Marianela Núñez, ballerina

27 snips

Jan 26, 2025

Marianela Núñez, Principal dancer of the Royal Ballet and Opera, shares her journey from Argentina to becoming a celebrated ballerina. She reveals the emotional thrill of opening nights and the sacrifices made by her family. Marianela discusses the profound impact of Tchaikovsky's music in her performances and the challenges faced during her career, especially during the pandemic. With a cozy nod to her cats and a favorite blanket, she emphasizes the importance of community and resilience in both dance and life.

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ANECDOTE

Tube Ride with Flowers

Marianela Núñez, a principal dancer at the Royal Ballet, often takes the tube home after opening night with bouquets of flowers.
People often mistake it for her birthday, a misconception she plays along with.

ANECDOTE

Sewing Shoes

Núñez sews and prepares her own ballet shoes, a practice she learned from her mother.
Years of sewing have given her a callus on one of her fingers.

ANECDOTE

Pre-Performance Rituals

Núñez has pre-performance rituals, including tidying her dressing room and folding her warmers.
She compares this meticulousness to Rafael Nadal's on-court rituals.

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Marianela Núñez is a Principal dancer of the Royal Ballet and Opera. Born in Argentina in 1982, Marianela knew she wanted to be a ballet dancer from the age of five and joined the Teatro Colón Ballet School in Buenos Aires when she was eight.

She dedicated herself to becoming a professional ballerina and had the full support of her parents despite having to leave home at fifteen to join the Royal Ballet in the UK. After spending a year at the Royal Ballet School and learning English from watching episodes of Friends, she joined the corps de ballet and worked her way up the company to become Principal Dancer. She has danced the lead roles in the ballet repertoire on the London stage and around the world as a guest artist. In 2018, she celebrated her 20th anniversary with the Royal Ballet with a performance of lead roles in Giselle, The Winter’s Tale, Manon, Marguerite and Armand, and Swan Lake in her anniversary year. Director of The Royal Ballet Kevin O’Hare called her “one of the greats of her generation”. Marianela has many awards for her dancing including the Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance in 2013. She lives in London with her two cats.

DISC ONE: Adíos Nonino (“Goodbye Grandad”) - Astor Piazzolla DISC TWO: Hoy Puede Ser Un Gran Dia (“Today Could Be a Great Day”) - Joan Manuel Serrat DISC THREE: Dancing Queen - ABBA DISC FOUR: Don’t Stop Me Now - Queen DISC FIVE: Tchaikovsky: The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, TH 13 / Act 1: 8a. Pas d'action: Introduction (Andante) - Adagio ("Rose Adagio") Performed by The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, conducted by Mark Ermler DISC SIX: Adam: Giselle / Act 2: Lever du soleil et arrivée de la cour. Performed by The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, conducted by Richard Bonynge DISC SEVEN: Count on Me - Bruno Mars DISC EIGHT: I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash

BOOK CHOICE: The Collected Works of Jorge Luis Borges LUXURY ITEM: A cashmere blanket CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Tchaikovsky: The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, TH 13 / Act 1: 8a. Pas d'action: Introduction (Andante) - Adagio ("Rose Adagio") Performed by The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, conducted by Mark Ermler

Presenter Lauren Laverne Producer Sarah Taylor