Yasmin Naghdi Principal Ballet Dancer of The Royal Ballet
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What does being “In Bloom” mean to Yasmin Naghdi?
"Striving to be the best version of yourself. Whenever we start something, it’s like planting the seed, you nurture it, you water it, you look after it, and that’s all the layers of your life that lead you to the place that you are today”.
Transcript
You never feel like you've achieved that final place. But there's more blooming to come.
Hi everyone. I'm Michael and I'm Michal, and I'm Yasmin.
Welcome to In Bloom, where we spend time with incredible creatives and discover their journeys and their personal connection with flowers.
I was born and raised in London and I started my training well as a hobby really, when I was kind of 5 or 6 years old, and then everything kind of spiralled from there. And I ended up at the Royal Ballet School in White Lodge in Richmond Park, which I kind of called the Hogwarts for ballet. You do everything all together in this beautiful park and then progressed to the upper school, which is in Covent Garden. And eventually, at 17, I was given my contract with the Royal Ballet in Covent Garden. Yeah.
Do you remember your first flower moment on stage?
But I think the most significant flower moment for me,
maybe not the first, but the most significant was when I danced the role of Juliet for the first time. I was a soloist in the company and I got 27 bouquets
from fans, showered with flowers. Yeah. So, you know, and it was such a special moment for me because the ushers kept bringing out bouquets,
putting them on the floor, someone else from the other side putting on the floor. And I thought that has to be it. And they, they just kept coming, which was incredible. I was so blown away by the amount of support I got.
Do you have a favourite flower?
Oh, the million dollar question. I love hydrangeas. Okay, like big, you know, big balls of hydrangeas. I think that and they last a long time as well.
Yasmine, what does being in bloom mean to you?
I guess it means being in blossoms. I would think that maybe it's, you know, just striving to be the best version of yourself. I think whenever we start something, it's like planting the seed. And then you nurture it, you water it, you look after it. And that's kind of all the layers of your life that sort of lead you to the place that you are today.
Have you ever had a challenge with flowers on stage where I don't know, the flower falls or it's not supposed to be there?
Or yeah, yes. I can't remember. If it was, it might have been in a rehearsal, in a final rehearsal. And I and I took one of the flowers from the suitors in The Sleeping Beauty. And I went to dance and the head popped off, so I was left with just the stem. But, yeah, luckily, I think it was a rehearsal. So then I was like, you know, the stage. You had to get the stage. People make sure you glue them of the roses because it would just fly.
Yeah, but but you know, flowers are they always have such a special connection to dancers because when you retire from dancing as well, they do what's called the flower throw. And people sort of sitting quite high up when you take your, your final bow, they throw flowers from the balcony. So. Oh is that when you, when dancers retire. Yeah. sometimes they do it for, you know, your 20 year anniversary, 2020 a special occasion. These are many roses. They're not hydrangeas. They're not hydrangeas. Exactly. I would feel so bad. They're just getting wrecked on the floor. I'd want to just pick them up.
Do you have any ways of letting your creativity bloom outside the stage? Outside the theatre?
Yes, I would say so. I I've written for children's books called Ballet Besties. Um, so I really need the sort of inspiration behind that was during the Covid lockdowns. I was approached by an Indian ballet school and they said, would you be able to teach our children? You know, so inspired by you. And and I thought, wow, I really would love to represent these children from, you know, anywhere around the world. So that's where the idea came from. And, and I partnered up with a children's book author because I thought, I can't do this all myself. It's a lot of work. So we partnered up together. And so the idea was born.
What's the next big challenge for you, therefore? Well, the next big challenge is this little bun in the oven. Um, so, yes, a little boy expected early December. Congratulations. Thank you. That will be the next big challenge.
Yasmin, we have a little game for you. It's called Bloom or Prune. We've got a stack of cards here, each with an idea, an emotion, a feeling. And your task is to draw a card and to decide whether to bloom it, nurture it, or prune it. Get rid of it.
