I had the opportunity to speak with Ingrida, an ex-professional ballet dancer, an inspiring woman, mother, and a ballet and Pilates teacher based in the Algarve, who understands alignment, anatomy, and the power of mindful training.

Ingrida grew up in a small town in Lithuania, and from childhood, had a deep passion for ballet. One of her teachers was a former ballet dancer, and her lessons influenced Ingrida’s future. Her biggest dream was to become a ballerina and perform on the great stages. She passed an audition and moved to the boarding school in the capital city, Vilnius, to study ballet.

After graduating from the National Ciurlionis Art School, she began her professional career. Ingrida danced at the National Opera and Ballet Theatre in Vilnius, and she had the opportunity to perform internationally, travelling the world thanks to her passion. She performed in China, Germany, Italy, Spain and other countries. Her repertoire included classics such as Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Ana Karenina, Zorba the Greek, Don Quixote, Carmen and many more.


Ballet became her whole life. When she wasn’t performing, she was training.

After three years of being a part of this highly competitive sport, she suffered an ankle injury and had to take a few months off to recover.

A new chapter

During her recovery, she visited her sister, who was living in Dublin - and eventually decided to stay.

Becoming a professional ballerina had been her dream, but once she achieved this and saw what lay behind the glamour of the stage, she realised she wanted a different lifestyle. The constant focus on body image, the physical pressure, hours of training and late evening performances took a toll on her health.


Yet she didn’t give up on ballet completely. She continued her studies and graduated as an Imperial Ballet and Modern Theatre teacher at Inchicore College of Further Education. Soon after, she decided to share her knowledge with others as a ballet teacher.

She started teaching children, explaining and demonstrating dance techniques and methods. Children loved her warm and friendly approach and soon she was giving lessons in several dance schools.

Teaching adults in Portugal

Meanwhile, her personal life was also changing. She met her future husband, and they began looking for a new place where to settle. The climate in Ireland didn’t suit them, so they decided to relocate to Portugal. Their first stop was in Portimão, where Ingrida found a dance school to teach ballet, but this time she decided to focus on adults.


This is how Ballet Soul By Ingrida began. She noticed there are several places offering kids’ ballet classes, while adult ballet classes were rare. Teaching adults required adaptation, patience, and persistence, especially as she built her network from scratch. “I had to adapt my way of teaching, and the beginning wasn’t easy - finding students when you are new in the country and don’t have any connections yet.”

Shortly after starting her business, Ingrida became pregnant and her classes were paused for a while. Now her daughter is four years old, and Ingrida’s business is thriving. She has regular clients who attend her classes every week. She also teaches private classes, and since the Covid period, she continues giving online classes. Her students live in different parts of Europe and continue improving their skills under Ingrida’s guidance.


Many women dream of trying ballet but never had a chance to do so before, and worry it might be physically challenging. Ingrida would like to assure them that her classes are for everyone “It’s never too late for ballet. Please don’t expect a huge load but a practise adapted to the needs of adults” and she adds “I am there to make sure the posture is correct and joints are safe. My classes have a strong focus on anatomy. Health always comes first”

Integrating Pilates

Beyond ballet, Ingrida is a passionate Pilates instructor and teaches mat Pilates after her ballet classes.

Ingrida always works on improving her skills and having interest in human anatomy. She took a STOTT Pilates course in Aveiro.

“Pilates helped me a lot in building my core strength and managing my back pain. I have completed several courses already, all levels of the STOTT Matt Pilates, and the STOTT reformer intermediate level. STOTT Pilates is a modern form of Pilates, originally developed in Canada. It integrates joint stability, posture, and movement science with a strong focus on alignment and injury prevention.”

Alongside the Pilates courses, Ingrida also completed a prenatal, postnatal course.

Recently, she began teaching also Reformer Pilates in her own studio in Ferragudo. “Reformer Pilates keeps me together – body, mind and energy – so I can keep showing up for my students and my little one.”

Twice a year, she organises a dance workshop with her students, providing opportunities for growth, performance, and community.

It’s never too late

Ingrida helps adults experience the benefits of ballet safely and confidently, proving that is never too late to start and that movement is for everyone. With her certifications and anatomy knowledge, she offers a complete support to her students.

Discover her weekly schedule and request information about private classes on her Instagram page @balletsoul_by_ingrida or Facebook page Ballet Soul By Ingrida.