'It's not all about tutus': Moneymore professional ballet dancer is enjoying a 'rewarding career' in the world of dance

A professional ballet dancer and choreographer from County Derry is set to perform in Melissa Hamilton's Grand Ballet Gala in the Grand Opera House in Belfast this weekend.

Moneymore's Ruaidhrí Maguire will be among the established stars of the international ballet and dance world showcasing excerpts from much-loved ballet classics combined with innovative modern contemporary works.

The 31 year-old is looking forward to performing at the Belfast venue this Saturday, October 26 and Sunday, October 27, as it will be his first time to take to the stage there since becoming a professional dancer.

“It will be interesting because I haven't danced in the venue in over ten years and it will also be my first time there as a professional. It's going to be fun as Melissa Hamilton is also from Northern Ireland so that's really nice,” he said.

Ruaidhrí joined Dublin-based Ballet Ireland as a dancer earlier this year, prior to that he was a soloist with the Baltic Opera Ballet in Gdansk, Poland for six and a half years.

For three of those years in Poland, the south Derry man was the youngest male principal dancer.

He has also performed across the United States, Canada, and Europe with four companies and multiple guestings.  Notable roles include Albrecht in Giselle, Nutcracker Prince in The Nutcracker, Espada in Don Quixote, Lysander in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Principal Couple in Cuatro Estaciones de Buenos Aires.

Explained how he got into dancing, the former student of St Patrick's Primary School in The Loup and Rainey Endowed School in Magherafelt, said after his former music teacher suggested he get involved in a school musical, he took an interest in performing.

“During oral tests at school you had to sing the notes and I didn't really want to sing back the notes because I thought it wasn't cool so she said there was a musical on and suggested I get involved in it. That's when I started singing in those tests,” he said.

During a visit to see a touring production of Whistle Down the Wind in the Grand Opera House, Ruaidhrí, who also attended Methodist College in Belfast, became even more interested and his mother subsequently contacted a stage school.

“Someone suggested if I was really interested I would be able to do everything – ballet, tap and jazz, so that's how that started,” he explained.

Ruaidhrí began his classical training with the Roberta McCormick School of Ballet and Laura Walker Ballet School. After this, he began his vocational training for three years at the Central School of Ballet, London under Resmi Malko, Aurora Bosch, Christopher Marney, and William Glassman.

Nowadays, he also runs his own choreography company, Six Dance Collective. His most recent work White Doves for Six Dance Collective premiered at The MAC, Belfast, in 2023.  He has a programme coming to the Lyric in February and in later the summer.

Following his Grand Opera House appearance, Ruaidhrí will be dancing in The Theatre at the Mill in Newtownabbey on November 2 and 3 in The Nutcracker Sweeties. 

He will also perform at various venues in the south of Ireland and is looking forward to a packed touring schedule.

“Getting to play another character or giving people an escape from their normal day-to-day lives is always quite nice,” Ruaidhrí said.

“I was always quite taken by the fact that I could be transported somewhere else for two hours, so the fact I can provide that for someone else is quite fun.”

Over the last number of months and weeks, Ruaidhrí has been putting in long hours of training ahead of his upcoming performances however he says he really enjoys it.

“I train Monday to Friday from 10am to 6pm and then on Saturdays we have a nice little half day – it's pretty intense, this past week especially has been pretty intense, but I enjoy it. There's no better feeling than at the end of the day when your legs are dead and your body is tired but you know you have done something good with it,” he said.

“I've just turned 31 but some days I feel 51 and some days I feel 28, there's no in between.”

Ruaidhrí hopes that he can shine a light on the opportunities that come with being a male ballet dancer.

“I would like to be a travelling choreographer, travelling all over the place. I'd also like to develop Six Dance Collective into a regular performing company in the North and help build ballet as an innovative art form in the North as I feel like it's been sorely neglected,” he continued.

“The arts aren't just a hobby and you can make a professional and rewarding career from it. I've been able to travel the world and I am super grateful.

“I've had a very rewarding career and a very rewarding life and I've got to see places that I never imagined I would see. Not only that but I've had so many experiences that I would not change for the world. It's not all about tutus, it's about dedication and being able to transport yourself and others to another world.”

Tickets for the Grand Opera House show are available via here

The Theatre at the Mill show tickets can be purchased via here