Gina Brescianini is the winner of the 2006 Telstra Ballet Dancer Award. The annual award of $20,000 goes to a member of the Australian Ballet who is chosen out of six dancers nominated by the company.
What is the best venue you have ever performed in?
Melbourne’s State Theatre is my all time favourite because it has a massive stage which is just so lovely to dance on, and it has fantastic facilities back stage.
What is your funniest moment during a performance?
Last year when I stacked it in Bodytorque! I really went for a shuffle backwards, slid on my bottom and rolled over backwards! The two ladies dancing beside me and I absolutely lost it with giggles.
What is your most embarrassing moment?
My stack as above!
What is the most memorable review you’ve received?
It was for last year’s season of Raymonda. Ross McGravie, a reviewer for MX in Melbourne, said “Gina Brescianini’s cameo as Marilyn-like starlet Kay Artley was pure gold, playing up the stereotype to maximum comic effect”.
What is your proudest moment?
When I was awarded the Telstra Ballet Dancer Award.
Who is your favourite choreographer?
Jiri Kylian. His seamless works are such a great pleasure to watch and to do. You always look forward to performing them again and again. I find his choreography is so musical and intelligent that every time you watch a ballet you find even more detail, and develop a greater understanding of the movement and what he is saying through it. To me, it is like watching a painting being made in front of you.
What is the hardest thing you have ever performed?
The pas de cinq from Suite en blancby Serge Lifar.
What book are you reading at the moment?
I like to read a few books at a time. I am halfway through the The Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith which is a bit of fun to read, as well as The book of secrets by Osho.
What is your pet hate?
Cruelty towards fellow humans and animals.
What is your favourite step?
Pirouettes! I love the feeling of turning. I find it my most comfortable and enjoyable step because we always did so many pirouettes in class when I was growing up.
What do you like most about yourself?
That I am a kind and sensitive person.
What annoys you about yourself?
That I get stressed out sometimes.
What makes you sad?
Abuse of all kinds.
If you could take three possessions to a desert island, what would you choose?
My boyfriend, my new electric scooter which I just love riding everywhere, and a beautiful bottle of Italian red wine.
If you had your life over again, what would you do differently?
Nothing. You’ve got to learn from your mistakes.
If you could choose to meet anyone, living or dead, who would it be and what would you like to ask them?
Jesus Christ. I’d ask him to tell me his version of his life.
If you were offered any one work of art in the world, which would you choose?
The statue David by Michelangelo. I think it is a truly beautiful work of art. The perfection of this statue is incredible. It is amazing that you can create something so wonderful out of a block of marble!
If you weren’t a dancer, what would you like to be?
I’d like to be many things: an artist, a kinesiologist, a yoga teacher and a social worker with children.
