Hannah O'Neill is a Kiwi at the peak of her game, she’s the top dancer at a top ballet company in Paris.
Based in Paris for the past 12 years, just this month she was made danseuse etoile, the most senior dancer in the Opera Ballet company.
O'Neill was born in Japan to a Japanese mother, Sumie, and a New Zealand father, Chris, a professional rugby player, and spent the first 8 years of her life there before returning to New Zealand where she embarked on her ballet career.
Photo: JOEL SAGET
She loves her life in Paris she told Jesse Mulligan.
“Life’s pretty charming here, there’s lots of things to do, Paris has become a real hub, a cultural hub, lots of freelance artists have all come back to Paris. It’s a very exciting place to be at the moment.”
Her career is at an exciting stage too, with her recent promotion to top dancer and a contract for the next 12 years.
MUSIC
‘Because the Night’ - Patti Smith
“It became my song one night, I don’t really know why. It sort of became my glory song and it was the first song I put on after I got nominated about a month ago. This is my hype song.”
‘Vertige de l'Amour’ - Alain Bashung
“This is my morning song. I like to really blast it out in the mornings to get me going and wake me up. It took me a while to get into French music, but this is one of the first songs that really got to me.”
‘Indian Summer’ - the Doors
“This is one of my favourite songs, I listen to it all the time when I’m happy, when I’m sad, when I’m bored - it’s always in my playlist.”
BOOKS
Breasts and Eggs by Meiko Kawakami
“I had a very Japanese upbringing, but I moved when I was quite young, so I matured as woman more when I was in New Zealand and Paris, so it was very interesting for me to read about different Japanese characters and their take on adulthood and parenting.
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
“Every time I read it it’s so tormenting, but there’s something about it that I can’t put down and want to keep reading to the end.
I do a lot of my reading on the Metro. Sometimes if it’s a really good book I’ll do it in between rehearsals.
The Elegance of a Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
I read this just prior to arriving in Paris, it was a very touching story as well there are two narrators a concierge who takes care of a building in Paris and a younger girl Paloma who lives in the building.
FILMS
“Films are a real part of French culture, it’s very common to go to the cinema by yourself, there’s so many nice cinemas in Paris as well.”
Happy Together - Wong Kar Wai
“I went to see last year at a movie theatre on the Left Bank and it’s quite a famous movie theatre where they play old movies. I saw it in the cinema and completely fell in love with this movie, the chemistry they have between these two characters
“They each have a different perspective of love and how they show it it’s very beautifully filmed.”
Sweet Bean - Naomi Kawase
“This is a film that makes me think so much of my grandma I would have so loved to have gone to see it with her, it’s Japanese film and very simple plot, but it’s so beautiful I was in tears the whole way through pretty much.”
Bones and All - Luca Guadagnino
“I love his films I had high hopes for it and it really came out beautifully I thought."
Match Point - Woody Allen
"One of the first films I remember as a teenager."
She loves her rugby, she says, and is excited about France hosting the World Cup this year.
“I follow the rugby quite closely too so I'm very much looking forward to the rugby World Cup in France later on this year.”
Hannah O'Neill Photo: supplied
