A rising star of the ballet world talks to Ruth Campbell about the hard work and sacrifices she had to make to follow her dream, and how her single-parent mother inspired her

WHEN Abigail Prudames went to her first ballet lesson, she was so nervous, shy and tearful, her mother had to take her home. It was two years before she felt confident enough to return.

It is hard to believe this is the same rising star who has astounded audiences up and down the country with her stunning, assured performance in the title role of Northern Ballet’s The Little Mermaid, which was created especially for the talented 25-year-old.

The Harrogate-born dancer, who used to regularly help out with lambing at her grandparents’ farm in the Lower Wharfe Valley as a child, has received rave reviews for her portrayal of the impish, part-fish, part-human creature Marilla from Hans Christian Andersen’s 19th century fairytale, which tours until May.

Inspired by her single-parent mother, teaching assistant Lindsey, whom she describes as a ‘strong Northern woman’, Abigail is already rehearsing for her lead role in Northern Ballet’s next production Jane Eyre.

The young Abigail can be forgiven her initial nerves, as she was just four years old when she first attended Studio 3 Dance Workshop in Knaresborough. Thankfully, she agreed to go back and try again two years later, at the tender age of six, when her talent shone from the outset. And she has been making up for lost time ever since.

Aged just 11, she left home to board in London after winning a coveted place at the prestigious Royal Ballet School. “I was a proper Yorkshire girl by then, a bit bolder,” she explains. Although she recalls feeling slightly intimidated when she met Darcy Bussell at the school. “I was a bit star-struck. She was only ballet dancer I knew,” she says.

But back now living in her native Knaresborough, after being offered a place at the Leeds-based Northern Ballet company seven years ago, Abigail vows she will never leave her home county again. “You know when you belong somewhere, and I intend to stay. After being away from home for eight years, I really cherish being so close to my family now.”

Married to Jaime, who runs a chain of fish and chip cafes and takeaways in North Yorkshire, Abigail has a punishing work schedule of up to 11-hour days, six days a week, and confesses she finds touring difficult. “I miss my family and husband,” she says.

During a rare Saturday off recently, she returned to her old dance school in Knaresborough, where she advised a group of up-and-coming ten-year-old dancers that they must enjoy it and really want to do it to follow her path. “It is mentally and physically challenging and we dancers have to work twice as hard to keep our sanity. Nothing is ever good enough, because we’re constantly striving for perfection.”

The eldest of four siblings, including a ten-year-old half-brother, Abigail, 25, credits her mother for enabling her to follow her dream and establish herself in this demanding career. “She is my role model, she is such a strong woman, and always put us four kids first.”

Both of her sisters - one of whom now works in car finance, the other in hairdressing - went to dance lessons with her from a young age. And it wasn’t easy for Abigail to leave them behind when she moved more than 200 miles away to attend the Royal Ballet School. “Mum put no pressure put on me and said ‘If you don’t like it, you can come home’,” she says. “I had no doubt I wanted to do ballet, but I was homesick. You just get used to it. I went in as a normal, carefree young girl and came out at 16 as this ballerina-trained child.”

Boarding forced her to become more independent and grow up fast: “We were on a tight, almost military schedule, making beds and sorting laundry from age 11. It was very disciplined.” She accepts she missed out on a normal childhood – “but I wouldn’t be the person I am if I hadn’t done it, it opened doors. In the end, that was the school for me.”

If she hadn’t been a ballet dancer, Abigail would have liked to work in childcare. “I never put any pressure on myself, I would have accepted it if it hadn’t worked out. But I have been very lucky,” she says. She has also worked hard, of course: “When you get the end result, there is a real sense of achievement. It is intense, I do become immersed in my characters.”

She helped create her first lead role in The Little Mermaid with choreographer David Nixon. “I was involved from the very beginning. That was pretty special,” she says. “All the costumes are beautiful and I also have a tail, so have had to learn how to dance while wearing it.” Jane Eyre presents a different challenge – “Jane is so real and so grounded, a strong woman. They are totally different.”

One remaining ambition is to play Cathy in Wuthering Heights: “She’s such a strong, Yorkshire woman, I can really relate to her, and the music is beautiful. It would be a real challenge.”

In the little time off she has, Abigail relaxes at home. “When I do have a rest day I love being at home and I really do rest, I don’t go out shopping or anything like that,” she says. She enjoys wearing loose, baggy hoodies and track suit bottoms as a contrast to the tight leotards and leggings, and stage costumes she wears for work, although she does like to dress up occasionally. “I love my heels,” she says, although she chooses shoes which hide her toes, which are often bruised. “They’re not the nicest,” she laughs. “I don’t like my toes.”

To keep energy levels up, she snacks a lot during the day on fruit or nuts.: “I eat as healthily as possible because I work long days,” she says.

And, dispelling the common cliché that ballet dancers eat little more than lettuce leaves, she confesses that she does allow herself chocolate treats, and also enjoys her husband’s fish and chips occasionally. “I don’t have fish and chips often,” says Abigail, “but when I do, they’re very nice.”

  • The Little Mermaid is touring the UK until May 2018. Jane Eyre starts touring in March.

W: http://northernballet.com