By Marianne Power
Last updated at 10:34 AM on 15th April 2010Natasha Oughtred, 26, is a Principal Dancer with the Birmingham Royal Ballet. She says:
Blessed: Natasha Oughtred dances with the Birmingham Royal Ballet
When I was four, my ballet teacher warned my mum that she would lose me to the Royal Ballet School . She was right. At 11, I went to London and when I was 16 I got a contract at the Royal Ballet. I can't remember a time when I wasn't dancing.
Even though I'm only 26, I feel old. I'm ten years into my career, and when I wake up in the morning I'm very stiff. I shuffle down stairs like an OAP and make breakfast before doing some Pilates to warm up and iron out the aches and pains from the day before.
The rest of my day varies, depending on whether I'm performing. In the run-up to a show you really push your body to the max.
On those days I'll do an hour of aqua jogging to build stamina before starting a day of rehearsals, from 10.30am to 6.30pm.
It's exhausting, and you end the day with your legs in an ice bath, which helps stop injuries. As a dancer, you're always aware injury can end your career - but you can't think about it because if you did, you'd never go on stage.
When you're performing, you have to save all your energy for the show. At the moment I'm touring as the lead in Sleeping Beauty.
I'm on stage for about two-and-a-half hours, two of which will be on pointe. I'm lucky my feet aren't too damaged, though I've had a couple of lost nails.
After the curtain raises everything goes in a whirl . It's a dream come true to get paid to do what I love. I go to bed at 2.30am, counting all my blessings.
Sleeping Beauty is at The Coliseum, London , April 20 to 24.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1266123/A-peek-life--prima-ballerina.html##ixzz0ljjswLch
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