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.

Exploring the world’s largest sand island starts with the perfect K’gari homebase.

The morning light is still soft, but it’s already a perfect sunny day. We left our K’gari homebase at Kingfisher Bay Resort with our guide, Peter Meyer, at 9 am to make the most of our time to explore all that the world’s largest sand island holds. The size of K’gari is hard to grasp until you arrive here. This is no sandbar. Stretching 120 kilometres, unique lakes, mangrove systems, rainforest, 75 Miles of beach, historic shipwrecks, small townships and even one of Queensland’s best bakeries are all hidden within its bounds.

But first, one of the island’s most iconic sights: the pure silica sand and crystal clear waters of Lake McKenzie.

Laying eyes on it for the first time, I’m finally able to confirm that the photos don’t lie. The sand is pure white, without the merest hint of yellow. The water fades from a light halo of aqua around the edges to a deeper, royal blue, the deeper it gets (not that it’s particularly deep, six metres at most). The surface remains surprisingly undisturbed, like a mirror.

Arriving with our guide before 10 am means that no one else is around when we get here. Which means we have the pleasure of breaking the smooth surface with our own ripples as we enter. As a self-confessed wimp with chilly water temperatures, my fears are quickly assuaged. Even in the morning, the water stays around 23 degrees – perfect for lazing about all day. But we have more sights to see.

Exploring K’gari

ariel of in lake mckenzie on k'gari fraser island — Relax in the warm waters of Lake McKenzie. (Image: Ayeisha Sheldon)

This was the Personalised 4WD tour offered by Kingfisher Bay Resort, and my absolute top pick of experiences. Over the course of the day, we had the freedom to create our own bespoke itinerary (plus a provided picnic lunch along the way), with an expert guide who had plenty of stories and local expertise to give context to what we were looking at. From the history of the SS Maheno shipwreck, which survived the First World War only to be washed ashore by a cyclone in 1935, to a detailed description of how an island made of sand could sustain such diverse flora.

If it’s your first time to K’gari, the Beauty Spots Tour is another great option. Departing daily from Kingfisher Bay Resort (you’ll start to notice a trend, as many of the tours do start and end here), an air-conditioned, 4WD bus takes guests to the island’s most iconic locations, including the best places to swim, like Lake McKenzie and Eli Creek. The latter offers a gentle current, perfect for riding with a blow-up tyre out towards the ocean.

The next day, for a look at a completely different side of K’gari, I joined one of Kingfisher Bay Resort’s Immersive Ranger-guided tours to kayak through the mangroves of Dundonga Creek. This long, snake-like stretch of creek winds its way inland from the ocean outlet we entered by, at times too narrow for three kayaks to be side-by-side. Small insects buzz from leaf to leaf, while birds call overhead. Occasional bubbles indicate we’ve passed some fish that call this place home.

kayak tour through the mangroves at k'gari island — Learn about the island’s mangroves from your Ranger. (Image: Reuben Nutt/ TEQ)

If kayaking isn’t for you – or if, like me, you simply want more – other ranger-led experiences include nature walks and a dedicated Junior Eco Ranger Program for kids ages five to 12 (these run every weekend, and daily over the peak December holidays). Just ask for a timetable of upcoming tours when you check in.

While during whale season, Hervey Bay Whale Watch & Charters operates tours from the hotel’s jetty to get up close to the famous Humpback Highway of Hervey Bay, from 7 November to 31 May, attention turns to the Aqua Oasis Cruise . Departing from the resort every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday for resort guests, adventure along the island’s remote western coast, pointing out wildlife like dolphins, turtles, flying fish and eagles along the way.

The cruise drops anchor so guests can jump into the water using the boat’s equipment – from SUP boards to inflatable slides and jumping platforms. Then refuel with a provided lunch, of course.

Unwind at sunset

two people drinking cocktails at sunset bar, kingfisher bay resort — Unwind at the Sunset Bar. (Image: Sean Scott)

As much as days on K’gari can be filled with adventure, to me, the afternoons and evenings there are for unwinding. Sunsets on K’gari are absolutely unbelievable, with Kingfisher Bay on the west side being the best spot to catch the colours.

The Sunset Bar , located at the start of the resort’s jetty and overlooking the beach, is the ultimate location for sundowners. Let chill beats wash over you as you sip on cool wines, beers and cocktails in a relaxed, friendly vibe. Personally, a cheese board was also absolutely called for. As the sun sinks, the sand, sea and horizon turn a vibrant shade of orange, with the jetty casting a dramatic shadow across the water.

When the show is over, head back to the hotel for dinner at the Asian-fusion Dune restaurant, or the pub-style Sand + Wood. But if your appetite is still whetted for more lights and colours, the evening isn’t over yet.

Settle into the Illumina stage for Return to Sky, an immersive light and sound show leading viewers on a captivating journey through K’gari’s stories and landscapes.

Indulge and disconnect

woman setting up massage room at kingfisher bay resort Island Day Spa — Find bliss at Island Day Spa. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

Of course, there is a type of traveller who knows that balance is important, day or night. While Kingfisher Bay Resort offers more than one pool for guests to spend all day lounging by (they’ll even serve you food and drinks while you do it), you’ll find me at the Island Day Spa.

The masseuses could match the magic hands of any big city spa, and I felt the warm welcome as I walked into the light, breezy reception. Choose from a range of botanical facials, beauty treatments and soothing massages using traditional techniques (obviously, I couldn’t go past a relaxing massage). All products used contain organic, native botanical ingredients with nutrient-rich plant extracts to soothe skin and mind. To really indulge, try out one of the packages, couples treatment or even a pre-wedding day offering.

Getting there

kingfisher bay resort 4wd tour driving passed ss maheno on k'gari island — The world of K’gari awaits. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

Getting to K’gari is shockingly easy. Find daily flights into Hervey Bay from Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. Kingfisher Bay Resort offers a shuttle bus between the airport, their headquarters in Hervey Bay and the ferry to take you to K’gari.

What it’s really like… to be a ballerina