A day in the life of a ballet dancer: behind the scenes with English National Ballet's Francesca Velicu

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Ever wondered what it’s like to be a ballet dancer?

We went behind the scenes at the English National Ballet with Francesca Velicu to find out exactly what a day in her life looks like.

Rising star Velicu, who was born in Bucharest, is certainly one to keep your eye on. Earlier this year, she picked up an Olivier Award , named the winner of Outstanding Achievement in Dance for her performance in Pina Bausch’s Le Sacre du Printemps.

She joined the English National Ballet in 2016 and was quickly promoted to First Artist the following year. (This means she is a more senior member of the Corps de Ballet.) Prior to that, she was part of the Romanian National Ballet.

Francesca Velicu at the Olivier Awards
John Phillips/Getty Images

She’s now set to perform in the English National Ballet’s upcoming production of The Sleeping Beauty, which opens at the London Coliseum this week. We caught up with her in rehearsals to find out more about what it takes to become a ballet dancer, and how she spends each day.

The Sleeping Beauty is at the London Coliseum from June 6-16; ballet.org.uk