Born in Texas, US, Abigail Granlund trained at the Ballet Academy of Texas, American Ballet Theatre’s Summer Intensive and Texas Ballet Theater and American Ballet Theater’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School with full scholarships. She joined The Washington Ballet (TWB)’s Trainee programme in 2016 and became a Studio Company dancer before joining Hong Kong Ballet as a Corps de Ballet member in 2022.
 
With TWB, Granlund has performed in Julie Kent’s Swan Lake, Septime Webre’s The Nutcracker, Marius Petipa’s Giselle, Kent’s The Sleeping Beauty, John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet, Michel Fokine’s Les Sylphides and Fredrick Ashton’s The Dream as well as George Balanchine’s Serenade and Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, Alexei Ratmansky’s Bolero, Paul Taylor’s Company B and Jessica Lang’s Beethoven Serenade, among others. In 2017, she represented TWB and danced for the D’Vine Affair at the Italian embassy.
 

Dancer Q&A

1. What does ballet mean to you?
Ballet has been an amazing gift in my life. I have learned so many lessons that I will carry with me through my next chapters.
 

2. Why did you start dancing?
I actually started in musical theater and really enjoyed singing and acting. Ballet came later when I was 10, and I soon realized how fun and challenging it was.

3. What was the first ballet you ever performed?
The Nutcracker. I was a candy cane in the party scene.

4. What’s the most challenging ballet you have danced and what made it so challenging?
Swan Lake. It takes a different kind of strength to be in the corps de ballet. To do a 3.5-hour show where you are in nearly every single act for 12 shows straight is very taxing on the body. It was also the most rewarding show I have ever danced in.

5. Most memorable/weird onstage moment and why?
I was accidentally hit in the nose by my partner during a performance last year. My nose ended up being broken and required surgery to fix it.

6. How do you unwind after a show?
Epsom salt bath and a good dinner. There is no other way.

7. What keeps you motivated on tough days?
For me, having a really good support system is very important. A bad day doesn’t define you as a dancer. Although you may get frustrated, those are actually the days where you learn the most and get stronger.

8. What’s your favourite food?
I recently discovered ‘nai wong bao’. I have an unhealthy amount of cravings for them. So yummy!

9. What would you be if you were not a dancer?
I would probably still find my way to a stage. I love Broadway and would love to perform in a musical one day.

10. What are your hobbies?
Some of my favourites are singing, exploring, painting, and designing dancewear. My mom and I have a business together called GranlundDancewear where we make and sell dancewear.

11. Where is the most interesting place you have ever visited or want to visit?
Hong Kong. I love it here!

12. If you can have a super power, what would it be?
Healing powers. Haha! Then I could dance for however long I wanted to.