Imogen Chapman
From casually tagging along to her sister's ballet class as a child Imogen Chapman has become one of Australia's premiere ballet dancers. Throughout her career Imogen has trained in London at the prestigious Royal Ballet School, performed on stages around the world, is a member of the Australian Ballet, & has now been nominated for the Telstra Ballet Dancer Awards for the second time.
Looking back on those early years Imogen told Pario that she idolised her older sister & "always wanted to be doing what she was doing or wearing what she was wearing". So it was no surprise that she followed in her sister's footsteps to take up ballet.
At just 15 years old Imogen was offered a place at the Royal Ballet School in London, which was a long way from her home in rural Western Australia. Given that it was such a big move Imogen says she may not have gone had her parents not been able to relocate to Europe.
"I think I was pretty determined to go, I was quite a headstrong child, but it's difficult to say in hindsight. I'm not sure I would have coped if I didn't have my family close by. Luckily Dad got a job overseas & we started thinking about making that transition, so I felt extremely lucky that it all came together & worked out for us."
Since then Imogen has had to put in the hard yards to become the accomplished dancer that she is. As was highlighted when she detailed her daily routine.
"We work from 10:30am to 6:30pm every day. We start with a physical class to get our muscles warm for the day & work on technique. Then we go into rehearsals." But that's not all, "alongside that we do lots of pilates & gym work to keep ourselves fit & healthy."
Despite these efforts, Imogen has suffered several injuries, most notably requiring 4 ankle surgeries. "Ballet is really quite strenuous & takes a big toll on your body, so unfortunately injures are just part of the job," said Imogen.
This year has seen Imogen earn her second nomination in the Telstra Ballet Dancer Awards, given by her peers and colleagues. A feat she is incredibly proud of, "it's a really humbling experience to be recognised for your dedication & commitment to the art form that you love so much, especially after the year that we've had."
To be nominated for this award has an extra significance for Imogen given her background growing up in rural Australia.
"Telstra has the ability to reach a broader audience & make ballet accessible to everyone. I would like to say a huge thanks to Telstra for that. I hope that my story can let young dancers in rural areas know that anything is possible, so with hard work & support from the people around you can follow your dreams."
Vote for Imogen in the Telstra Ballet Dancer Awards at:
www.telstra.com.au/2020-telstra-ballet-dancer-awards
Follow Imogen on Instagram @imogenchapman_
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