After graduating from RBS, Walsh went on to dance professionally for several ballet companies, such as The Royal Danish Ballet, Norwegian National Ballet, Ballet National de Bordeaux, Corella Ballet, and Ballett Dortmund; she also danced for Royal Danish Principal Dancer Peter Bo Bendixen and his summer ballet in the Tivoli Theatre in Copenhagen.
I had the pleasure of talking to Walsh about her career as a professional ballet dancer—a path she later changed by enrolling at GS to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor.
How did you become a dancer at the Royal Ballet School of London?
I auditioned for the RBS at the age of 15. I was in England visiting my grandfather and begged my mum to drive me to Bristol for a preliminary audition. I knew I did not stand a chance, given that I had not been in vocational training like the other girls. I could barely stand on pointe! For some miracle reason the director selected me to be one of the 12 incoming girls. I will always be extremely grateful for her belief in me. There would have been no way I would have achieved a professional standard had she not given me the opportunity to study at one of the best ballet schools in the world.
What was it like being part of such a specialized school? Was your time evenly divided between academics and dance, or was the emphasis on dance?
I moved to London from Jersey to start at RBS at 16. The school’s emphasis is on dance, though there is the option to continue studying academically. A typical day started at 8 a.m. with an hour and a half of academics—I studied English literature. Then we had ballet class from 10 a.m. until 6.30 – 7 p.m., with a 45-minute lunch break.
My first semester was incredibly challenging. I had come from taking an hour ballet class after school to dancing nine hours or more a day—a grueling schedule. But I loved it. When you love to do something, it doesn’t feel like work. It is incredibly fulfilling to arrive at home after such a long day and collapse on the couch so exhausted you can barely move.
The movie Black Swan in 2010 dramatized the kind of pressure and time commitment ballet dancers might be under. What was your experience dancing?
A lot of things in ballet can be improved. Dancers tend to be perfectionists, placing a lot of pressure on themselves. Moreover, as artists we love what we do, which results in putting up with work-place injustice. However, I believe that the degree to which this is experienced depends on where you work and who you work for. I danced in Scandinavia where the theatre’s union has a lot of power, ensuring that the dancers are somewhat protected.
One of the redeeming aspects of professional ballet that Black Swan overlooked is how special the people are. I have wonderful friends all over the world. They provide support and encouragement. Even after retiring from the stage they are still encouraging me, making me laugh, and listening to me complain about how stressed I am with exams!
You retired early from ballet to become a doctor after learning about GS. What has it been like balancing these two interests? And how was it that the dream to become a doctor won out in the end?
It was a difficult decision to make. At 16 I felt torn between two career choices, both different. The reason I chose ballet initially was because I knew a professional ballet dancer’s career is short and that I would find a way to go back to school after performing.
While I was working for the Norwegian National Ballet, I came to New York City to visit friends and heard about GS. Although I was very happy with where I was as a dancer, I felt something was missing. I knew I needed to continue learning, especially science, and that I was ready to explore my next challenge—a career in medicine. My director, Espen Giljane, was supportive when I told him of my acceptance to GS and my dream to study medicine. He remarked how fortunate I am to have two passions in life and the opportunity to pursue them both— for this I am so grateful to GS. I have been very fortunate to have had many wonderful experiences here, to have met many inspiring people, and to have complimented my career as a dancer with Columbia’s rigorous academics.
Despite your busy academic schedule, are you still involved in ballet?
I am currently dancing for the Columbia Ballet Collaborative and the Ivy Ballet Exchange. GS has so many wonderful dancers on campus. I thought it would be a good project to have some photos taken, and so recently photographer Joerg Didlap and I had a photography shoot around Columbia University to share this with the greater community.
What are your plans for the future?
I took the MCAT exam in June of 2015 and completed my applications to medical school this summer. I will graduate in May 2016 with a degree in neuroscience and behavior, and intend to begin medical school later in the year. I know that ballet will always be an important part of my life, but I am excited about the next challenge on my road to becoming a physician.
