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Laura Morera

Former Principal, The Royal Ballet, Artistic Supervisor of the MacMillan Estate & Scarlett Estate

Interviewed by David Bain
American International Church, Tue 04th Feb, 2025

 

Laura became our second guest to go to the wrong church! Once she had recovered her breath, she explained that, having finished with the Seasons in Cinderella before Christmas, she went home and is now back here for Romeo and Juliet before going on 8 March to Queensland Ballet for Romeo and Juliet, followed by Australian Ballet for Manon.

She supervises the MacMillan estate, overseeing productions. Last season with Manon it had been taught with notators by Chris Saunders, Ed Watson and Alessandra Ferri, apart from Mistress which she herself taught. Once they'd all gone, she was on her own, conducting the whole thing which was really beautiful for her as you have to commit to your vision and in that sense you feel like a film director. Chris is here for Romeo and Juliet, but Laura is overseeing the whole production and working with her couple, Yasmine Naghdi and Matthew Ball, who are doing the first night. Last time she was in charge of Yasmine and William Bracewell for a double debut in Manon. It's her first time coaching principals at the Royal, or anywhere in the world, who had done the role before as she normally has soloists or new casts. It's very different when people have done it so many times. At the beginning she was overwhelmed as they had so much experience and initially, she wondered how much to bring in, how much to hold back but now she asks what does this mean, why is that arabesque there? There are a lot of different casts and there's so much going on in the company. Onegin is on but still in full rehearsal, they're learning the Chris Wheeldon bill at the same time as the Balanchine triple and Crystal Pite's, which is running very late, and then Romeo. It's a push to see who is more forceful to get the rehearsal time so she's learning fast not to be very British and hold back! It's a challenge but in her experience all the dancers are so hungry. She mentioned today having Joe Sissens who is doing Mercutio. Joe hadn't been in as he took two weeks off for personal reasons and was busy beforehand. But he came in, had done his homework and they picked up where they left off last time. You can ask no more of people. Life happens, things happen, and you don't go back to the beginning if you've done the role before but come in with your 'A' game. The dancers are dealing with injuries that you wouldn't notice, and someone comes in saying they can't feel their right side yet perform perfectly. Now she's trying to get all the Mercutios and schedules for her couple, Yasmine and Matt. She knows what they need to work on individually, and there's a little bit of luxury time to work on details and keep growing in that MacMillan way of what everything means. For example, she was doing 'nursery' with Yasmine and suggested moving the body slightly differently, and articulate the foot, how you rise up on the pointe, how you bouree, when is it innocent? Matt is a creative beast and will come up with all sorts of things. They're now working on the articulation of the in-between steps. He knows what it means in the brain but how does that translate to the body so they can fully let go? These incredible artists are all trying to go deeper into what it means so they can experience something completely new. There are eight or nine casts for Mercutio, and four or five new harlots. It's a question of trying to find time for each artist to feel nurtured which is difficult, but you have to make your 15 minutes matter and sometimes she's running out of the door still giving directions. In Cinderella there were six casts for each of the Seasons plus the Fairy Godmother. To see around 30 women in 15 minutes is very challenging. You want to give first-timers time to learn, then there are people who haven't done it for a long time, just back from maternity leave or injury. Everyone gets a stage call, but afterwards there's no time to go back because you have to give five minutes to the principals. Kevin will say does anyone need anything? There's a piece in Act III with pirouettes and the lights are quite daunting, but until you do it on stage you can't get the feel of it. You get one chance and just cross your fingers. For Laura, it is learning not to be upset as she now finds it more nerve-racking than when she was performing. Once on stage she felt she was home, but now she's sweating! She wants them to do well, to be in the moment and get the difficult parts to work as they do in the studio. Sometimes it works but not always and then you have to make them feel good and say let's try again which is part of growing as an artist.

