Francois-Eloi Lavignac was born and raised in the small city of Limoges in southwest-central France.
Now living in Melbourne, the 24-year-old is one of six dancers nominated for The Australian Ballet's most prestigious prize; the Telstra Ballet Dancer Award.
The award, which is in its 15th year, recognises dancers that embody what it means to thrive. Lavignac has been dancing since he was six-years-old.
"When I was 14 I really decided it was something I wanted to do forever," he told SBS News.
"So I decided to pursue it professionally.
"I moved to Paris, and then London, and graduated from the English National Ballet School, then moved here to The Australian Ballet."
In 2008, The Australian Ballet performed Graeme Murphy's Swan Lake in Paris. Lavignac was living there at the time.
The Australian Ballet's Valerie Tereshchenko, left, and Francois-Eloi Lavignac. Source: The Australian Ballet
"I had never heard of The Australian Ballet company before," he said.
"All my friends were coming out of this show saying 'this is really good', and, you know, French people are very precious about their classical ballet.
"That's when the company appeared on my radar."
Lavignac says his journey wasn't easy, he had to overcome many difficulties including harassment over his ambition to be a professional dancer.
"Very difficult with the others, my classmates, and it [ballet] was something that was not accepted where I was from."
As part of The Australian Ballet, Francois trains vigorously in preparation for his performances.
"Coming from overseas I feel like you have to prove yourself in a certain way," Lavignac said.
"If I feel completely ready then I can be free and be myself and to have fun."
Valerie Tereshchenko, a 27-year-old dancer born in Kiev, Ukraine, has also been nominated. She moved to Australia with her family when she was six.
Tereshchenko's mother spoke little English, but still found a way to enrol her daughter in ballet classes.
"She got someone to write on a piece of paper how much for lessons," Tereshchenko said.
"She put me in and she put the piece of paper in, and the teacher kind of went 'uh, first we'll see what she can do'."
Tereshchenko joined The Australian Ballet in 2009. Though Australia is home, she does not forget her roots. Before any show, she performs an old Russian ritual for good luck.
"I got it from my mum and my grandma," she said.
"There's a little thing they do where they spit over their shoulder three times. And then I do a bit of a cross and touch some wood."
Tereshchenko says it's an incredible feeling to be recognised as a nominee for all of her hard work. She also encourages young aspiring ballet dancers to strive to make their dreams a reality.
"That love will make you work and push through pain and hardship."
The winner of the 2017 Telstra Ballet Dancer Award will take home $20,000, while the winner of the People's Choice Award - voted for by the public - will receive $5,000. Several former winners have been promoted to principal artists of The Australian Ballet.
The 2017 Telstra Ballet Dancer Award nominees are: Isobelle Dashwood (Toowoomba, QLD); Drew Hedditch (Canberra, ACT); François-Eloi Lavignac, (Limoges, France); Jake Mangakahia, (Sunshine Coast, QLD); and Sharni Spencer (Lismore, NSW), Valerie Tereshchenko (Kiev, Ukraine).
The winners will be announced on 5 December in Sydney at the opening night of Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
