In the Studio with
Lucy and Samuel
From first-day introductions to parenthood, Queensland Ballet’s power couple Principal artist Lucy Green and deputy head mechanist Samuel Packer, sat down with QWeekend recently to share their remarkable journey from dance partners to life partners. Read the interview below.
Lucy Green, principal artist
How did you meet?
Sam and I met on my first day as a dancer with Queensland Ballet in 2017. I’d just moved back to Australia after living in New Zealand for seven years. At the time, Sam was also a dancer which didn’t bode well for him … after some interesting experiences I’d sworn off dating dancers.
What was the first thing you noticed about him?
His eagerness to help others. In the studio Sam was always the one moving the barres, finding chairs for staff or helping people work out the speaker system. I quickly saw he was like that outside of work too.
What is the most romantic thing he has ever done for you?
The proposal was pretty romantic, sunrise at my favourite place in the world, North Stradbroke Island.
What is the toughest thing you’ve had to overcome together in your relationship?
Miscarriages. One particularly traumatic one where I ended up in hospital. It was extremely confronting but something has shifted in our relationship since then. I think we are both more patient with each other and very united.
Who puts the bins out?
Sam. He’s a very outdoorsy person.
What is the thing you argue the most about?
Navigation in the car. Google Maps doesn’t even seem to help.
What do you find most annoying about him?
Sam is one of those people who is naturally very good at most games, sports and physical activities. It’s impressive but makes him a very sore loser.
How has having kids affected your relationship?
We are very green parents (our daughter is nine months old) and I think at the moment we are still figuring parenting out. But seeing Sam become a dad and the pure joy he gets from being with Pippa is one of the greatest feelings.
Samuel Packer, deputy head mechanist
How did you meet?
We met a week before Lucy officially started at QB. I may have had a little Facebook stalk before she arrived, and I made sure I introduced myself on the first day.
What was the first thing you noticed about her?
Initially I didn’t think anything would happen. I thought she was beautiful and had a wonderful smile but was way out of my league.
When did you first know it was love?
Lucy cooked me the best steak I have ever had (she has never been able to recreate it) and from that point on I never stopped my relentless pursuit.
What is the most romantic thing she has ever done for you?
She told me in her wedding vows that she promised to stay patient with me when I am at Bunnings (my happy place).
Who puts the bins out?
Always me. Even if it’s at midnight in my jocks.
What do you find most annoying about her?
When Lucy tells you that you should have turned 100m ago in the middle of the city.
When were you the most vulnerable in your relationship?
Apart from our struggles to have a child, when I left QB as a dancer I thought I wanted to work in Europe and Lucy was an amazing support while I spent three months overseas discovering myself.
How has having kids affected your relationship?
We are stronger than ever, and we both adore Pippa so much. I am in absolute awe of how amazing my beautiful wife is.
Don’t miss Lucy performing the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker this December.
Images of Queensland Ballet principal dancer Lucy Green and husband deputy production mechanist, Samuel Packer, courtesy of The Courier Mail. Photography by David Kelly.
