Dancing has been Charlie Kingston's passion ever since she was a little girl. Dancing wasn't the only thing that kept her going during lockdown she had nothing to do and decided to create her own little business around vegan food which became a hit!

We chatted to Kingston about putting on her first pair of dance shoes her biggest inspirations and how she created CK's Kitchen.

Hello Charlie! Thanks for chatting to us at ReVamp. What was growing up like for you? 

Hey! Thanks so much for having me. I grew up in a small town called Newbury, Berkshire with my older sister and Mum and Dad. I moved into my Grandparents, just down the road from my parents house, in my teenage years and absolutely loved living with them, they’re my biggest supporters. 

My Grandad taught me and my sister a lot growing up- taking us swimming, roller skating, playing the keyboard and more. He was always keen to have us learning and exploring our unknown talents from a young age.

Do you remember putting on your first ever dancing shoes?

I do! I remember when I was very young my Grandad enrolled me and my big sister into a ‘Tap Dance’ class. This was so fun for us, I’ll never forget doing an exam to a dance called Teddy Tap within the first few weeks, so cute! After this I found a local weekly ‘street dance’ class at a gym that my mum worked at, I would take class every Tuesday. We had annual shows where we would get to showcase all of our hard work on stage in front of family and friends, this was the most exciting day of the year for me. 

Tell me what a day in a life of a dancer? 

Oh, what a question this is! 

Each day is very different but I must start by saying what a blessing it is to wake up each morning and to be able to do what I love most. 

Most weeks I will be in rehearsals for a production/ show/ tour etc.. this usually means waking up early to start the day right with a stretch and meditation before setting off for the day ahead. Rehearsals are often very strenuous on the body and so once I’m home I’ll take a bath, cook a good healthy meal and relax before a much needed good nights sleep. This is often the same for show days. 

On the days where I’m not in rehearsals I’ll usually start the morning with a gym session, yoga or Pilates- it’s essential to keep my body strong and in shape for what i do. I also keep my physical training up by taking dance classes throughout the week, usually at Base Dance Studios in Vauxhall.

Days like this is a chance to catch up on all invoices and admin work. No ‘day off’ is ever really a day off for a dancer. I’m very blessed at the opportunities that present themselves to me but I also like to create my own opportunities; sending daily emails and creating my own content keeps my creativity high and myself inspired. 

Who would you say is your biggest inspiration?

I would have to say Janet. Janet Jackson is the main reason I started to dance.  A key memory for me growing up is watching Janet Jackson and all of her music videos on TV and VHS tapes. I would copy everything she did and then make my parents sit and watch the show i would perform for them, in our living room of course.

My parents then took me to see her live in Birmingham when I was just 8 years old, The Velvet Rope Tour. This was the moment I knew I wanted to be a dancer. To be on stage with artists just like Janet. That was the movement everything changed for me. 

You’ve also got your own small business CK’s Kitchen where you make vegan food. What made you decide to do this? 

Yes! During lockdown, when we were all very stuck and bored, I found a new passion within cooking and creating recipes. I’ve always loved food and having this new unexpected free time allowed me to experiment and learn how much of a natural I was in the kitchen. 

I would start to share stories of the food I was making on my social media and my followers all started to ask for recipes on repeat. This is how CK’s Kitchen was birthed. 

I now have a huge passion in sharing my self made recipes online and inspiring dancers to eat good nutritious foods that are absolutely delicious at the same time. Many dancers come to me when needing food prep for their busy schedules. It’s cool to be a dancer inspiring dancers outside of just dance itself. 

Lastly, what would you recommend to upcoming dancers that want to be in your position?

Work hard and keep balance in your life. 

I would say create a plan and work so very hard towards your specific goals but also allow yourself to have the rest days in between. This is key for consistency. Work on your mental strength and capacity just as much as you do your physical and you’ll be untouchable in this industry. Stay inspired by life itself and all it offers and you’ll never ‘work’ a day in your life. 

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