06 September 2008

'I was actually chosen to dance,' says Lei Zhao of her childhood dance training in China. 'Every four years at the Shanghai Dance School have a selection process where they tour to all the schools in a region and choose girls to offer places to, and they came to my school. I was just sitting in class, and the teacher picked me, and then I went through all the exams, three examinations, and I got through. I've always loved music, but I'd never thought of going down that route. I was ten years old, and some people start their training much earlier, but it was very intensive. It was a boarding school, and we were basically doing ballet training from 8am until 12 noon, then in the afternoon we did academic studies. We then got to go home at the weekends.'

After this intensive training, Lei then briefly worked as an assistant teacher, before coming over to the UK at the age of 17. Here she enrolled at the Northern Ballet School for two years, before joining Birmingham Royal Ballet in 1995.

Two years ago she returned to teaching, when she started to take class at Elmhurst School for Dance, Birmingham Royal Ballet's Birmingham-based associated ballet school.

'I'm teaching the graduation students, both males and females, and sometimes we have mixed class,' she explains, 'I teach every Monday morning which doesn't clash with my schedule as a dancer. It's been good to continue my interests in teaching from when I was 16. I find it interesting to spot problems, and help out, that's just my nature.'

As well as teaching others, Lei continued to study during her time with Birmingham Royal Ballet. 'I did my MA with Birmingham University comparing the ballet training in the UK and in China', she explains. 'I find the teaching here is more balanced in a way; it's not only focused on the physical side but also on the psychological side. Whereas in China, achievement is the only concern, and it's much more competitive. So you have to be the best dancer, but the balanced development of social skills, as well as psychological strength and understanding, it's not that highly regarded - as long as you can dance well, that's most important. But here, the work is a lot less intense than in China. In a way when you are younger, the intensity is what you need to get a very solid groundwork.'

One of Lei's biggest forthcoming roles will be her reprisal of Clara in The Nutcracker. But is this a piece suited to a background of intensity?

'No, a role like that needs a lot of artistry, that is the priority', Lei explains. 'Whereas in China I danced with all this pressure to be the best technically, the artistry does not come out, because you enjoy it less. You focus on 'how to do this pirouette well', technical things. And also the training's more about doing competitions, and things like that, so you 're only thinking about one solo at a time.

'But while doing Clara, she is actually the character telling the whole story - she's a storyteller, basically, she links the whole story together. With that sort of role the artistry, the expression… that side is so important, and that's what I learnt when I came to this country. But both sides are very important, I think.'

The differences are understandable considering that Lei has benefited from training on opposite sides of the world. As well as the ballet techniques, Lei obviously had to overcome cultural changes when she moved from China to the UK.

'It was very difficult,' she admits, 'because I think I didn't speak very much English to start with. And I don't like salad or sandwiches! There are a lot of things to get used to, especially without your parents. It was tough, but you grow up a lot, you mature a lot, and you adapt to the culture and different things.

'In a way I'm very lucky,' says Lei, pausing. 'I'm... a bit like sandwich,' she laughs, 'I'm Chinese as well as English, so my initial technical training provides the bread that I can then use to hold together the filling that is everything that I've learned here!'

ENDS