Ooh. Okay, let's see what we have here. Late-night rehearsals. We prune it. No, I like efficiency. Let's work from 12 until three and finish for the day. No late night rehearsals. Okay. Next one. Treating every rehearsal like opening night. Bloom. I think this is important to treat all your rehearsals as if they have a lot of importance. So we keep this one.
Roses for Valentine's. Okay, maybe you will hate me for saying this, but we're gonna prune this one because I feel like the prices for roses, a lot of times they skyrocket. And yeah, I'm like, buy me roses the week before. The week after. It's a bit of a cliche. It's a bit of a cliche. So many different. Just to say there's no hydrangeas during Valentine's Day. Exactly.
Helping the next generation bloom. Yes, we bloom this one because I think it's always important to help the younger generations. We accumulate so much knowledge in our careers and our professions that I think if you give back by then, helping other people. Ballet bun every day prune. I like work life balance during the week. It's fine, you know, for rehearsals when I need to be in ballet mode. We put in the bun when it's weekend. When it's time to switch off, let the hair down.
Bouquets bigger than the dancer business for you know that one we love very Big bouquets are our friend. The bigger the better. Exactly.
Taking inspiration from nature. Yes. I think this is a lovely one to bloom.
Nature is an incredible way for us to switch off from reality. To get inspiration and kind of to regroup and recenter ourselves.
Never leaving the studio.
No. Prune. Yes. Work life. Work life balance. 100%.
Thank you so much for joining us, Yasmin. This has been great, everyone. Don't forget to follow us as we spend time with creatives and discover their journeys and their personal connection with flowers.
Hi everyone. I'm Michael and I'm Michal, and I'm Yasmin.
Welcome to In Bloom, where we spend time with incredible creatives and discover their journeys and their personal connection with flowers.
I was born and raised in London and I started my training well as a hobby really, when I was kind of 5 or 6 years old, and then everything kind of spiralled from there. And I ended up at the Royal Ballet School in White Lodge in Richmond Park, which I kind of called the Hogwarts for ballet. You do everything all together in this beautiful park and then progressed to the upper school, which is in Covent Garden. And eventually, at 17, I was given my contract with the Royal Ballet in Covent Garden. Yeah.
Do you remember your first flower moment on stage?
But I think the most significant flower moment for me,
maybe not the first, but the most significant was when I danced the role of Juliet for the first time. I was a soloist in the company and I got 27 bouquets
from fans, showered with flowers. Yeah. So, you know, and it was such a special moment for me because the ushers kept bringing out bouquets,
putting them on the floor, someone else from the other side putting on the floor. And I thought that has to be it. And they, they just kept coming, which was incredible. I was so blown away by the amount of support I got.
Do you have a favourite flower?
Oh, the million dollar question. I love hydrangeas. Okay, like big, you know, big balls of hydrangeas. I think that and they last a long time as well.
Yasmine, what does being in bloom mean to you?
I guess it means being in blossoms. I would think that maybe it's, you know, just striving to be the best version of yourself. I think whenever we start something, it's like planting the seed. And then you nurture it, you water it, you look after it. And that's kind of all the layers of your life that sort of lead you to the place that you are today.
Have you ever had a challenge with flowers on stage where I don't know, the flower falls or it's not supposed to be there?
Or yeah, yes. I can't remember. If it was, it might have been in a rehearsal, in a final rehearsal. And I and I took one of the flowers from the suitors in The Sleeping Beauty. And I went to dance and the head popped off, so I was left with just the stem. But, yeah, luckily, I think it was a rehearsal. So then I was like, you know, the stage. You had to get the stage. People make sure you glue them of the roses because it would just fly.
