’s Covent Garden for six weeks, where we’ll be
doing The Nutcracker.
15 What’s the most important lesson life has taught you?
I’m only 22, so I think I have many lessons to learn,
but at the moment I think it may be that everything
happens for a reason.
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