When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade, or in Camilla del Curran’s case, pivot entirely and make a diorama with them!
Camilla, a third-generation ballet dancer, started ballet at age 3 at her mother’s ballet school.
“I was in the studio, six days a week from the age of 10, and even transitioned to homeschooling for my last two years of high school to maintain my four hours of daily training,” she recalls. “It was strenuous, but it gave me a sense of discipline.”
After enrolling at the Memphis College of Arts for an illustration degree, a professor reinspired Camilla to pursue a career in ballet. She later joined the Tennessee Ballet Theater and worked as a professional ballet dancer for 10 seasons in prominent roles, including the title role in Giselle, the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, and Aurora in Sleeping Beauty.
As a teenager, Camilla was diagnosed with Bipolar 1 disorder and remembers the challenge of making it through long practices. “When I would experience a bad mood swing, I would have to figure out coping mechanisms and train myself to think factually instead of relying on my feelings,” she shares. “I’m grateful for that because I learned so much about resilience, willpower, and pushing through discomfort.”
It took years of trying medications before Camilla found the correct dosage, only to discover that one of the side effects was weight gain.
“I’m glad I had the training from ballet to stay fit and eat right,” she says, “but it was a challenge to adjust and learn how to be healthy without focusing on a specific aesthetic.”
Around that time, Camilla sustained an ankle injury that left her ligaments permanently damaged. “It ended my professional dancing career in 2020,” she recalls.
Since then, Camilla has traded in her pointe shoes for the role of Artistic Director of the Tennessee Ballet Theater at the Colonial Park United Methodist Church, where she also teaches Pilates. In the evenings, she instructs ballet students of all ages, encouraging them to feel beautiful and embrace their bodies.
Camilla continues to take recreational ballet classes three days a week as part of her fitness regimen, adding in several weight-lifting sessions at the YMCA. On weekends, you can find her doing the salsa at Rumba Room in Downtown with her partner of nearly three years, or moseying through endless art exhibitions at Memphis Brooks Art Museum.
“I love being in the world of ballet and arts in general,” she says, having dabbled in many creative side-jobs over the years, including modeling, illustration, and styling. However, bringing ballet productions to life remains her pride and joy.
Currently, Camilla is co-directing a performance of Clara & the Nutcracker at Rose Theatre at the University of Memphis, which runs December 5–6. It features an incredible production with many teens playing lead roles alongside professionals, complemented by beautiful 18th-century-themed costumes that celebrate global cultures.
“I am stronger now, being at a higher BMI, than I was before,” she says of maintaining a positive outlook on life at 37. “It has been a gradual transition to a healthier mindset. I lift weights and do things to keep my body going for the long run, and I am grateful for that.”
IG: thecamilladel
Photo by Tindall Stephens
