What it's like to be a ballerina | Australian Traveller

Principal artist with the The Australian Ballet, Japanese-born Ako Kondo tells what it’s like to dance 200 shows a year and if there’s any Black Swan antics offstage.

I normally get up around 8:30am, because I have two toy poodles…

I eat breakfast with them, walk them and have chill time with them before I go to work.

If it’s not a performance day, work starts with a 10:30–11:45am warm-up class, where we do basic technical stuff, then I have a 15-minute break before rehearsal starts at 12pm.

It goes for two-and-a-half hours and you have to be focused since you have to learn new steps or do the reps for the next season. We have a lunch break from 2:30-3:45pm, during which I normally get a massage.

Rehearsal resumes at 3:45pm and we finish at 6:30pm. If it’s a performance day, we start at 11am and finish at 3pm.

We have a big break before the show, which starts at 7:30pm, but I have to get ready, so I normally go to the theatre at 6pm. There is a warm-up class again before the show.

The Australian Ballet does the most shows in the world…

So we have to make sure our bodies are healthy to keep going for 200 shows. We have a massage therapist and a physiotherapist; there’s always people looking after us. We have the best medical team.

Your mind and body has to be ready to rehearse…

We sometimes put five ballets together for rehearsal in one day. We always mix the reps, it’s not just one ballet. That’s why you have to be ready.

It takes a lot of energy and you need to be focused. At the moment we’re getting ready for a London tour; I’ll be performing Swan Lake and Cinderella, so we are rehearsing both of those ballets right now.

People see the costumes and beautiful dancing and think we’re not sweating…

But we are. I read an article that said ballet dancers work their bodies as much as footy players do.

That’s how we feel afterwards, we take ice baths after the shows. It does take a lot of energy and our bodies can be ruined by ballet; it’s tough.

But when we are onstage, we have to pretend it’s nothing. For example, if I do the black swan solo, when I come off stage I’m breathing like crazy, but the audience doesn’t see that. It’s our job to make it look effortless and beautiful.

Our muscles work hard…

We use our lower legs a lot for en pointe and jumping. I put my legs, below my knees, in an ice bucket after a show; it’s really cold!

My legs ache a lot and feel really hot, but if I put them in an ice bath they cool down and recover well the next day; they don’t feel heavy. If I don’t do that, I’ve found my legs are quite dead the next day and I don’t feel fresh.

Last time I performed Swan Lake, I had four pairs of pointe shoes ready…

Sometimes when you put on brand-new pointe shoes they’re shocking.

They break in a bad way and when you go en pointe it just doesn’t feel right, so I always make sure I have at least four pairs ready, but just pick one. I normally go through one pair of pointe shoes per day and I give my old ones to young girls.

We do make-up and hair ourselves…

I’ve been doing it for a long time so it doesn’t take long anymore. It’s about 20 minutes to do my make-up and 10 minutes for my hair.

I change my make-up to get into character…

For Odette, the white swan in Swan Lake, I go for a pale look and I do the whitewash, which is a kind of pancake on my body. When I perform the black swan, I wear red lipstick and dark eyeshadow so I feel different.

The world of ballet isn’t like the movie Black Swan…

When I was training in Japan, I was doing ballet competitions and I felt everyone was quite competitive because we were trying to get the first prize.

But ballet is not about competition and when I came to Australia, it wasn’t like that. Everyone supports each other to make the best show. In our company, no one tries to compare with you; we are like a family. It’s just put on for the movies – it’s not that bad.

Recently, my best friend debuted as Odette…

Everyone was in the wings cheering – the whole company was supportive to make her performance perfect for her.

I’m a principal artist now, so my job is to provide the best performance but also to support young dancers who are getting big opportunities in the company.

I don’t keep a strict diet…

Some people do care about what they eat but my workload is hard, so I eat what I want to get energy. But I make sure I rehydrate; we sweat so much and don’t even realise.

I get nervous waiting in the wings…

Especially being Odette, the white swan, the first entrance is just myself in the middle of the stage with no music before I start dancing.

It is a scary moment, but when I hear the audience gasp or clap for me, I feel like the theatre is one piece and I feel the energy from the audience, and that helps.

