We all have our heroes and icons who we aspire to be like one day. Having these inspirations helps us strive to be better performers. Who are your top inspirational dancers, teachers and choreographers? We’ve put a list together of our top seven, see if you agree with us.

7. Isadora Duncan
Isadora Duncan is known for her pioneering work in expressive dance and free movement in the early 1900s. She taught and performed all over the world and was one of the first people to dance barefoot and use costume which allowed her to move freely. She inspires people to break the mould.

6. Kimberley Wyatt
Moving into modern times, this former pussycat doll is one of the biggest worldwide inspirations for commercial dancers. The flexy lady has been a judge on popular dance show Got To Dance and can master any style of dance!

5. Marianela Nunez
In the world of ballet, Nunez is an international icon. She moved to London aged 15 to join The Royal Ballet, and boasts over 15 years with the company. She has danced all major roles in classical and contemporary ballets, and has twice won the Critic’s Circle National Dance Award for Best Female Dancer.

4. Jasmin Vardimon
Israeli-born Jasmin Vardimon has become a household name in dance theatre. At age 26 she formed her own dance company, and choreographs powerful pieces of dance which often address socio-political issues.

3. Darcey Bussell
Darcey is the ultimate inspiration for aspiring ballerinas, as she became the principal dancer at The Royal Ballet at just 20 years old. She’s known for her expert comments on the judging panel of Strictly Come Dancing, and is one of the only dancers with a CBE! Although she retired as a ballerina in 2007, she remains active in the dance world as a patron and ambassador of many dance organisations and charities.

2. Pina Bausch
Pina Bausch is an award winning choreographer who is renowned for mixing dance and theatre disciplines and taking dance theatre into the mainstream. She made waves in choreography and devising dance by using improvisation techniques and the dancers’ own emotions to create movement, as well as believing that dance wasn’t made to purely please the audience. Her company, Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch has performed all over the world and filmmaker Wim Wenders made a documentary in her memory titled ‘Pina.’

1. Martha Graham
We’ve picked American dancer and choreographer Martha Graham as our number one spot, because of the pure influence she had over modern dance. She was the first dancer to ever perform at The White House, and choreographed until her death aged 96. She developed the Graham technique, which is still taught today worldwide in contemporary dance classes. The Martha Graham Dance Company, formed in 1926, is the oldest dance company in the USA and still performs today. Graham’s influence on modern dance has been compared to Picasso’s influence on modern visual arts – quite a legacy.

Did we miss out any of your major female inspirational dancers? Let us know who inspires you on our social media pages.

[Image credit: http://marthagraham.org/]