When Deborah MacMillan asked her to take on this role, what did she say? Laura said she remembers it this way. During Seven Deadly Sinsfor Viviana Durante’s company, she was talking to young dancers at the school when Deborah was in the audience and asked why they wanted to come into this project. The reply was they wanted to know more about MacMillan, and work with Laura and Viviana. While waiting for something to happen with the project she did a mini workshop. Deborah saw her and heard what she had said about Requiem. One day Deborah said she was thinking of someone from Laura's generation to look after the MacMillan works, and said 'I think you will be perfect for it.' Laura was really surprised, shocked even. She hadn't had a relationship with Deborah and although she respected her so much, she was shy around her. The faith she's had in Laura and the support has been overwhelming. Laura said why me, when so many people have worked with MacMillan, and her answer was because you have an overall view, and because of the way you approach your work and your very kind, nurturing side. You're also very giving, even in a situation which affects you most, giving someone else that experience which were qualities Deborah wanted to see. Also, Laura had a passion and a way of expressing herself when connecting with dancers and wanting them to do better. Deborah wanted her to start with Romeo while she was still dancing but just before she asked, Liam died, and Laura hadn't felt able to go into the building where there were so many memories, so Kevin suggested Deborah gave her time. When she was ready, she went in dressed up as if for a job interview but they went for a coffee and talked about life and so many things and Laura saw an incredible, strong woman who had to fight in what was then a man's world, always considered as Kenneth's wife. Then the jigsaw started to come together as to who this person was. She is amazing with a beautiful side to her, and she's been a real mentor. She never oversteps but she was involved with stage calls for Manon, as lighting and production are so important to her. They have differing ideas but it's a question of involving her and respecting her views. She is in charge and had had those intimate and informed conversations with Kenneth. Just because she was a spouse and wasn't a dancer doesn't mean she can't add value. Laura finds herself surrounded by wonderful people - Alessandra Ferri has been amazing to work with. For Manon. in the dressing room together. she said Lescaut should be more in a certain way, and Laura would say that Monica Mason and Monica Parker coached but never said that, but she could see what she meant. The pas de deux shouldn't be funny between Lescaut and Mistress as he believes he's entitled to her and takes without asking, but it's about how Lescaut reacts afterwards. She was lucky to work with Alexander Campbell - you just give him a thought and he takes it to a different level, and she saw the progression as it moved on towards the filming and the show with Natalia Osipova, and the teamwork and collaboration that lifts the whole production. Pulling all the pieces together is a great part of her job.

For Romeo and Juliet, Kevin chooses the cast. When she first started, she was so attached to the dancers after 28 years of her career collaborating and getting to know them and having that personal connection that it would have been difficult to detach that feeling from the casting, even if she had the choice. So, it's up to Kevin who takes it to Chris to look over and then back to Kevin for the final word on first night and filming. With Danses Concertantes it was quite stressful with just two weeks for two casts to progress from not knowing a step to the first night. Because it was a short ballet with a smallish cast, Phil Mosley said he gave everything to Requiem, so Laura got 5 to 6.30pm at the end of a busy day, and it was really difficult. Before the stage call, they still had to finish the piece and Kevin asked her about certain casting. Laura wanted people who could get it together quickly – one dancer might be better under pressure than another, even if the talent was equal. Kevin decides who coaches what and Laura has one cast. She leaves on 8 March, and, although when coaching she wants to be there from beginning to end, it can't happen this time, so Kevin asked if Matt and Yasmine were happy to work with her and then switch to someone else. Laura suggested someone who works in a similar way to herself. Besides the first night couple, eight Mercutios and eight harlots need attention. Alessandra comes in and Stuart Cassidy is back and has taken on a lot, including coaching Onegin, and Chris is working on Balanchine, so everyone is busy. Hopefully it all fits as they all have so many valuable things to offer, there's no weak link so they are lucky.

When Laura first performed in Romeo and Juliet, she was Mercutio's harlot with William Trevitt. She was very new but took to it like a duck to water, no shyness about her! She recalled the scene in Act II before Romeo comes on when she was sort of on top of Alastair Marriott, pinning him down by the stairs, and he was saying 'Jon, get her off me'!! Then one of Juliet's friends went off and she was put in, spending 2.5 hours with Monica Mason before the show, the luxury of time in those days! Then she was upgraded to lead harlot and did many shows in that role. How has the ballet changed in her time? Monica M and Monica P taught it and when Kevin took over, he brought in different people to stage the work. Laura lived through that but felt it more with Manon. When you are very attached to something and it is all changed, principals can become a bit difficult, but Laura was always easy going as long as it made sense in her head. It changed most when Julie Lincoln came in, but even so it depends on who you talk to. Alessandra might say one thing and Leanne Benjamin another and give you completely different ideas on one step or even a different step. It's quite a fight sometimes but they need to focus on going by the book, so for Manon Ed and Leanne taught two principals with everyone together in the room so they all had the same information. How you interpret it can vary but with all the Lescauts in one room and all the mistresses in one room they all got the same detail. Chris has the book, and Laura might check on a step in harlots which has been done different ways. She doesn't mind as both were approved by MacMillan. But she has to know what it means, why does it happen, what's the energy needed? You have to make sense of everything. People have things they are attached to, but what's important is the emotion transporting you. There is constant debate, say, between two Manons, or two notators, and the coaches make a choice. What's important is that there aren't different versions going on at the same time which is confusing for the dancers. If she has a doubt, she asks for a notator. For Danses Concertantes she had Gregory Mislin with her and remembered a bit herself, but they were so tight on time that he was showing the steps while she was on the side giving the style. She cares a lot about how audiences are reacting. What she loves about the UK is there's so much knowledge from people who come to the theatre. Applause or a standing ovation means a lot and is valuable as it's not something that happens every day. She respects an audience who come with knowledge and background. Things will change and evolve but she is a classicist and often refers back to Lynn Seymour. She doesn't want the dancers to look like her, but Lynn had a way of holding a pose or moving her body when there was stillness but something else. Sometimes Laura shows it, sometimes explains, but keeps working on it. In Romeo the balcony pas de deux has so much and they're working on the in-between bits and their meaning. Matt and Yasmine have a beautiful partnership so can go deeper into it. There's the flying moment when she's galloping around the stage, touches his hand and then does one final arabesque but all Laura saw was the leg which you shouldn't notice. She realised the leg was at that angle because she was looking deeply into his eyes. Yasmine did something with the potion and that second was so good and visceral which is the reality you're looking for. Dancers get the feeling or emotion in the head and then down into the body. She says if you are going towards someone, what happens to your shoulders and body which are constantly changing shape, and you need to explore that emotion deeper in dance. This is especially true of MacMillan but also Ashton. How do you mould around your partner, how high is your head, what does it mean? This is all the joy of her new job. Now she explores on different bodies other than her own. Sometimes she wants to get up and do it, but it's not about her, rather about everything that got her to where she is and why we enjoyed her dancing.