Everyone is just there to watch the performance and they’re so excited. I just try to give my best performance for them.

After the curtain falls, everyone just goes home…

With 200 shows a year, the cast is like: ‘OK, done. Let’s go home, sleep, next’. Everyone has to make sure they feel fresh for the next day.

I decided I wanted to be a professional ballerina when I was 13 years old…

I asked my ballet teacher how to do it.

She said if I really wanted to be a professional ballerina, then I should go overseas to attend a full-time ballet school.

In Japan, there aren’t any full-time schools like The Australian Ballet School or The Royal Ballet School.

I won a big ballet competition in Japan and was lucky enough to get a scholarship from The Australian Ballet School.

Ballet is tough and it’s hard work, but it’s worth it…

It was a big step to be apart from my family.

It was hard but I felt like it was worth it, because what I got from the school was just amazing. I’d never have that experience in Japan.

I was lucky all the hard work paid off and I got a contract from the Australian Ballet. If you keep working hard, at some point it will pay off.

I’ve been doing ballet for 22 years… since I was three years old…

It was always my first option.

But I like doing my make-up and hair for a performance, so if I wasn’t a ballerina I could see myself being a make-up artist or hair stylist.

MORE… See Ako in the Australian Ballet’s Nijinsky in Melbourne, and touring to Sydney and Adelaide.

The Northern Territory is made for road trips, and this one hits all the highlights.

Craggy mountain ranges, inviting waterholes, ochre soil: the landscape of the Northern Territory is asking to be explored by road and foot. There are many iconic road trips to choose from here, but none so all-encompassing than the roughly 3000 kilometres of sealed road that make up Explorer’s Way.

Spend 14 days (or more, to really make the most of it) driving this route from Adelaide, hitting the NT near the small settlement of Kulgera before later finishing in Darwin. Along the way, you’ll find nearly all the territory’s most iconic sights.

Discover some of the top highlights that make Explorer’s Way one of Australia’s most incredible road trips.

1. Alice Springs

echidna at Alice Springs Desert Park — See the locals at Alice Springs Desert Park. (Credit: Tourism & Events NT)

Recently hitting the big screen again with the story of The Kanagroo Sanctuary , there’s a lot to surprise you in Alice Springs.

Three distinct desert habitats – desert rivers, sand country and woodland – are recreated over 1300 hectares at Alice Springs Desert Park . Time your visit for a presentation or a free bird show.

Later, turn your attention to the skies above, taking a dive into local astronomy at Earth Sanctuary . You’ll find a range of experiences, from a 90-minute toe-dip into the stars through to an overnight adventure.

Alice Springs packs a surprising punch with its tasty dining options, including pub grub and unique brews at Alice Springs Brewing Co , tapas and pizza at Epilogue Lounge and tasty cafe fare at the quirky Page 27 .

2. Tjoritja/West MacDonnell National Park

woman standing at Ormiston Gorge — Dive into Ormiston Gorge. (Credit: Tourism & Events NT/ Dom and Jesso)

Beginning 15 minutes from Alice Springs and stretching across 161 kilometres, Tjoritja/West MacDonnell National Park is packed with striking ancient landscapes and inviting water holes.

Visit Standley Chasm – traditionally known as Angkerle Atwatye, meaning ‘Gap of Water’ – to take in its bold red and orange hues, and to observe the diverse bird species, lizards and wallabies that call it home.

Cool off in one of several picturesque natural swimming holes, like Ellery Creek Big Hole and Ormiston Gorge.

3. Uluru & Kata Tjuta

three women looking at Kata Tjuta at sunset — Explore Kata Tjuta. (Credit: Tourism & Events NT)

Visiting the Cultural Heart of Australia is something everybody should experience. There are so many side trips in the Red Centre you could easily spend a week here, but to get the most out of a short time, park the car then get out on foot.

Take the 10-kilometre Base Walk around the entirety of Uluru or join a free, ranger-guided Mala Walk along part of the base, learning about Tjukurpa (creation stories) and geology as you go.

