An opening night is exciting enough. And at the recent opening of Queensland Ballet’s (QB) Peter Pan, there was even more of a call for celebration, as two of the company’s dancers, Lucy Green and Camilo Ramos, were promoted to principal artist.
Both dancers were surprised by Artistic Director Li Cunxin at the curtain call of Peter Pan, following Green’s performance as Tinkerbell and Ramos’ performance as Peter Pan.
Lucy Green in ‘Peter Pan’. Photo by David Kelly.
Green, who was born in Sydney and graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School, dancer with the Royal New Zealand Ballet before joining QB as a soloist in 2017.
Ramos, of Cuba, trained at the Elementary School of Balet Alejo Carpentier and the National School of Ballet, and danced with the National Ballet of Cuba before joining QB in 2015 as a soloist.
“Both Lucy and Camilo are true artists with remarkable talent and ability who don’t ever rest on their laurels, they always give everything of themselves on and off stage, and I couldn’t be prouder of them,” Cunxin says.
Both dancers say they feel incredibly honored to be named principal at the company.
Camilo Ramos in ‘Peter Pan’. Photo by David Kelly.
“For me,” Ramos tells Dance Informa, “it’s not about making it to the highest rank. As dancers, we work so hard every day to improve our technique and to push ourselves further, always trying to perfect the mastery of both the choreography and the performance. We work so hard to make each ballet look easy and to give the audience one unforgettable experience. Then, one night, you receive this beautiful surprise and you become a principal artist, and it is the most wonderful payoff for all your hard work.”
When asked what they like best about working with QB, both dancers mention the supportive community of talented people.
“I’m incredibly lucky to be working with some of the most talented and inspiring dancers, choreographers and artistic staff,” Green reveals. “The collaborative nature of what we do is one of the most rewarding aspects of this art form, and when you’re working with the calibre of people such as at QB, you truly leave work every day feeling like you’ve improved as a dancer and are part of something very special.”
Lucy Green. Photo by David Kelly.
Green and Ramos are extremely grateful for their promotion, and to Cunxin and the company, and say they’ll continue to work hard and be a good role model for younger dancers.
“The best part of being promoted was seeing how many people were truly happy for me,” Ramos shares. “When all the dancers whom I respect and admire came and told me that they were happy for me and let me know that they thought I deserved the promotion, that was my greatest reward.”
For more information on Queensland Ballet, visit www.queenslandballet.com.au.
By Laura Di Orio of Dance Informa.
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