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Chosen by audition to attend the prestigious Elmhurst School for Dance in Birmingham, Sandrina Spiteri Gonzi, a former student of St. Martin’s College, left Malta in 2005 at the age of 13 to pursue a five-year vocational programme in the UK. Here on holiday following the completion of an intensive programme at the Royal Ballet School in Covent Garden, she speaks to Teodor Reljic about her experiences. 
How did you get into ballet?
As a child I always loved dance and attended ballet lessons in Malta since I was four. One of my teachers at Chiswick House School suggested that I should take ballet more seriously and that I should study dance full time. In 1999 my family went to live in the USA and during the time I spent there I had the opportunity to train and dance with other international students and to take ballet more seriously. I was 11 when we returned to Malta and I had to decide whether I wanted to continue my studies here, or leave the island in favour of a vocational dancing school abroad. I opted for the latter.
I decided to audition for different schools in the UK. I auditioned for Elmhurst with 100 other students and there were only three places available. I was lucky to have been selected by three of the four schools I auditioned for. I chose to attend Elmhurst School for Dance because of its excellent reputation and state-of-the-art facilities.
Was Elmhurst hard at first, were you ever tempted to give up?
It took me less than I expected to adjust to the rigorous routine that full-time classical ballet demands. I think it’s because I was so determined to prove to myself and to the school that I would make it. Most of the girls who attended Elmhurst had been there since the age of 11 so I had to work very hard to catch up and compete at their level. Having said that, initially it was difficult and there were moments when I felt like giving up but in time I improved to an adequate level. It was hard to adjust to the weather, to being away from friends and family, to the diet required of a ballet dancer (The house-parents strictly monitor our rooms for any junk food, chocolates etc.) to the discipline of ballet in general and to a school day which was entirely different to what I was used to at St. Martin’s College in Malta – where we usually had lessons from 8a.m to 2p.m. In ballet school we have some academic lessons in the morning but the main part of the day right up until 6.45p.m we are training and dancing with only a short break for lunch.
How do you find England in general?
I like life in the UK, most of all because of the many opportunities in the fields of dance and theatre. Malta is too small and it would be impossible for dance companies to exist here. My dream is to dance professionally and to join a touring company. Being Elmhurst students, we are quite lucky in that respect because we get first preference with the Birmingham Royal Ballet company.
How do you deal with the fact that all your fellow students are also your main competitors?
That’s one of the greatest challenges. Competition is fierce and Ballet School is not about making friends but about being made into a professional dancer. Having said that, we do manage to socalise and we do have fun organising parties and weekend events together.
My experience at the Royal Ballet also came with lots of challenges. Everybody is so focused on being spotted that it seems as if there is no room for friendships. The main aim for most is to just dance. No time is lost in socalising, mainly because everybody would be exhausted after a day’s work.
What was the auditioning process like?
The auditioning process was extremely competitive as well as frightening because I didn’t really know what to expect. Most dancers from the UK and other countries are prepared for auditions and often their dance teachers are invited to mock auditions so that they may prepare their students better. This is hardly the case in Malta. My preparation for the audition was intense and independently-led by my teacher, Therese Lungaro, who helped me both during ballet lessons at her dance school as well as by giving me extra lessons during the day. For this reason I had to give up some of my academic subjects at school in order to find more time to train privately and to prepare for my auditions properly.
Do you miss Malta?
I miss my friends and family, obviously. And social life in general here – I realised how much freer we are with regards to going out: there’s Paceville, there’s the beach so I miss all of that. But ballet is what I love doing and I wouldn’t dream of giving it up to stay in Malta.
What’s your schedule going to be like once you get back? What are your latest challenges?
Once I get back to the UK my schedule will be extremely hectic. Apart from the demands and challenges of classical training and the other dance disciplines, this year we’ll also be sitting for our GCSEs. Although Elmhurst is primarily a classical ballet school in which the main focus is dance, we are also encouraged to prepare ourselves academically.
Our first important event at school this year is a visit from the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall for whom the school will be performing. I also intend to participate in the New York Grand Prix which is a major international dance competition held in New York and to audition for entry to La Scala Dance Academy in Italy.
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