 We're gonna play a game of Never Have I Ever Christmas Edition. Never Have I Ever opened a present before Christmas. I went to open the trunk to get groceries out. My mom had a Christmas present for me in there and I saw it and she was like, I was like, um, what is this book? I was like, oh, do you want me to bring this inside? And she was like, no, no, you haven't seen it. Walk away. And I was like, oh, oh. Oh, no. It was pretty fun. It was like this really big, fluffy blanket. And I really liked it. So I'm like, I have, but I haven't. Not intentionally. That was an accident. Not intentionally. It was an accident. Yes. You can't resist the temptation. I'm really good. Like I'm very disciplined and I get mad when people like share secrets or tell stories too soon. But I have. I mean, I was young once. Never have I ever cried at a Christmas film. I have. Oh, I cry in like, I'm like, I'm like happy, like fun movies. I cry in Cinderella. Like I cry in movies. Yeah. Yeah. What is it? What is it with Curian Haley in it? Love, actually. Yeah, cried in that one. Never have I ever had an embarrassing moment at a Christmas party. I don't know. I probably have and I just don't realize it. Oh, no. That's so sad. I have lots of embarrassing moments in life. So I'm sure that I have lots of like falling and tripping and saying stupid things. So never have I ever eaten all of an advent calendar in one go. Never. I haven't had an advent calendar that's like food. We had one that was like little trinkets. And then we just like mix it up every year and we have it. And I had one a couple of years ago. It was like my mom, my mom got it for me. It was actually what we were filming. It was like earrings. It was like 10, it was only like 10 days, but there was like little earrings in each one. And that one was really cute. It was really pretty. You know what? I'm going to have to say never. I'm not a huge chocolate fan. You can get other advent calendars with like makeup and cheese. Oh, I would eat all the cheese for sure. Never have I ever pretended to be happy with a gift you actually hated. Yeah, because I put a lot of thought in the gifts that I give people. And I think that people do the same. So yeah, I've always really appreciated everything that anyone has given me. Oh, hello. I mean, you don't want to be mean to people. What was it? Oh, I don't know. I'm sure it was some silly like, I don't know, maybe someone brought me like a shirt or a clothing item that you're just like, yes. And then, yeah. Never have I ever wore an embarrassing Christmas jumper. Oh, we have. I had cats and bells and bows on it, and it was epic. Yes. I don't think it's embarrassing though. Like I love, yeah. I actually own like, it looks like a Christmas, like romper jumper thing. I wear it in the theater. It's this big massive red. I look like a teletubby. And I'm not embarrassed to wear it because it's very comfortable and warm. Is that all year round or just a Christmas? All year round. I keep it in my theater case and wear it in the theater. So you bring the festivities to the theater? Oh yeah. Never have I ever re-gifted a present that was given to you. I haven't re-gifted a present, but I've re-gifted bags. You're like saving like the wrappings and then... Yeah, that's good. That's not like a bad... That's not bad. No, I'm not saving the planet. One Christmas bag at a time. Never have I ever had an unusual Christmas tradition at home. We put a Christmas bow tie on my cat. We do that. And she really likes it. She'll only wear it around Christmas. Yes. Well, so I won't play Mariah Carey's Christmas album as an unusual, but I think now as an adult, me and my husband go away to a beach, like an island every year for Christmas, like the opposite of what people would think of when it comes to like the Christmas like tradition. So that sounds like the best tradition ever. Right, in a bikini in sand. The film has such a great cast. I'd love to know what your funniest memory from filming together was. There was a many, many a time where Jayden and I would be running through the realms and then just completely eat it. And that would be kind of funny because we were like, oh, danger, danger. And we're like, oh, and then we'd just like roll over. So those would be funny sometimes. Like just full smack on the floor. Yeah, it was like bumpy and all of these things. And then, you know, I was like in heels and Jayden had his sword and we'd be running. And there was lots of funny things like that. Prince, who was the horse that Jayden rides in the film. Jingles in the film. Him and Jayden would talk to each other and they would have a funny banter and they'd be like, oh, then they'd look at me and be like, can you believe this guy? The horse. Yeah, and I'd be like, oh, sorry. The horses were fantastic. They were really fun. I was only on set for like seven days, which is very quick to get in, you know, that we needed to. But the way that I met like Kira Knightley and Mackenzie Foy was like literally on the set because the part that I'm in, I'm performing for them. So they're