Written by Ambra Vallo

I joined the Institute of Yoga Sports Science® so that, in the future, I could help athletes, dancers and other performers across different disciplines improve their performance.

I'm a former gymnast and have spent the last 24 years performing as a principal ballet dancer with one of the UK's leading professional ballet companies.

After a full and rewarding career as a ballerina, I'm preparing for the next chapter of my professional life.

Thanks to Dancers' Career Development (DCD), an organisation established to support dancers transitioning into careers beyond professional dance, I'll be able to build on my existing qualifications as a yoga teacher in Ashtanga Vinyasa and Rocket Yoga, alongside my postgraduate qualification in sport psychology (MPhil).

As a gymnast, I injured my back while training for competition. As a ballerina, I've spent many years overcoming significant injuries, including stress fractures in both feet, surgery on my knee and ankle, a...