Melissa Hamilton

Melissa Hamilton (born August 1989) is a Northern Irish ballet dancer. From 2015 she was a First Soloist with the Royal Ballet, London.

Biography

Hamilton was born in Belfast and spent most of her child life in Dromore, County Down. Beginning dance training at the Jennifer Bullick School of Ballet aged four, she went on to join the Elmhurst School of Dance in Birmingham at age 16 on being awarded a scholarship.^[1] While at Elmhurst, her talent was noticed by the former Bolshoi ballet star, Masha Mukhamedov with whom she trained privately in Athens before winning the 2007 Youth American Grand Prix.^[2] Later in 2007 she joined The Royal Ballet based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. Hamilton has been quick to progress within the company, starting as an artist in 2007 and being promoted to First Artist in 2009 and Soloist in 2010. She currently (2015) holds the position of First Soloist which she acquired in 2013.^[1]

Writing of Hamilton's performance as Juliet in Kenneth MacMillan's Romeo and Juliet, The Observer's critic Luke Jennings wrote, "What really marks Hamilton out is the articulacy of her line. Here, she is all singing, expansive curves […] And if her acting can seem understated, it's never less than natural. In Act 3, she signals her unravelling with an immense weariness, and its final moments with a slow, sad unfurling of her arms."^[3]

Repertoire

Since joining the Royal Ballet company, Hamilton has danced a variety of repertoire. Roles include Manon, Juliet, Raven Girl, The Sugar Plum Fairy (The Nutcracker), Olga (Onegin), The Lilac Fairy and Princess Florine (The Sleeping Beauty), Queen of the Dyrads (Don Quixote), Mary Vetsera (Mayerling) and Terpsichore (Apollo). She has also had roles in Symphonic Variations, Rubies(Jewels), Fool's Paradise, Serenade, Agon, Requiem, Tryst, Las hermanas, Gloria, The Concert and Danse à grande vitesse. Hamilton has created roles for the Royal Ballet's resident choreographer Wayne McGregor in productions including Infra, Carbon Life, Limen and Acis and Galatea.^[1]

Awards and other achievements

• In 2009 Hamilton won the Critics Circle Outstanding Female Classical Performance and in 2011, won Gold in the International Seoul Ballet competition.^[1]
• Hamilton is currently the Allianz Arts and Cultural Brand Ambassador for Northern Ireland.^[1]
• Elle magazine featured Hamilton as its "Woman of the Month" in April 2015.^[4]

Notes