In Manon Deborah and the conductor made changes which they've talked about, but Laura doesn't enquire as it's not in her remit - her job is making sense of what has been brought to her. She gets the edition of the music, and she understands it's different from an audience perspective. As a dancer you are in such a harrowing place from what came before that she says use that very beautiful music to guide you deeper. You need to use the wonderful orchestra, sit down in the wings and feel it. That is the way she approaches it. She may ask questions in the future but at the moment she doesn't feel that is what she is there to do.

Laura is heading to Queensland for two weeks for Romeo and Juliet having worked with them before on Liam's Midsummer Night's Dream. Her problem is she's a very giving person and gets very involved so now with so many dancers she cares about around the world, it's nice to return to these places where they're so hungry for the information. Sometimes she says the most ridiculous things, like the emotion has to be on the inner side, and no dancer ever flinches. There are incredible dramatic dancers at Joffrey, and she noticed the way it had changed and become very Royal Ballet. You should know it's MacMillan, just by the arms or a particular elegance and that is what she knows and passes on. Queensland is also exciting because her husband Justin Meissner's parents live in Brisbane which wasn't so easy at the beginning of their relationship but now, they're in a really good place so it's nice to see them. Then she goes to Australian Ballet for Manon for the first time. Gary Harris will have set it all. She gives the artistic side and looks at the principals. She isn't scared of work. When she did Midsummer Night's Dream there were 30 people in the room – all the Pucks were there to learn as well as people who weren't Puck who wanted to hear the information to relate it to their role. It was so amazing and enriching. As they've worked together before they know the intensity so it's nothing new. But everyone is like that who wants to grow and transcend the technique to take it to another level. Australian Ballet's Manon is still MacMillan but a different production, with Peter Farmer designs which she's not used to. Apart from that she's comfortable with it, having had so much information from so many people. Gregory will go a couple of weeks ahead of her, and David Hallberg is there. The company have done it before but not for a very long time.

MacMillan is performed all over the world with Deborah's permission. They have an agent, Henry St Clair, a former Royal dancer, who knows everything. He will talk to Deborah and see if the company is suitable, not just artistically, and then look at all the people who are involved - Robert Tewsley has put on Manon with San Francisco Ballet, Gary Harris, Karl Burnett who recently died, and on the artistic side someone to oversee the whole thing. Laura feels comfortable in that she really knows what everyone is doing and knows where everyone needs to be so it all comes together. Initially she just worked with the Royal but now has branched out into Australia. She doesn't watch a lot of ballet unless involved in it and her inspiration was in theatre. She loves, and does a lot of, research. You can look at a ballet and you can see if there has been a Macmillan hand in it or not. There's a slightly different feeling. It is not melodrama. If you just put an arm up straight it doesn't look right, and you have to involve the whole body. Also, when Juliet is sitting on a bed and there's big swelling music, she recalls reading when Kenneth and Lynn Seymour were creating that piece they wondered if they dared to do nothing and the effect it would have. Kenneth was a master of that.

