Meet Kaela Tapper

Kaela Tapper studied at the Amanda Bollinger Dance Academy and is now a member of the Royal Swedish Ballet. We asked her about her time as a full-time student.

What is your best memory of your full-time dance studies?

The whole experience is one unforgettable memory for me. Every day brought growth in me as a person and a dancer.

It’s hard to define one exact moment, however, I remember the sense of accomplishment when my teacher Miss Amanda entrusted me with the role of the “Princess” in the Prince of Persia piece that we did. I was still quite young and did not expect to be chosen for this role, however, I know she saw the dancer, the determination and the dreamer in me.

What is the main overall lesson you learnt?

You need to know you love what you’re doing and couple that with grit, so when the hard days hit (which they do) and you forget why you even started, you can remind yourself of the love and passion you have for the art, and take strength from it.

How did you cope physically with the demands of the workload?

For me having intentional rest and recovery time, eating well and maintaining focus while allowing myself to dream were all really important.

Full-time training can be a lot, especially for young dancers, so it’s important to make sure you train properly. The warm-up, the cool-down, the side workouts and pilates training may seem tedious, however, these are of key importance. 

@kaela_ballerina