Prima Ballerina Has London at her Feet

Elva Rut studies dance and theatre performance at Doreen Bird College in London. Like so many young girls in Iceland she has danced ballet since she was five years old at Sigríður Ármann ballet school in Reykjavík. At age 17 Elva Rut decided she was serious about dancing and began practicing every day. Now she's in London with high ambitions and high aims. She is determined to become one of the very best.

Why did you go to London?

Last year I stumbled upon this school in London and realized this was the school I've always wanted to attend. My background is in classical ballet and the ballet department at Doreen Bird has a really good reputation, so I thought this was a good school to venture out into the other branches as well. I decided to give musical theatre a try even though I had no experience in singing and acting. I went for an audition and got in.

What other branches?

We study everything that has to do with performing arts. It's not just ballet, but also modern, step, jazz ballet and singing and acting. We learn techniques and how to use the voice. Ballet has always been number one for me and the only dance form I'm familiar with. I had never even seen step dance before, we don't have that in Iceland but now it's one of my favourite classes. Musical theatre is a very broad field and my schedule is packed. The days get really long.

So it's a bit like Fame, the movie?

Yes in a way. We study everything that has to do with the theatre. We take ballet lessons everyday because ballet is the foundation for all kinds of dance. There are "pas de deux" classes; that's what you see in all classical ballets where a girl dances with a boy in her pointe shoes, with lifts and everything.

What about the teachers, is it just a cliché or are they really this strict?

Yes, the typical ballet teacher myth is true. If you're not performing and doing your very best you get thrown out of class. It's only recently that I started actually liking some of my teachers. After awhile you start to see the humour in them. In the beginning we also received a list of recommended things to eat. But then we don't really get breaks between classes to eat so it's a bit hard.

What's the hardest?

For me singing is the most difficult. I never sang before; I didn't even sing in the shower. Dancing is the easiest, it's my strong point.

Is there a lot of competition between students?

Yes, definitely. Everybody wants to be the best. But I think that is also the right attitude. You have to be the best to be able to work here. There are so many good schools and so many good performers and dancers so if you want to get a job you simply have to be the best. The competition is fierce. When in Iceland if you're one of the best you really are one of the best and everybody knows you. In London you go to an audition and it's 1,000 of the very best.

Does that mean the students are mean and nasty to each other?

No not at all. Nobody is mean; we just all want to be the best.

What will you do when school is over?

I want to stay here in London. I would like to go into musical theatre and end up on the West End. But I can also picture myself doing modern ballet. It's all wide open, that's why it's good for me to be in this school. There are so many possibilities. In the end I want to go back to Iceland and teach at my old ballet school.

What about musical theatre in Iceland?

There is no school in Iceland that teaches all of these things I'm learning, you either learn to be a dancer, a singer or an actor. If I go back, I could always teach ballet or any of those things but there is no musical theatre.

But isn't that something we need in Iceland?

Yes, maybe. I know there are some other Icelanders who have studied musical theatre but not that many. Maybe we could get together and open up Broadway in Reykjavík. The Icelandic Dance Company has been getting a lot of attention lately and grows stronger with every performance. At the same time the Ministry of Culture decided to close down The Icelandic Ballet School while establishing a new dance department at the Iceland Academy of the Arts. The criticism is that you can't have a strong college if the foundation is missing.

What's your take on the issue?

Since I'm in London, I haven't been following it closely. I think it is very positive that they opened the dance program at the Academy of the Arts. When I came to London I realized that Icelandic dancers are really good. I always thought we were a little behind but Icelandic dancers are really at the forefront. What we need now is just more variety. The focus has always been typical ballet, jazz ballet and modern. Kids should have more choices to study different dance forms.

Where in London do you live?

My underground stop is Old Street. Me and my boyfriend just bought an apartment so we intend to stay here for some time. It's very cosy, north of central London which is perfect since we're young and want to be where everything is happening.

How does it compare to Reykjavík?

Actually my neighbourhood is quite similar to Reykjavík, which is probably why so many Icelanders like it. Especially the nightlife reminds me of Reykjavík nightlife. It's the same music and more relaxed than what takes place in central London. The people who live here are a mix of artists and business people.

Do you miss anything from Reykjavík?

I miss the food the most. I miss Icelandic hot dogs and even sheep heads. Something I was never fond of. When you're away from home you start missing funny things. I miss my friends and family and also everybody at my ballet school; they have been a part of my daily life since I was a little girl.

By Hanna Björk Valsdóttir

Photo by Elin Berg-Rolness