We had the good fortune of connecting with Hannah Barr and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hannah, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
Taking risks has played an integral part in my career. Deciding to pursue professional ballet as a career itself is a big risk. One must decide on that pursuit at an incredibly young age compared to when others must decide to pursue most other careers, and the percentage of people that do become professional ballet dancers (and particularly for women because the competition is much more intense than for male ballet dancers!) is incredibly small. So much of it is out of one’s control as well, due to the subjectiveness of the artform. Also, the artform of ballet requires so much risk in itself. You have to take risks as a dancer, in the studio and onstage. The audience doesn’t want to see something boring or predictable. Taking risks and really going for something is what makes ballet interesting. You can’t hold back and expect to bring an audience to their feet.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I would say one of the aspects of my personal career that I am both proud and excited about is having original works created on me by my director. One of my goals in my career is to inspire others through my dancing, and so to be a source of inspiration- or a sort of muse at times- for my director’s choreography has definitely been an exciting career accomplishment. And I want to keep leaning into that. However, getting to where I am today has been far from easy, and I think it’s fair to say this path is not easy for any ballet dancer. As a younger dancer, I was faced with rejection after rejection, auditioning year after year, finally thinking I had found “my place” only to have to audition again the next year and move. But, I definitely had an incredible work ethic and a fire in my soul that wouldn’t let me give up. These challenges also taught me resilience and persistence, and that those qualities would be the key to my success. In addition, the incredible emotional support I received from my parents, who are also artists themselves, has kept me going throughout my life. On that note, I definitely want to share with the world the importance of not giving up! Baby me, in my first pair of ballet shoes in my hometown studio, never thought I’d be a professional ballerina in my dream company, American Contemporary Ballet, and on a billboard in Hollywood!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Los Angeles is just bursting with amazing restaurants and things to do- that is partly why I love this city so much! I would definitely recommend checking out Griffith Park and hiking up to the observatory. The view from there is a great way to really take in LA and see the Hollywood sign. Larchmont Village is a lovely area to explore and grab brunch at Great White. Venice is a must for the beach and vibes. Pasadena old town has beautiful architecture and hidden gems such as a “secret” speakeasy library wine bar, and Highland Park has the coziest local coffee shops. I would also suggest checking out the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures- it’s a great representation of LA’s iconic entertainment industry- and seeing a movie at the Chinese Theater. And I of course would recommend going to see a ballet downtown at American Contemporary Ballet!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Yes! I would love to recommend Mary Cameron Rogers (@maryc.rogers). She is an actress ad well as a stylist and hairdresser, working events all over LA. She leads an incredibly busy schedule, run by herself. She is also one of the sweetest, most generous and giving people I know. She shines so much light wherever she goes, and her energy is contagious. And that energy and zest carries over into her work. She is an inspiration to me in how to live and view life!

Website: https://acbdances.com

Instagram: @balletbarr

Image Credits
Robert Ortiz
Norman Jean Roy
Victor Demarchelier
Nathan Carlson
Maria Krasilova
Drew Brooks
Ethan Jones

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