On a short stop in Malta to coach young dancers, Scottish Ballet performer Brenda Lee Grech tells Gisele Grima that hard work and commitment are the secret to her success.

Ten minutes into starting a class with Scottish Ballet artist Brenda Lee Grech, a group of eight-year-old children huddle around me to discuss their thoughts on the ballet summer intensive course they were following.

Every day is an audition for us dancers

“I imagined that I could be famous just like Ms Brenda” or “...it was fun as we learnt lots of new and modern choreography”, were some of the positive comments expressed by these enthusiastic little ones.

Some weeks ago, a relatively small number of young as well as advanced dancers grabbed the opportunity to follow repertoire classes led by Grech. To have a professional dancer currently working with a highly reputable company is stupendous enough to inspire any budding dancer. The fact that she is Maltese makes it even more motivational for dancers of all ages, not least because of her fresh experiences on stage which she was eager to share with them.

Despite this interview being the first-time encounter, speaking to Grech was like chatting to an old friend. She immediately comes across as a warm, genuine and charismatic person who is far from bearing any of the diva traits that one is likely to detect in a dancer.

Discovering that she is only 24 years old, I was very interested to hear about her past success.

“I have always possessed a passion for the stage. I initially wanted to start dance classes in Latin American, but was encouraged to join ballet classes instead. I was not particularly exposed to watching live ballets and I knew very little at the time but the ballet training proved to be a good move. I was determined to push myself through the rigorous training and willingly attended extra ballet classes.”

After being awarded a prize for outstanding achievement by Jean Charles Gil, together with Dance Council Malta, she was invited to join his company Ballet d’Europe in France. There, the 18- year-old Grech marked her debut as a professional dancer. She has since flourished and is currently a full-time artist with the Scottish Ballet where her life revolves around dance.

“A typical training day with the company involves studio and rehearsal time in preparation for touring,” she says. Undoubtedly, living the dream, Grech remains very humble, adding that “every day is an audition for us dancers. Artists and choreographers are constantly walking into the studio, observing and analysing and choosing new recruits to be part of their work.”

For Grech, meeting new choreographers is the most exciting part of her endeavours. She has had opportunities to work with top- notch artists, including the American Val Caniparoli, who was instantly impressed by the young Maltese dancer and consequently asked her to participate in a major work of his.

Her unobtrusive personality and delightful approach to dance is also reflected in her teaching and demonstration. Completely stripped off any hierarchy, her priority and responsibilty as a dance educator is to instill the belief that “dancing professionally on a stage is a possibility and must not be discouraged if one has determination and focus to go further”.

Her perseverance has contributed immensely towards her success, as she asserts that there was much self-motivation needed to achieve higher standards and reach her goals. While demonstrating exciting repertoire in the main studio of St Michael Foundation, San Ġwann, the advanced students were clearly enlightened by the distinctive choreography and new dance vocabulary that was offered to them. She does stress, however, that dance training must go beyond the studio.

“Dance students need to support their classes with deep research on current choreographers and their respective styles. This will equip them with the necessary knowledge,” she says.

As seen through the eyes of this young professional, a strong dancer must be ready to let go of the everyday luxuries.

“It is not easy, but one must not give up.”

With such an unwavering attitude, we are not surprised that Grech has made it so far.