“If you come with a positive, open energy to the studio, your teachers see this and engage more with you.”

From discovering ballet at the age of eight to performing across the UK with English National Ballet, Rio Barker’s journey reflects dedication, resilience, and a growing passion for performance.

Rio’s introduction to dance began as an extra-curricular activity at primary school. Inspired by watching classmates in ballet lessons, he asked his mum if he could try it himself. Soon after, he began training at the Karen Forbes School of Dance, where his love for ballet quickly developed and he started training more regularly.

At eleven, Rio took the next step in his training, joining The Hammond School in Chester as a vocational dance student, where he trained for five years. During his time there, he developed versatility across multiple styles including contemporary, jazz, tap, modern and commercial, alongside his classical ballet training.

At around thirteen, Rio experienced the moment that solidified his ambition to pursue ballet professionally. While browsing online, he discovered Marianela Nuñez and Federico Bonelli performing the Act I ‘Bedroom’ pas de deux from Manon with The Royal Ballet. Mesmerised by the performance, he returned to watch it on repeat. From that moment, he knew he wanted to pursue a classical ballet career and one day perform at the same level.

Drawn to English National Ballet School’s reputation for producing versatile, well rounded dancers, Rio auditioned for ENBS. Being accepted was both exciting and daunting, but he says it gave him confidence he was on the right path. He quickly adapted to the intensity of the training, and now in his third and final year with the School, he says while he has learnt a lot, and is still learning every day, it has also brought its challenges.

In November 2025, he landed badly from a jump and sprained his metatarsal. This type of injury can often occur as a result of overwork and fatigue, and Rio believes this was the most likely cause. He has always pushed himself to keep going, no matter how tired he felt, and this was an especially intense period of rehearsals for Nutcracker with English National Ballet and the ENBS Winter Showcase. Looking back, he now believes fatigue played a significant role.

However, during his rehabilitation and physiotherapy, Rio took the time to observe others, revisit feedback, and reflect on both his mental and physical approach to training.

“I learnt a lot about myself,” he says. “I watched how others communicate with artistic teachers and realised the importance of communication. I learnt the confidence to understand my body and speak to teachers when I needed a break. I also realised how my energy plays such an important role in how others engage with me. The energy you bring into a room really matters, and I’ve seen how that has changed things for me.”

Rio continues, “If you come with a positive, open energy to the studio, your teachers see this and engage more with you.” He also explained that he now understands people are not interested only in technical excellence, but in what you bring as a human being “we’re humans, not robots.” This period of reflection and personal growth, along with his refreshed approach to training, has given Rio renewed confidence.

Alongside the mental and physical challenges, like many ballet students, Rio has also faced financial barriers. Without a scholarship, he would not have been able to fulfil his dream of training at English National Ballet School. The support he has received, for which he is incredibly grateful, has allowed him to fully commit to his training without financial pressure. He says it motivates him daily to make the most of every opportunity and recognises that not every aspiring ballet student is as fortunate.

Now, with his final year at ENBS drawing to a close, Rio is enjoying performing between auditions. He is looking forward to presenting his own choreography at The Wallace Collection and, this Easter, will take part in his first UK tour performing in English National Ballet’s My First Ballet: Cinderella. He is excited to take on the roles of The Prince and Autumn Fox.

With his ambition to join a professional ballet company driving him forward this audition season, Rio hopes to join a company with both classical and contemporary repertoire. He dreams of performing works by Alexei Ratmansky, Kenneth MacMillan, William Forsythe, Christopher Wheeldon and Crystal Pite continuing his journey from student to professional artist.