Melissa Hamilton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Melissa Hamilton
Hamilton in 2014
Born	(1989-08-02) 2 August 1989 (age 35) Belfast, Northern Ireland
Occupation	Ballet dancer
Years active	2007-present
Current group	The Royal Ballet
Former groups	Dresden Semperoper Ballett

Melissa Hamilton, born on August 2, 1989, is a famous ballet dancer from Northern Ireland. She is a top dancer, called a 'principal dancer,' with The Royal Ballet in London.

Early Life of a Ballerina

Melissa grew up in Dromore, County Down, Northern Ireland, after being born in Belfast. Her dad is a builder, and her mom is a pre-school teacher. She also has a sister who is an architect and a brother who teaches in primary school.

She started dancing when she was just four years old. For a long time, she only had one dance class a week. At 16, she won a special scholarship to Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham, England. She trained there for two years.

During her first year, some people thought she might not catch up to the other dancers. But in her second year, a teacher named Masha Mukhamedov believed in her. When Masha moved to Athens, Greece, Melissa followed her to train privately for 10 months.

Melissa's Dance Career

Hamilton with fellow Royal Ballet dancer Eric Underwood in 2014

In 2007, when she was 18, Melissa entered the Youth America Grand Prix competition. She won the whole thing! The prize was a spot with ABT II, a junior company of the American Ballet Theatre.

However, Melissa didn't want to move to New York. So, her teacher contacted Monica Mason, who was in charge of The Royal Ballet in London. Melissa sent a video of her dancing. She was invited to take classes with the company. Within a week of her win, she was offered a contract to join The Royal Ballet as an Artist.

She joined the company in 2007. The next year, even though she was still new, she created a role in a ballet called Infra by Wayne McGregor. She has worked with McGregor many times since then. She also danced lead roles in famous ballets by Kenneth MacMillan, like Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and the main character in Manon.

Melissa quickly moved up the ranks at The Royal Ballet. She became a First Artist in 2009, a Soloist in 2010, and a First Soloist in 2013.

Dancing in Germany

A dancer from the Dresden Semperoper Ballett in Germany asked Melissa to dance with him for his farewell show. The directors of The Royal Ballet and Semperoper Ballett agreed to let Melissa take a break from London. She joined Semperoper Ballett as a principal dancer for the 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons.

While in Dresden, she performed many important roles. These included Nikiya in La Bayadere, Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, and Odette/Odile in Swan Lake. She returned to The Royal Ballet in London for the 2017/18 season.

Melissa has also performed all over the world. She toured Italy with Roberto Bolle and danced at a special anniversary event in Russia.

A critic named Luke Jennings wrote about Melissa's performance as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. He said her dancing was "singing, expansive curves." He also noted that her acting was natural and showed Juliet's feelings well.

Selected Ballet Roles

Here are some of the ballets Melissa Hamilton has performed:

Personal Life

Melissa Hamilton is married to Michael Christou. He works in property development and interior design. He also helped start a company called 1.61 London.

Awards and Achievements

Melissa has won several awards for her amazing dancing:

• Outstanding Female Performance (Classical) at the 2009 Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards (won in 2011)
• Gold medal in the Eighth International Seoul Ballet Competition (2011)
• Allianz Arts and Cultural Brand Ambassador for Northern Ireland (2013)