Claire Lonchampt, dancer at Malandain Ballet Biarritz

Who are you, can you introduce yourself?

My name is Claire Lonchampt. I am 36 years old and I am a dancer with the Malandain Ballet Biarritz.
I grew up in Paris, where I completed my schooling in a sport-study program.
At age 9, I entered the Paris Opera Ballet School as a "petit rat," and I continued my training there until I obtained my dance diploma and my high school diploma from the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris. At 18, I was hired for one year by the prestigious Zurich Ballet. I then continued my career for 3 years in Helsinki at the Finnish National Ballet. I was then lucky enough to join one of the best companies in the world, the Dutch National Ballet, in Amsterdam, which I decided to leave after one year to join Thierry Malandain at the Malandain Ballet Biarritz.

When we met, you mentioned growing up in front of a mirror during part of your childhood and adolescence. Today you are 36; what do you see in that mirror?

After a major injury at 30, I had no choice but to reprogram the thought software I had always used to progress until then. The perception of my reflection in the mirror was one of the first things I had to change.
Indeed, very few people spend their entire days confronted with their full-length reflection for the purpose of correcting themselves to reach an ideal of perfection.
While I had been trained from a very young age to scrutinize only my flaws, I had to show indulgence toward this body that no longer responded to my previous reflexes. For the first time, I had to make the superhuman effort to look at myself with kindness—at those lines I didn't find perfect enough, at those perceptions that were no longer the ones I knew.
While it hasn't always been easy, because thought habits are deeply ingrained, I believe I can say that at 36, I am now able to be gentle with this body that has never let me down and has allowed me to have such a long career.
So now, he and I coexist, trying to accept one another. Sometimes he is tired and lets me know he needs a little attention, and sometimes he steps back to let me fully enjoy the pleasure of dancing.

What are your other passions?

I love to eat, especially sweets! So I accumulate an endless number of restaurants on my To-Do list, in every city we tour. While I don't always remember the theaters or hotels, my memory for restaurants is infallible!
I also love the mountains very much. Going for a hike, getting to a higher altitude, and distancing myself from the human hustle and bustle helps me calm my thoughts.
Finally, reading is one of the habits my mother passed on to me, and one I take pleasure in indulging. I never go on tour without making sure I have a new book to devour.

What is your relationship with beauty?

My relationship with beauty is paradoxical; although I work in a profession where I must shine and which is imbued with beauty, I have very little self-confidence. I tend to struggle to find myself beautiful and focus on my flaws. So, slowly, with time and maturity, I am learning to accept myself and stop comparing myself. My perspective has been shaped by my profession, and every day I force myself not to hunt for what might be wrong, but on the contrary, to be satisfied with what I like. But I am still far from achieving that!
I also take great pleasure in getting dressed up. Tour suitcases prevent me from taking too many things, so I take advantage of the time in Biarritz to wear outfits I can't travel with.
For me, femininity is above all about loving yourself and taking care of this body that we tend to mistreat rather than pamper.

A childhood memory related to a fragrance, a transmission of beauty?

I was only 9 years old when I went to boarding school. The separation from my family could sometimes be a bit difficult to bear, especially on Sunday evenings. So the scent of my mother's perfume on my clothes allowed me to keep her close to me on days when I felt down. Just like the Eau de Cologne my grandmother wore.
In general, I have always loved the idea of keeping the memory of a loved one alive through the scent of their perfume.

What role or ballet has given you the most emotion?

Marie-Antoinette was certainly the most moving role of my career. Through this role, Thierry gave me the possibility to explore a multitude of facets that a woman can go through. I loved delving into the intimacy of this woman, digging beneath the image of this unloved queen, and discovering who she really was and the tragedies she had to overcome. I loved being able to experience all those emotions, make them my own at different periods of my life, and let the role grow within me so that it was spontaneous every night.

What can we wish for you in the future?

To manage to love myself! 😉
And above all, to continue touching many people through these wonderful vehicles of emotion that are dance and beauty. The world needs them more than ever.

Claire’s ritual:

With more than 100 shows a year, I've lost count of the kilos of foundation and eyeshadow spread on my skin every day. Just like my body, I feel the need to take care of it so that it doesn't suffer too much. I quickly understood that the makeup removal stage, right after coming off stage, just like going to the physical therapist, was an essential step in my recovery process.

Alaena products have allowed me to adopt this ritual everywhere on tour. The Double Cleansing Ritual, first of all with the cleansing oil, allows me to remove the first thick layer of foundation and mascara. The Mango & Avocado soap then ensures that I have cleaned my skin deeply. Next comes the application of the Fruit Acid Peeling. Far from being abrasive, it envelops my skin and gives me the feeling every time of applying a thick repairing balm, which in addition to having an incredible texture, smells extremely good.

Once my skin is nourished, I apply the Moisturizing Cream for Combination Skin. My skin has a tendency to get oily under the spotlights. I admit I was completely won over by its mattifying aspect. And having tested different ones on every tour, I guarantee that this one definitely rose to the challenge of 48 hours of travel. Finally, in the absence of having masseurs available, I found what I needed to compensate with theToning Massage Oil, designed specifically for the heavy legs of athletes. An essential step in recovery, I apply it while massaging my muscles deeply to relax the most tense areas.