Now a Principal Dancer with the prestigious Birmingham Royal Ballet and after performing in the handover ceremony for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Céline Gittens discusses the current climate for black and mixed heritage dancers and how Birmingham has become her home.

How did you first come to Birmingham?
I was 18 years old and having won a Gold Medal and the Audience Award at the Genée International Ballet Competition in 2005, I was invited to take classes for a week at the Royal Ballet School.

My mum, being my ballet teacher, accompanied me on the trip and we planned to visit family friends in Birmingham after my week of classes. My mum had an extensive knowledge of ballet companies in the United Kingdom as she received her ballet and teacher training in London, so she suggested I audition for Birmingham Royal Ballet whilst we visited.

I auditioned on the Monday after the Company had returned from a tour to Sunderland. If I had visited Birmingham Royal Ballet one week earlier, I wouldn’t have seen the company or the Director, David Bintley, in Birmingham, as they would have been away on their spring tour.

Marion Tait, Ballet mistress at the time, taught the class and I remember David glancing through the studio doors during barre exercises, when usually the Director only watches the centre exercises. There was definitely a sense of intrigue as there was no prior announcement of my arrival for the audition, which is commonplace to do so. As the audition progressed, another ballet master and the Assistant Artistic Director joined David to watch the class. After the audition I met David in his office where he offered me a full contract with the company, starting in August 2006. The rest, as they say, is history…

Had you ever heard of Birmingham? What were your first impressions?
My earliest memories of the city of Birmingham were on two occasions when I was growing up in Trinidad. I started my ballet training at the age of three with my mum and she would often get shipments of ballet shoes to supply to her ballet students. These shipments came from a factory in Birmingham that specialised in the art of making ballet shoes. My very first ballet shoes were pink leather with brown leather soles and no bigger than a toddler’s size, I would wear them for ballet class and also around the house! They rarely parted from me, which demonstrates the passion I had for ballet at such an early age.

My other connection to Birmingham was unexpected; one day my brother and I received a flute, a gift from our family friends who lived in Birmingham. My parents were always keen for us to be knowledgeable of musical instruments and we both learned to play the piano and flute and partook in Royal Academy of Music examinations. Recently, on a vacation home to Vancouver, I had a look at the flute from my memories box and realised that it was made and sold from a factory in Hockley, Birmingham!

My first impression of the city was the amazing history that Birmingham held and its influence in both World Wars. It was an industrial city, and this history still remains in its buildings where you can see the remnants of the industrial era that supplied artillery, pottery, coal, and many other necessities for the nation.

I also remember the first time I went to Birmingham’s countryside, and the nearby Clent Hills – those awesome views whilst feeling so inspired by the nature and lush green; I was later to discover that Birmingham is one of the greenest cities in the United Kingdom!

How long have you been here now? How do you think it compares to other cities in terms of diversity?
I have been living in Birmingham for 11 ½ years now, and in December 2017 I officially became a British Citizen. After touring for 11 ½ years with Birmingham Royal Ballet, I can truly say that Birmingham is one of the most diverse cities that I have ever been a part of. One thing that really strikes me about Birmingham is its inclusiveness and celebration of all backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs.

Birmingham is the youngest city in Europe, how do you think this is reflected?
This is reflected in the areas of art, music, and education, which thrive and continue to grow in this city. Birmingham Hippodrome is one of the busiest and most popular theatres in the UK and provides a wonderful home to us at Birmingham Royal Ballet.

The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra perform an outstanding number of performances every year and recently the Birmingham Conservatoire has relocated to a fine new headquarters where talented musicians can continue to be nurtured. Home to world class Universities, Birmingham’s graduation rate is also very high. I graduated with a Masters in Philosophy from the University of Birmingham in 2012 and was always in awe of the beautiful campus and facilities available. There are also a number of projects that support the arts to include community input and to build stronger and more integrated communities.

How do you think the arts in Birmingham reflect its diversity of cultures? How could this be improved?
The arts attract people to Birmingham both on a participatory level and as an audience. I think the diversity of Birmingham is mirrored in its cultural output; dance and other art forms produce work as a result of these cultural cross-pollinations.

I believe that dance should be a more integral part of the school curriculum and my credit goes to the Birmingham Royal Ballet Education team who coordinate outreach programmes in the wider community. It is so important for children to have the freedom to express themselves through movement, which are the building blocks of dance. This, alongside the inclusion of music, develops artistic and meaningful experiences.

What is it like being a black dancer in a ballet company in Birmingham?
Being a black ballet dancer in a ballet company in Birmingham gives me a platform to inspire children, teenagers and adults to pursue their dreams and aspirations, to know that there is nothing stopping them from being the person that they dream to be.

How was it to be involved in the Commonwealth Games handover?
Being a Commonwealth citizen myself made me jump at this opportunity. I was born in Trinidad, raised in Canada, currently live in England and have recently become a British citizen. All of the countries that have defined my life are a part of the Commonwealth, therefore it was an honour to be a part of the handover. I really felt that on that day I became an advocate for the Commonwealth, and that gives me great pride. The ceremony was aired in Trinidad and Canada where many of my family and friends were able to view my performance on TV, which was a very special thing for me.

What excites you most about the opportunity of the upcoming Commonwealth games in Birmingham?
The opportunity of the Commonwealth games positively brings Birmingham into the spotlight to show the world the talent, thriving industry, and natural beauty of this fantastic city.