Daria Klimentová was already teaching while still performing with English National Ballet. In 2009, she described her day during the International Ballet Masterclasses she organised in Prague: in the studio from ten until five, teaching, looking after participants, taking class and rehearsing herself. Afterwards she went home to her daughter. In this period, teaching, her own physical work and organising the masterclasses were part of the same day.

A different working day in the studio

Speaking about teaching in London in 2017, she described a working day from nine until six. The exhaustion in the evening felt different from before. Speaking throughout the day was particularly unfamiliar; previously, she had been able to concentrate largely in silence during her own training and rehearsals. She had to adjust to this new demand. Her own physical training continued. When she had time, she said, she still trained in the ballet studio for around forty-five minutes. This was her practice at the time, alongside her work with students.

In 2021, she described preparation at the Royal Ballet School as work extending across a whole school year. Exercises at the barre needed to build on one another; for individual combinations, she had to judge how much preparation each student needed. Other tasks followed different rhythms: she said reports had already been written in April, while stage rehearsals took place before the summer performances. The team also set aside fifteen minutes each week for an individual conversation with every student. Observing progress, organising material and being available to students were part of her teaching work.

From teaching students to coaching roles

By her conversation with the London Ballet Circle in November 2023, Klimentová was working independently. In Glasgow, she was preparing principal dancers at Scottish Ballet for Cinderella. With these experienced dancers, her work focused on developing their individual roles. One of the dancers playing the Prince had previously been her student. They now met in a different working relationship and discussed expressing emotion. The focus was on his interpretation of the Prince.