She attended Dromore Primary School and Banbridge Academy, and left the latter after she finished her GCSEs.

At age 16, she was awarded a scholarship and entered Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham, where she trained for two years.

[4][5] In 2007, at age 18, she competed at the Youth America Grand Prix to “test the water”, but ended up winning the competition.

The YAGP prize is joining ABT II, American Ballet Theatre's second company.

During her tenure in Dresden, she made several principal role debuts, including Nikiya in La Bayadere, Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty and Odette/Odile in Swan Lake.

In Act 3, she signals her unravelling with an immense weariness, and its final moments with a slow, sad unfurling of her arms.