Yeah, but but you know, flowers are they always have such a special connection to dancers because when you retire from dancing as well, they do what's called the flower throw. And people sort of sitting quite high up when you take your, your final bow, they throw flowers from the balcony. So. Oh is that when you, when dancers retire. Yeah. sometimes they do it for, you know, your 20 year anniversary, 2020 a special occasion. These are many roses. They're not hydrangeas. They're not hydrangeas. Exactly. I would feel so bad. They're just getting wrecked on the floor. I'd want to just pick them up.
Do you have any ways of letting your creativity bloom outside the stage? Outside the theatre?
Yes, I would say so. I I've written for children's books called Ballet Besties. Um, so I really need the sort of inspiration behind that was during the Covid lockdowns. I was approached by an Indian ballet school and they said, would you be able to teach our children? You know, so inspired by you. And and I thought, wow, I really would love to represent these children from, you know, anywhere around the world. So that's where the idea came from. And, and I partnered up with a children's book author because I thought, I can't do this all myself. It's a lot of work. So we partnered up together. And so the idea was born.
What's the next big challenge for you, therefore? Well, the next big challenge is this little bun in the oven. Um, so, yes, a little boy expected early December. Congratulations. Thank you. That will be the next big challenge.
Yasmin, we have a little game for you. It's called Bloom or Prune. We've got a stack of cards here, each with an idea, an emotion, a feeling. And your task is to draw a card and to decide whether to bloom it, nurture it, or prune it. Get rid of it.
Ooh. Okay, let's see what we have here. Late-night rehearsals. We prune it. No, I like efficiency. Let's work from 12 until three and finish for the day. No late night rehearsals. Okay. Next one. Treating every rehearsal like opening night. Bloom. I think this is important to treat all your rehearsals as if they have a lot of importance. So we keep this one.
Roses for Valentine's. Okay, maybe you will hate me for saying this, but we're gonna prune this one because I feel like the prices for roses, a lot of times they skyrocket. And yeah, I'm like, buy me roses the week before. The week after. It's a bit of a cliche. It's a bit of a cliche. So many different. Just to say there's no hydrangeas during Valentine's Day. Exactly.
Helping the next generation bloom. Yes, we bloom this one because I think it's always important to help the younger generations. We accumulate so much knowledge in our careers and our professions that I think if you give back by then, helping other people. Ballet bun every day prune. I like work life balance during the week. It's fine, you know, for rehearsals when I need to be in ballet mode. We put in the bun when it's weekend. When it's time to switch off, let the hair down.
Bouquets bigger than the dancer business for you know that one we love very Big bouquets are our friend. The bigger the better. Exactly.
Taking inspiration from nature. Yes. I think this is a lovely one to bloom.
Nature is an incredible way for us to switch off from reality. To get inspiration and kind of to regroup and recenter ourselves.
Never leaving the studio.
No. Prune. Yes. Work life. Work life balance. 100%.
Thank you so much for joining us, Yasmin. This has been great, everyone. Don't forget to follow us as we spend time with creatives and discover their journeys and their personal connection with flowers.
About the speaker
Yasmin Naghdi
In this episode, Blooming Haus co-founders Michal and Michael explore the elegant dance between nature and art, specifically through the lens of ballet. Sitting, pirouetting, and playing alongside their guest, they uncover the profound connection between flowers and performance.
Yasmin Naghdi, principal ballerina of The Royal Ballet, London, joins the conversation at a transformative moment - seven months pregnant and preparing for motherhood's grand entrance, with her baby boy due in December 2025. The timing adds tenderness to an already illuminating discussion about creativity, tradition, and the rituals that shape a dancer's life.
Together, they delve into ballet's long-standing flower culture, from Yasmin's
most significant floral moments on stage to the occasional blooming faux pas. She shares stories of rehearsals,receiving bouquets, and how her creativity continues to bloom both within the theatre's spotlight and beyond its walls.
The episode concludes with a special addition to the series: "Bloom or Prune." Here, Yasmin reveals what she's choosing to nurture and cultivate in this new chapter, and what she's ready to prune away - a candid reflection on growth, letting go, and the art of intentional living.
