So Danca Ambassadors
Meet our talented So Dança brand ambassadors. As leaders in the dance community we look to them for inspiration. We share their passion for dance and are delighted to work with them.
Nancy Osbaldeston
Nancy Osbaldeston began her dance training in the Cardwell Theatre School and at the English National Ballet School in London. In 2008, Nancy was accepted into the English National Ballet Company where she received the Emerging Dance Award in 2013. Nancy has been with the Royal Ballet of Flanders since 2014 where she began as a demi-soloist, in 2016 she was promoted to soloist and in 2017 to principal.
Can you tell me a little about when and why you started dancing?
I started dancing at age 3. We had dance as part of our normal school once a week. The teacher told my mum to take me to more dance classes as I was one of the few who skipped in time to the music.
For you, what’s the most rewarding part about being a dancer? And what’s the hardest part?
The most rewarding part is performing on stage with a live orchestra, the beautiful costumes and getting paid to do something I love. The hardest part is the repetition and the discipline you must instil in yourself.
What advice do you have for aspiring dancers?
Work hard and don’t think about the end result. Just enjoy the process of dancing every day as much as possible. Eventually, with time it can pay off. Also, don’t compare yourself to others - focus on improving yourself in your own way and highlighting your assets which will be unique to you.
What is your favourite So Dança product and why do you like the So Dança brand?
Has to be the So Dança leotards! There are so many unique styles to choose from and the fit is amazing. I can’t wait to see the new Sara Mearns collection!
NANCY OSBALDESTON: A DAY IN THE LIFE ...
Zoë Ashe-Browne
Zoë Ashe-Browne is a dance artist and choreographer from Dublin. After completing her professional training with the English National Ballet School in London she has danced for companies and choreographers all over Europe. These include Ballet Ireland, the English National Ballet Company, Peter Schaufuss Ballett (Denmark) and Ballett Vorpommern (Germany). In 2016 Zoë choreographed and performed in the Short Dance film Ballet Átha Cliath, directed by Howard Jones and featuring an original score by Irish band Cloud Castle Lake. In August 2018 Zoë joined The Royal Ballet of Flanders as a full-time member of the corps.
Can you tell me a little about when and why you started dancing?
I started dancing when I was 6 years old. I joined the Debbie Allen School of Dance in Windy Arbor, mostly because I wanted to copy my older sister. It started with one lesson a week until it eventually progressed to full-time training. I went to join The English National Ballet School in London aged 16.
For you, what’s the most rewarding part about being a dancer? And what’s the hardest part?
There are two parts of this job that I think are immensely rewarding. The first one is of course performing. Nothing beats the feeling of getting on stage and expressing yourself. Especially when you have gorgeous colleagues like the ones I have to share the experience with. It’s an amazing feeling. The second part is the exploration of your body in rehearsals. This is especially true during creation. It’s so rewarding to find a deeper understanding of your instrument and its capabilities. I’ve always found that I understand myself a little better after I’ve worked with a choreographer in the creative process.
What advice do you have for aspiring dancers?
There’s so much advice I would like to give. To condense it, I would say it’s important to find a good, reputable dance teacher early in your training to establish a strong technical foundation from which you can grow. Don’t compare yourself to everyone on social media, it’s a wonderful platform that can connect people with common interests, but it can also be very toxic when used in excess. Try not to work purely for the validation of teachers and coaches, work for yourself! If you don’t give your own work any respect you leave yourself in a very vulnerable position when a teacher or ballet master starts to give their critique. It will leave you feeling miserable if you always rely on others to lift you up. I learned this lesson the hard way!
My last piece of advice is to keep reminding yourself of why you dance. If you’re in full-time training and the school is tough and the stress is high go and take another class in your free time (maybe a style you don’t normally do, like jazz or commercial) to remind yourself why you're there!
What is your favourite So Dança product and why do you like the brand?
My favourite So Dança product is their soft ballet shoes. I changed my brand last year to SoDança and found the material to be super comfortable but the shape was still extremely flattering. I wore them to two auditions last year and got both jobs. The shoes definitely helped!