the audience, like the cast members are. I'm telling the story of the four realms through ballet, through movement. And it was like the first time I'm meeting them while I'm dancing ballet and they're watching me. I was like, this is a little odd and awkward, but hey guys, nice to meet you. Did you get to hang out, to give a much? Yeah, a little bit, like, you know, because again, my scene was within that set. So, you know, they kind of came in and out and sat and watched me perform for them. And then, you know, in between shots and things, we would talk and, you know, hang out. So it was fun. There's such legends in this film, like people like Helen Mirren and Morgan Freeman. What was it like working with them? Oh, they're just amazing. They were really, really kind people and it was really, really amazing to be able to act with them with all of their experience. It was really fun. Did you ever get to hang out off set? I did school whenever I was on off set, but whenever we could, we would try to hang out, talk to each other. Lots of our audience will recognize you from the Twilight films as Renezme. I was wondering if you would ever want to return to that character. I think it'd be interesting to see Renezme with a new perspective. I think it'd be fun to see who she ends up being. Yeah, because she could have her own spin-off, right? Now that she's grown up. Yeah, I think she could, yeah. I think I either am or I'm almost the same age as, like, old Renezme in the last film, which is kind of cool. It's kind of crazy. It's like, wow. You're famously the first African-American principle dancer for the American ballet theater. Yeah. I'd love to know what your experiences have been like performing in that predominantly white industry. Also, what would you like to see the future of ballet as? The way I was introduced to the ballet world, you know, it was through my Boys and Girls Club on a basketball court, which is very unusual for a dancer to start in that way. I was living in Southern California, so I was in a very diverse place. And so when I entered the ballet world at 13 years old, the color of my skin was not at all something that was brought to my attention. I was so focused on just getting the right training in, like, four years' time before I became a professional. And so once I became a professional, I think that's when I realized, like, wow, my responsibility here and opportunity can be so much more than I ever imagined it could be. It's not just about working on myself and fighting to be the best dancer I can be or to be a principle dancer, but I can bring ballet to communities that I grew up in and other underprivileged communities. And I can also help to bring more diversity to ballet just by being a representation, you know, by being that one person on the stage, someone may be in the audience and say, she looks like me. I can be that or I can be anything that I was told I can't be. And so, you know, to be able to be that in this film, to be able to reach people that maybe think that ballerinas only look a certain way. They're only white. They only have blonde hair. And then they see a brown ballerina in a Disney nutcracker playing the ballerina princess. To me, that's kind of how you start changing things and including people and making things more diverse that aren't. You started ballet at 13. Yeah. What advice do you have for anyone else who wants to start ballet as a teenager? I just don't think that there should be any limits, period. I think that it doesn't really matter what age you are. Like, I often say, like, I think it was Rudolph Muria that took his first ballet class at, like, 18 or 19. He became the greatest male dancer in the world. I started dancing at 13 years old. Like, I think it's just about having the right support system, having the work ethic, being dedicated, and allowing yourself to kind of put yourself out there and be vulnerable, but yet be strong, and allow people around you to support you. But I don't think that, you know, everyone's different. Everyone has different bodies and learns at different paces. And so I think that just be open and work hard. I'd love to know what the best and worst things about being a ballerina are. I think the best is just, like, this feeling of, like, accomplishment. You know, when you work your entire life and you spend the majority of that time in a ballet studio, and then you get to go on stage, and though that time is so much smaller than it is, you know, how much we put into it, you feel so accomplished when you finish a performance. You know, it's Swan Lake, and it's like, oh my gosh, if I can do this, I can have a baby. I can take on the world. I can experience as much pain. And like, you know, it's this amazing feeling, but then there's the other side where it's like, you work so hard and you don't always get what you want. But to me, it's about the journey. And it's not about, you know, whether or not you reach this place that you think you might want to go, but I think it has made me such an amazing woman by experiencing and enjoying the journey.