For a change of pace, wait until nightfall and wander through the iconic Field of Light display by celebrated artist Bruce Munro, or see the Wintjiri Wiru lightshow that shares the ancient Mala story using drones, lasers and projections.

4. Tennant Creek

pson looking at Karlu Karlu (Devils Marbles) northern territory — See the ancient granite boulders of Karlu Karlu (Devils Marbles). (Credit: Tourism & Events NT/ Dom And Jesso)

Tennant Creek was Australia’s third-largest gold mining town in the 1930s, and visitors can discover that history at Battery Hill Mining Centre – and even try their own hand at gold fossicking.

For a completely different side of history, pop into Nyinkka Nyunyu Art & Culture Centre , which preserves and shares Warumungu culture through art, performance, a museum and more.

Just outside town, find the ancient granite boulders of Karlu Karlu (Devils Marbles). A site integral to important stories held by the Warumungu, Kaytetye, Warlpiri and Alyawarra peoples, the boulders appear to almost have dropped out of the sky and seemingly continue to defy gravity.

5. Mataranka

aerial of people swimming in bitter springs northern territory — Dive into Bitter Springs. (Credit: Tourism & Events NT/ Ben Savage)

A town made famous by the novel We of the Never Never by Jeannie Gunn (and a movie of the same name), Mataranka is also known for its sandy-bottomed thermal pool, Bitter Springs , within Elsey National Park. Follow a 500-metre loop track around these spring-fed pools that stay a toasty 34°C year-round, before choosing your favourite spot to dive into. Enjoy the local birdlife while you relax.

Elsewhere in the park, find historical sites, several scenic walks and Roper River, which is perfect for boating and fishing.

6. Nitmiluk National Park

Nabilil Dreaming Sunset Dinner Cruise — Join a sunset cruise with Nabilil Dreaming. (Credit: Tourism & Events NT/ Lachlan Gardiner)

Nitmiluk National Park is sandstone country, with 13 stunning gorges and plenty of waterfalls waiting to be explored.

One of the most beautiful spots can be found along the 62-kilometre Jatbula Trail, a five-to-six day bushwalk that follows an ancient Jawoyn songline from Nitmiluk Gorge to Leliyn (Edith Falls). Numbers are restricted and book out quickly, so be sure to plan well ahead. Not up for the hike? Drive right up to the falls and enjoy a dip without the challenge.

Elsewhere, explore Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge. Paddle a kayak through the river running through the canyon, or save your energy on a Nabilil Dreaming Sunset Dinner Cruise , discovering the stories and ways of the Jawoyn people while enjoying a candlelit dinner as the cliffs around you shift colour and glow with the changing daylight.

Continue your cultural journey at local art centres like Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Art & Culture Centre or Mimi Aboriginal Art & Craft .

7. Litchfield National Park

cathedral termite mounds in Litchfield national park — Be awed by giant cathedral termite mounds. (Credit: Tourism & Events NT/ As We Wander)

Just over an hour’s drive from Darwin lies the beautiful Litchfield National Park. It’s famous for stunning waterfalls and swimming holes, including Buley Rockhole, Wangi Falls, Florence Falls and Tjaynera Falls.

Here you’ll also find hundreds of giant – and magnetic – cathedral termite mounds that are truly a sight to see. Ageing up to 100 years old, you won’t find mounds like these outside the northern parts of Australia. Stroll along the accessible boardwalk to see them up close.

8. Darwin

darwin street art — Darwin art is streets ahead. (Credit: Tourism & Events NT/ Mark Fitzpatrick)

This list wouldn’t be complete without the territory’s capital city: Darwin. Situate yourself upon arrival with a stroll through the main streets, admiring the many art murals by local, interstate and international artists. They’re all remnants of the annual Darwin Street Art Festival , one of Australia’s longest running street art festivals.

Stop to recharge along Darwin’s Waterfront Precinct , an area of delectable restaurants, public swimming pools and free events. And, of course, it would be wrong to leave the city without enjoying a bowl of laksa at Mindil Beach Sunset Market as the sun goes down.

Learn more and start planning your Explorer’s Way road trip at northernterritory.com/drive.

What it’s really like… to be a ballerina