Interview with Sinéad Bunn
Interview with Jimmy – Freed of London’s Theatrical and Ballroom Designer
August 25, 2017
We got together with dancer Sinéad Bunn and her sister/photographer Roxanne Bunn to create some beautiful images of Sinéad in her Freed of London Pointe Shoes.
Whilst on the shoot we got to catch up with Sinead and ask her a few questions...
What first inspired you to dance?
My inspiration came from my sister, she was born with very loose joints and it was suggested to my mother by the doctor that dance classes may help to strengthen the muscles around them. being two years younger and in awe of my big sister, if she was going dancing so must I! As a very shy child, being able to express myself through movement and music was something I became very passionate about and I was hooked from a young age.
What is your favourite dance/performance ever and why?
Oh gosh! Thats a hard one… Léonide Massine’s ‘CHOREARTIUM’ has to be one of my all time favourites, he created such fluid movements married with the most beautiful music. It’s a rare occasion when as a corps de ballet dancer you feel like you are really dancing and “letting go”. For example the white acts from ‘La Bayadere’ or ‘Swan Lake’ are beautiful but you must have total concentration with eyes everywhere; checking lines, arm heights, head alignments, everything! The whole group must move as one body, Its rewarding but in a very different way.
What has been your favourite career highlight?
Favourite, most fulfilling and simultaneously probably most stressful highlight would have to be dancing the Pas de Trois in Ratmansky’s ‘Paquita’. It actually came as a great surprise, the morning of the performance the first cast girl was injured and unable to perform in the evening, so that was my chance to step into the role, although there was very little time to prepare, it was a great feeling to perform this solo on The National Theatre stage.
What has been the biggest challenge of your career?
Signets from Swan Lake has to be one of the biggest challenges to date.It’s especially tiring choreographically and packed full of petite allegro. Often as a dancer we use our arms to help co-ordinate and aid our jump, but when your arms join you to three other people, the legs need to work double! As a group you must move identically and feel one another's energy. This is a feeling that you must discover between the four dancers and that satisfaction when you come together and bond as four little swans, is something very special. It’s exhausting but the feeling afterwards is incredible.
If you hadn’t become a dancer, what else might you have done?
That's another hard question… I had endless ambitions as a child. At 3 all I wanted was a tractor, trailer and a pig, my mum said I was desperate to be a farmer. I loved athletics, especially the running race on sports day. At about eight I remember asking my mum and dad for a microscope, telescope and a chemistry kit… maybe i’m a mad scientist trapped in a dancers body!
What is your pre-performance routine/superstitions?
I’m not a superstitious type really, but I do have a little Jade Buddha that my father bought for me when I was young, his home is my dance bag and pre-performance I give his belly a rub for luck. Other than that, warm-up is a vital ritual, a good barre is a must!
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given as a dancer?
Hilda Davies my very first teacher always told me… “ Listen to the music, it will tell you what to do”.
What’s the best piece of advice you could give to a young dancer?
My advice(s) would be.. Don’t compare yourself to others, strive to be the best you can be, not the best in your class or company.
Ballet is an incredibly hard profession and a very harsh world sometimes, to succeed you must work for yourself, not just for the teacher or director in front of you. When you are true to yourself and true to the passion you have for this art form, you will offer something much more special to the audience.
What is the first thing which comes to mind when you say “Freed of London”?
Best Pointe shoe supplier’s in the world!
What is your favourite Freed of London item. My beautiful club Pointe shoes, perfected by Sophie Simpson at Freed of London.
