New Year’s resolutions can be a way to reset and start a new year feeling fresh and positive. Whether your New Year’s resolutions are about sleep or health or dance or relationships – or anything in between! – setting your mind on something can simply be a way to stay focused on your goals. And there’s no right or wrong! Resolutions can be specific or vague; they can be a stretch or something more within your comfort zone.
Here, Dance Informa speaks with some dancers about their New Year’s resolutions and holiday plans leading up to 2025!
Thinking ahead to the start of a new year, what are your New Year’s resolutions or any goals for 2025?
Ashley Coupal, Artist at English National Ballet
“As an advocate for goal setting, I always create a list of short, medium and long-term ‘resolutions’ each year. A couple of my 2025 resolutions include practicing daily meditation, working on my petit allegro, and incorporating more cross-training activity into my schedule, including running, weight training and Pilates. Discovering movements that exercise your muscles in different ways can help improve one’s dancing by targeting all areas of your body, improving your endurance, preventing injury, and building strength and stamina. Setting goals will help individuals get closer to achieving what they desire both as a dancer and as a whole person.”
Dominique Larose, Leading Soloist with Northern Ballet
“My New Year’s resolutions for 2025 are to visit three places I’ve never been and read 35 books (five more than this year’s resolutions!).”
Monique Dior-Jarrett, Assistant Artistic Director Stopgap Dance Company
“My 2025 goals would have to be to make the best use of the opportunity in my final months as Assistant Artistic Director at Stopgap. For the past year, I have received training through the Future Leaders programme at Stopgap. And my New Year’s resolution is to take this training into my practice as an independent artist. I am really interested in learning more about good governance as I am growing as a leader and have opportunities to support causes I’m passionate about on Boards and as an advocate.
This last year, I have grown in confidence, and I am excited to continue to develop as a teacher and dance artist more in my local communities of Manchester. With my fellow Future Leader (Annie-Rose Grantham, Assistant Producer) in March 2025, we will be sharing our journey, what we have learned along the way. Most of all, I’m excited to share our creative project we collaborated on together with Stopgap.”
Beatrice Parma, Principal, Birmingham Royal Ballet
“Every year, I seem to come up with some unrealistic New Year’s resolutions, the kind that as soon as you say them out loud you already know you might not stick to them. This year, I thought I would find something that is more achievable. Life can get very busy and often feels like a rush, so my New Year’s resolution is not only to find time for myself to mentally switch off at times, but most importantly to find time for the people I love and care about. And in terms of ballet, more than a New Year’s resolution is a daily mindset, which is to always improve and grow as an artist.”
How will you be spending your holiday season?
Larose
“The holiday season is my favourite time of year, largely because of the joy that Christmas productions bring. This year, we’ll be performing A Christmas Carol at the Leeds Grand Theatre during the holiday season. I’m excited to share this magical ballet with our audiences and to have my family there to experience it as well!”
Dior-Jarrett
“I’m usually a bit last-minute making my plans. I will definitely be spending time with my family in Manchester. Getting some good rest after a busy year with lots of travel and touring with Stopgap. But secretly, I would love to be going somewhere warm and sunny!”
Parma
“We have a few days off for Christmas before our Nutcracker shows at the Royal Albert Hall. I’m lucky enough that Italy is only a short flight away, so I get to go home and spend it with my family. This year, we are spending it with Edoardo’s family, my best friend from our time in La Scala Theatre Ballet School. Over the years, his family has become an extended family of ours and we have often spent the holidays together.
After shows at the Albert Hall, we have a mid-season break where myself and my fiancée Max Maslen will be flying to my home town in Tuscany and go wedding venues hunting! We are very excited, and hopefully we’ll find the perfect place!”
Coupal
“My holiday season will be packed with many shows of The Nutcracker, as it is one of the busiest times of the year. We have over 40 shows of this performance in two cities. This year, I’ll be performing multiple varied roles including Snowflakes, Demi-soloist Roses (Waltz of Flowers), Turron (Spanish), lead Marzipan and understudying Clara. To prevent injury, I aim to give my body proper rest when possible, get treatment from our physio team and eat nourishing meals with lots of protein, especially on Christmas Day!
It is so magical being in London during the holiday season, so I look forward to strolling the markets and seeing the decorated lights during my dinner breaks between performances. It’s incredibly rewarding to bring the Nutcracker tradition to many families who come to watch our performances at the London Coliseum.”
By Laura Di Orio of Dance Informa.
