Conversations with the leads of 'Swan Lake' by Ballet Northwest
Originally published on The JOLT News on April 24, 2026
Last weekend, I had the privilege of visiting the new Olympia Dance Studio where I got a tour of the new space (which is fabulous), watched a Ballet Northwest “Swan Lake” rehearsal, and interviewed lead dancers Grace Collins, Eamon Barry-Ware and Ivy Nakauye.
Audiences can anticipate being blown away by this version of "Swan Lake," just as I was watching the dancers rehearse. The talent, dedication, passion and love I witnessed among the company amazed and inspired me.
Ballet Northwest will be performing “Swan Lake” at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts on Mother’s Day weekend! Hurry and get your tickets now!
Normally, rehearsals are what stand out to me the most, but this time, it was the conversations with the lead dancers. Collins, Barry-Ware, and Nakauye are incredible people who have gumption, bravery, and a true sense of character and integrity that is beyond their years.
Never underestimate young people, their intelligence, kindness, respect, passion, and perspective are valuable and deserve to be cherished.
Not convinced? You will be after reading highlights from our conversation:
What has ballet taught you that applies to other areas of your life?
Barry-Ware: "Ballet has taught me to strive for perfection, recognize that I will never fully get there, but fully embrace and enjoy the journey getting there. It gives me momentum and perseverance, and reminds me to keep getting up."
Nakauye: "It’s taught me that it is OK to make mistakes, and being in such a nice community has helped me make friends outside of ballet too."
Collins: "I have had the opportunity to dance a lot of roles like Aurora, Swanilda, and now Odette. Taking on all three of those roles taught me how to let myself become these characters and step into their shoes. This has helped with my confidence on stage, in rehearsals, and helped me be myself everywhere I go and not feel the need to “put on an act.”
What is something about ballet that people would be surprised to know?
Barry-Ware: "The work that goes into it and the time spent. A joke in the ballet community is, 'I can’t, I have dance' or 'I can’t, I have rehearsal.'"
Collins: "People think it is hobby, but’s like 'Noooo.'"
Barry-Ware: "It can be a hobby, but once you get to the point where you begin to step into leading roles, it’s like yes, it looks all pretty and beautiful, but there are a lot of sacrifices."
Collins: "Yeah, you miss things like school dances."
Barry-Ware: "My outside of dance friends just say, 'When you have time, text us.' Dancing is our 9 to 5’s. It becomes rarer to see your friends."
Nakauye: "I remember my friend at school once told me, 'I have never seen anyone so dedicated to their sport,' and I was like, 'It is so much more than a sport.' That is what a lot of people get confused about. Sports get seasons, dance is year-round. You are always working on it."
Barry-Ware: "You can’t just leave it on the court."
Collins: "I feel like I could never live without dance, like I need it in my life. It is such a big passion of mine. It is such a big part of our lives, we are here everyday. When we have a spring break, I just sit there and do not know what to do."
Do you have anything else you would like to share with me or JOLT readers?
Collins: "Come see 'Swan Lake!' … Our mission is to make the audience leave feeling a different way than when they got there. We work so hard and that is something that is such a pleasure for us … to perform and entertain an audience, and make people’s day better.
"We need theater, we need performing arts even more than ever, especially now with phones and social media. We need to go out there and make connections, and not just get stuck in our own personal worlds."
Barry-Ware: "We want to hopefully inspire people to do something. Like there are beginner or adult ballet classes. Go out and live it, we invite you into our life and into this world."
Collins: "We give you a piece of our passion."
Nakauye: "I think the performing arts is the most human thing we can get now. With so much AI, the performing arts are the most real thing you can get.
Come cheer on all of the extraordinary people with me!