From Student to Star is an exclusive Ballet News interview series featuring graduates from vocational ballet schools – such as The Royal Ballet School – as they begin their professional careers.
Ravi Cannonier-Watson has graduated from The Royal Ballet School and joins The Royal Ballet Company.
You’ve been studying at The Royal Ballet School (RBS). When did you join the School and what made you decide to train there ?
I joined The Royal Ballet School in 2016, when I was 11 years old. I wasn’t the one who initially decided to put myself out to audition for the school, it was my mom. She was a dancer with The Dance Theatre of Harlem in New York. I had no idea what The Royal Ballet School was at the time, but my mother was adamant that I should give it a go to see what happens, and to my family’s surprise, I was accepted.
Prior to joining RBS, where did you train, and how early did you start ballet ?
I was born and raised in Bermuda, which is where I started dancing at the age of 9. I was never drawn to ballet to begin with; I actually had my heart set on becoming a footballer. I loved football and still do very much.
However, my mother’s natural influence around dance got me hooked pretty early on. Both of my younger sisters began dancing before I did, which also helped usher me in that direction. I would go to pick them up after they finished their classes and would sometimes get to see the end of their lessons, where they would be dancing and jumping across the room, which I loved watching.
I began dancing at this little part time ballet school that had a shared space with a church, called The Russian School of Ballet. I was shocked to find that there were no other boys in my class. I was the only one, which I found confusing at first, and a little daunting, but I just loved how freeing dancing felt so I really didn’t pay all that much attention to it. Ever since then, I’ve never looked back.
What do you think are the important things to focus on during training if you want to become a professional ballet dancer?
Resilience, grit, and determination.
I believe that in everything we love, there is an element of suffering. You have to be willing to suffer for what you love, in order to truly love something. The ability to pick yourself up and keeping going no matter how bad your situation gets, and remember why you began in the first place, is so important to your success in ballet or life in general. You will have bad days, bad ballet classes, bad performances; that doesn’t matter. It’s how you push through those difficult moments. So, I would absolutely say that resilience and mental toughness are a vital focus for dancers in training.
You’ve accepted a contract with The Royal Ballet under the Aud Jebsen Young Dancers Programme. Congratulations ! Take us through the process of getting the contract and when do you start work?
I am extremely honoured to have received this offer from The Royal Ballet; it is surreal.
Back in November 2023, we had a series of mock auditions with company directors and assistant directors, such as Tamás Solymosi, Dominic Antonucci, and Ernst Meisner. These mock auditions eventually led to the official audition for The Royal Ballet, which Mr O’Hare observed [Ed note : Kevin O’Hare is Artistic Director of the Company]. The audition class was taken by Brian Maloney, class teacher with The Royal Ballet.
After the audition I went back home to Bermuda for the holidays, not expecting to hear anything back from either Birmingham Royal Ballet or The Royal Ballet until late January/February time. But on the 12th December 2023, I received a FaceTime call from Mr O’Hare and Mr Powney directly [Ed note – Christopher Powney was Artistic Director of the School], and from there, Mr O’Hare offered me a contract with the company.
I am still in disbelief to this day about what happened.
What do you know about the Company & have you spent much time with them during school ?
I attended school for 8 years, and through those years, I spent a decent amount time with the company, whether that be Nutcracker in my early years of school or Manon and Swan Lake in my final year.
What I know about the company is the standard they continuously set, and how much hard work that standard requires. Their importance of maintaining tradition and consistency is inspiring, as they protect their incredible history and continue to build on the legacies of the greats that worked with the company throughout its history.
What are you looking forward to about joining the Company ?
I look forward to growing. Becoming an artist and not just a dancer.
I feel the environment that is present in the company will give me that space to explore and find myself. And of course, being surrounded by the world’s best is what will push me to better myself. I want to learn and watch what they do every day and continue to be inspired by the phenomenal dancers and coaches that are present in today’s company.
How do you think Company life will differ from your student days & what do you hope to bring to the Company ?
I think the difference will lie in the amount of performing I will be doing. Class work, yes, is still very important. However, it becomes secondary to performance. But I wouldn’t want that any other way as I love performing.
I really enjoy watching dancers like Matthew Ball, Reece Clarke & Lukas Brændsrød, because they have this incredible masculine presence onstage. They grab their audiences. That’s what I hope to potentially bring to the Company : presence. I don’t want to be someone I’m not, I want to be the real me in whatever role or character I play, and I want to be exciting and engaging to watch.
How are you preparing yourself for your first professional contract?
Apart from resting and recovering, I guess I’m just trying to take everything in my stride. Put little expectation on myself, be mindful and take it slow in order to properly acclimate to this new life that I will be stepping into.
What are you your best achievements as a student?
I think for me, it has to be dancing on the Palais Garnier stage for a gala back in April of this year. I performed Rhapsody with two other colleagues and we represented The Royal Ballet School on an international level, which was mind blowing and so exciting. We also got to explore Paris in between all the classes and rehearsals, which was phenomenal and a lifelong dream.
I would also say receiving my contract with The Royal Ballet Company. I think to put it into perspective and look back on my journey so far from when I first started, it baffles me at how far I’ve come. I truly am so grateful for this amazing offer, and this achievement will only keep me on my journey, constantly looking to grow and improve myself as I progress in my career.
WHY BALLET?
As a kid, I wasn’t much of a talker & was shy. Ballet gave me a passage to not only express myself, but to do so without words. So, when I dance, it’s a physical monologue of my emotions.
I am a very passionate person, I love giving out love and support to others. I enjoy dancing just as much as those who watch. When I’m onstage I love feeling that connection with the audience; it gives me a sense of fulfilment.
How do you pick yourself up on the days when things aren’t going so well?
It’s something I’ve been working on, but I would say move on as fast as possible when things don’t go your way. When you are performing you don’t have time to think about what went wrong, otherwise you lose the focus on what else you have to do. Therefore, moving on from a mistake, mishap or fall as soon as possible and getting back on track is so incredibly important in this profession. However, learning from the mistake or mishap later on in reflection, to move forward, is vital too.
Do you have a dream role and/or dance partner and if so what/who are they?
I think for me, my dream roles would have to be either Romeo [Ed note – from Romeo & Juliet] or Siegfried [Ed note : from Swan Lake]. Both are challenging roles, but they have so much depth and a lot of room for authenticity from whoever takes them on.
In terms of partners, I don’t particularly have a preference. I would be honoured to have the opportunity to partner any of the fantastic ballerinas in the Company.
What would you say to students entering their graduate year ?
Don’t sweat the small things and enjoy every moment you have in your final year as a student. It goes by so quickly and before you know it you are moving into the professional world. Just enjoy your time while you have it.
Where would you like to be this time next year and how will you measure your progress over the year?
I would like to finish my first season as a professional with more knowledge, more experience, and a better understanding of who I am as a dancer. I hope to learn from the best, so that I can grow and become a better version of myself. I cannot wait to get started with the Company and jump into professional life head on.
