Starting every morning at the barre would make most people lose their job, unless you are a dancer with West Australian Ballet.

The ritual is not unique to the Maylands-based State ballet company — with every ballet company in the world beginning their day in the same way — as the 75-minute class gradually warms the body to assist in preventing injury, refine technique and prepare for the physical demands of the day ahead.

Arriving to class in removable layers of dancewear is not so much about fashion but necessity, with key accessories like leg warmers and booties donned to assist dancers in keeping warm to maintain flexibility, mobility and muscle readiness throughout their day in the studio.

With live pianist accompaniment, morning class is taught by either artistic director Leanne Stojmenov or one of the company rehearsal directors, as ballet barre exercises build progressively from plies (bending and straightening the knees) and grand battements (kicking a leg high in the air) to longer combinations in the centre of the studio, incorporating balance, turns and travelling movements.

Class may finish with jumps, building to grand allegro (big high jumps), but this is just the start of the day, as the schedule transitions to rehearsing the latest performance season, Genesis, an annual favourite of both dancers and audiences on the WA Ballet program.

Choreographed and performed by WA Ballet dancers, this year’s program of six short new works is being presented at The University of WA’s Dolphin Theatre, after outgrowing the season’s traditional home of being performed in the WA Ballet Centre studio.

Creativity and collaboration flow as there is a genuine sense of camaraderie between the dancers, where behind every performance are hours of rehearsals, discipline, dedication to the artform — and shoes.

Every year, the company dances its way through more than 900 pairs of pointe shoes and 800 pairs of flats, with former WA Ballet dancer turned rehearsal director Reika Sato able to tell which dancer a pair belongs to just by looking at the sole of a pointe shoe.

“Professional dancers become very loyal to particular shoes, and each dancer tends to have their own unique combination of fit and preferences,” Sato said, as dancers spend their day stretching, flexing and stamping upon their current pair.

“So, if they accidentally leave their pointe shoes behind, don’t worry, I’ll probably know exactly who the shoes belong to before they realise they’re missing.

“After years of working with our dancers and managing the company’s pointe shoe inventory, it becomes surprisingly easy to recognise who a pair of shoes belongs to before even seeing the dancer’s name written inside.”

Genesis choreographers design the costumes for their work in consultation with the company’s in-house wardrobe department.

Pieces might be created new or built from existing costumes from previous shows, thanks to the ballet company’s costume store located in a Bassendean warehouse, a treasure-trove featuring hundreds of costumes dating back to the 1990s.

Many items for Genesis 2026 are original to this year’s season and were not only designed in-house but sewn and constructed as well, adhering to a focus on sustainability, usually made from fabrics already in the wardrobe department’s stock.

Just like a rehearsal room, it means the wardrobe department is usually a hive of activity pre-season, with dancers coming in for fittings, and costumes being created or updated for purpose.

Founded by Madame Kira Bousloff, a dancer with Ballets Russes, WA Ballet is on the eve of celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2027.