Part of the Dancing in Jersey Spotlight Q&A series.
Welcome to the latest edition of Dancing in Jersey's new Q&A series, Spotlight Q&A. In this series, founder Hayley delves into the stories and passions behind Jersey's vibrant dance community.
The series continues with a conversation with Emily Ward, a former professional ballet dancer who performed across Europe before bringing her experience to Jersey’s dance community. Now teaching across the Island, Emily works with dancers of all ages while also developing creative projects such as Ballerina Parties. She reflects on her career in ballet, her approach to teaching, and her hopes for nurturing the next generation of dancers in Jersey.
Dancing in Jersey (DiJ): Can you tell me a little about your background in dance and what first drew you to ballet?
Emily Ward (EW): Ballet has always been at the forefront of my life. I usually make a joke that I can speak better “ballet” than I can English, but it really has always been the thing that allowed me to best articulate my inner self from the age of about 8 years old and still to this day. When I was 9, I joined the Royal Ballet Associates programme, and at 16 I attended The English National Ballet School. I felt like I was always destined to become a ballet dancer and I am very grateful to have had an 11-year career dancing several shows a week in Estonia and Germany.
Dancing in Jersey (DiJ): What brought you to Jersey, and how did you become involved in the Island's dance community?
Emily Ward (EW): I wanted to return to my roots, having lived all of my adult life abroad, despite growing up in Gloucestershire. Jersey felt like an interesting, alternative and healing place to live – especially with getting to live by the sea! I felt a big shift in my thirties which felt like I needed to share everything I had learnt and developed throughout my career. I am very blessed with all of the people I have met who have entrusted me with teaching their students and children, and helped me fulfil this meaningful promise I have to myself.
Dancing in Jersey (DiJ): You teach in several different settings across the Island. What does a typical week in your dance life look like?
Emily Ward (EW): A typical week for me usually starts with a 6am shift working in Security at The Ports of Jersey. I then teach an adult ballet class with Step55 Club and go onto St Ouen, teaching children aged 2-6 under Jodie Lee Performing Arts Academy, followed by a private lesson. On Tuesday mornings I teach a yoga/pilates class for adults with Step55. On Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, I teach 5 hours of lessons each night, which is a combination of acro dance, ballet, contemporary, lyrical, GCSE dance, pre-pointe and pointe, and privates. On Thursdays I teach for 2.5 hours and afterwards I go to ballroom class as I love to keep dancing myself, and I think it’s important for my own sanity to keep dancing and learning new styles. On Fridays, I am learning to teach tai chi and usually get admin/lesson planning done on this day. On Saturdays, I teach 7 ballet classes.
On Sundays I go to yoga class, and sauna/sea swim to recover, or for a long walk or motorbike ride. In between teaching I try to fit in Ports shifts and search for music inspiration for choreography I create for competitions and shows. I am usually always listening to music, whether that be classical or techno!
Dancing in Jersey (DiJ): What inspired you to start Ballerina Parties, and what can children expect when they attend one of your parties?
Emily Ward (EW): It allows children to be welcomed into the world of ballet in the way that captured and catapulted me. I feel that the element of storytelling in dance is being lost, as well as portraying emotions through your body. After all, young children love stories, so I really have this as a highlight in my parties. I tell the story of a well-known classical ballet and we act and dance the story out. The kids love it. I want to get as many children inspired by my love of ballet, as a way of keeping the essence of ballet alive and getting more children tuned into their bodies by connecting it to their emotions, all whilst having fun.
Dancing in Jersey (DiJ): What do you love most about introducing young children to ballet and movement through these kinds of fun, celebratory events?
Emily Ward (EW): I think seeing them connecting to their bodies through music whilst telling a story is a remarkable thing. Getting them to realise that they don’t need much other than their healthy body and imagination to have fun is an amazing appreciation that they can learn to take through their whole life.
I usually start off every class under 7 years old with a visualisation exercise which could be getting dressed up like a princess or imagine your body moving as if it were the sun. These exercises ground them, gets them into their bodies, out of their minds and opens them into a whole new world. It’s often the part of the class they enjoy the most! It’s been a bit of trial and error, and learning what grasps the attention of young ones the best. I always make sure to read the energy of the room before I start my class, sometimes I go completely off piste as I may find that the constraints of the syllabus may not fit the needs of my students on a particular day. The way the world is going, through screens and AI intervention, it’s important to teach children how to listen to their bodies from an early age more than ever and I feel that’s where my talent lies.
Dancing in Jersey (DiJ): You work with dancers of various ages and abilities. How does your approach change depending on the students you’re teaching?
Emily Ward (EW): I have found this the most difficult to navigate. Ballet has always meant so much to me and I know that it doesn’t mean it’s like that for everyone. I really try to push the ones that have the same love of ballet and talent, and grasp what I have to offer and separate them into different classes where I delve into the depths of what ballet has to offer. This means working on uniting the whole self; body, mind and soul as equal components in the way I bring my teaching across and I expect the same back from my students. For other dancers I may keep my lessons focused on the fundamentals of moving with the correct alignment with the main aim being for dancers to leave my class and walk out into the world with more confidence, poise, joy and awareness of their bodies.
Dancing in Jersey (DiJ): Having taught in several different places around Jersey, how would you describe the dance community on the island?
Emily Ward (EW): The dance community is definitely thriving, and I see huge demand for dance lessons. We have some incredible talent on-island – both in terms of teachers and dancers – but I definitely see ways that the community could be more cohesive in providing non-competitive opportunities for local dancers. I am also concerned that there are limited options for young ballet dancers with real potential to stay on the same level as those globally, without incurring huge expense and significant travel off-Island (watch this space!).
Dancing in Jersey (DiJ): Where do you see the biggest opportunities for young dancers in Jersey at the moment?
Emily Ward (EW): The biggest opportunities lie in competitions here. We are lucky to have dance schools who put so much into organising and staging these events, and bringing across judges from the UK. I never took part in competitions myself and although I see competing as a great way for dancers to perform and build confidence, dance is subjective and attaching scores to dancers can be detrimental.
Dancing in Jersey (DiJ): What do you think makes ballet such a valuable activity for children and young people?
Emily Ward (EW): It’s important to really understand that ballet is the base of all dance styles and has been around for centuries and will be around for many more. Ballet takes a certain level of focus, determination and self-awareness and I think that’s what stands it aside from other dance styles as well as building resilience which leads to opportunities for young girls who typically fall away from organised and team sports as they hit their teens.
Dancing in Jersey (DiJ): What advice would you give to young dancers in Jersey who dream of pursuing ballet more seriously?
Emily Ward (EW): I think to focus on quality over quantity in your dance classes for any young developing body is crucial. Rather to take interest in music, drama, gymnastics, sport and creative activities such as going to watch the ballet in Covent Garden, as a supplement to ballet classes which will help unlock more potential. Through these outlets you will gain more of an understanding of yourself: your needs, your character, your taste, your values and what you uniquely have to offer. This will help bring to the foreground your own unique strengths in ballet. Ballet is so revealing and vulnerable that developing resilience and strength of character is mostly needed to stand a chance in a professional environment.
Dancing in Jersey (DiJ): What are your hopes for the future - both for your own projects and for ballet training in Jersey?
Emily Ward (EW): My profession has been so integral in my life that I want to keep on mastering my teaching in a more holistic way. I am very keen to keep working with both older and younger bodies. Creating good habits at a young age in ballet class and for older bodies a chance to revisit a younger self by keeping the body moving and awakening new channels that may have been dormant for years. Above all I am really keen to nurture the talent on the Island.