 

For the Triple Bill they were very tight for time. Danses Concertantes took all her time. She knows what she has to give and isn't shy but Different Drummer had Alessandra, Ed, Wayne Eagling and Gary Harris, a powerhouse at the front, so what is she going to bring to it? They are all artists she trusts. With Requiem she wanted to be more involved with the lead girl solo as she'd had coaching from Leanne, but it was wonderfully staged, and well looked after, and Laura was sweating in the studio from 12 to 6.30 trying to finish Danses Concertantes. She'd never been so nervous and had nightmares thinking it wouldn't get on. They finished teaching it the night before the stage call. The finale is quite difficult requiring so much energy and they were so tired as there was so much going on and she turned into a sort of cheer leader for encouragement. Finally, they were finished, everyone was so relieved and the next day they were on stage. The process kept going. First night she cried for two hours as it was overwhelming but the joy of having time is you can let go as you're so comfortable. Luca Acri made one mistake which he never does, and he was devastated but she couldn't have asked for more, and told him, you are human, and you have to let it go. When someone has given their all, but it's not quite up to scratch, you have to appreciate they couldn't have done more. You're all in it together and you are there to support the dancers to be their best. She's tough but tries not to do too much of 'when I did it' as it's what they can do with the knowledge she gives that's important. The ideal is that people might stay in the roles for longer, but things move so fast now Someone does a role and after two years they are promoted and then it's more new people. Looking at the people who've just done the Seasons, in 10 years they'll have done other things but if they come back to it, imagine the knowledge and freedom of expression they will bring to the role. Is it good that things move faster now? It works both ways, says Laura. She did Mistress, then Manon and came back to Mistress. You have all the knowledge received from the coaching as a principal which offers so much more. It is a good thing for dancers, but it is a balance. Some dancers are very young but can be ready - they need nurturing and need the style, but they are amazing. Take Casper Lench who is having a really good season and he's only in his first year. He goes on stage as the Jester and there's no doubt he should do it. So, it's not about age or experience but at the same time you have the excitement of Daichi Ikarashi coming up and the maturity of Luca or Ryoichi Hirano and there has to be room for everyone. People are aware of the difficulties as you get older when you wonder what is your place, but the young ones are still looking up to you while feeling they're unworthy. It needs to be balanced. For example, with Frankenstein at the Joffrey, Laura had nothing to do with the casting and by the time she arrived it had been taught. There was a beautiful third cast girl as Elizabeth, but straightaway Laura knew something was missing. She was crying as she'd been put above someone more senior, and they were so devastated which she didn't want. Now after the rehearsal she was hungry for it. Young dancers are not all bulldozing. There are such sensitive and beautiful people in our company. It's about creating a holistic, cohesive environment where everyone can give their best, where there are opportunities but there is respect and inspiration. You want to see the excitement of new people but you also need Matt and Yasmine and Marianela. As an older dancer in the company, you need to create an experience for the younger dancers. Working with Will or Matt, they will survive her in artistic years (possibly also actual years if she carries on like this!) so it goes beyond you. She is giving information so they can take it wherever they go as those artists do, in every ballet. Recently after seeing Onegin she told Amelia Townsend she had seen a difference in her and she replied that it was something they'd worked on in Cinderella and she'd brought it in. It may not quite be all there but it's a process they are bringing into everything and that is the aim and what she learned from Lesley over 20 years in Giselle. Then Chris Saunders coached her in her last year so it's the work of many coaches, not just one, who have made that dancer.

How come she took on Liam's work? It was in his will, said Laura. Before he died, he gave four names he wanted to take on his work artistically. Two were from Joffrey. Kristen McGarrity and Laura. After his funeral his mum phoned to tell her. It was horrific and overwhelming, emotionally charged and completely different from MacMillan. But in a way it was quite fortunate that she'd already made the decision to give up dancing. The weight would have been worse if you have to honour someone's wish, but you have your career to consider. Ashton, MacMillan and Scarlett are in Laura's DNA, and she had a personal relationship from working with Liam in the studio. The year she retired she was injured in her very last Mayerling which was so annoying but then she did Carmen in Finland in just two weeks. After that she went to Joffrey for Frankenstein. Jo Walsh, who was still with Joffrey Ballet, came for the last couple of days, John MacFarlane came for the studio calls and also Liam's mum and brother. His brother works at the Opera House, is a stagehand and is great at lighting so he was working with David on that. It was brilliant and it was better than it has ever been. They changed one thing that wasn't working but not the choreography. Liam had watched with John McF one day and said why did I do that, I'd change that, but it wasn't recorded. It was hugely emotional because they loved Liam and his work, so it was intense but so rewarding. Kristen taught the last pas de deux, so it was just about making it better. Initially you have one mission, the next time it grows and then needs intensity to make it real. It keeps developing and growing and people just loved it. She was sitting with Justin, surrounded by sponsors, and it was interesting to see their reactions, with one woman wiping her tears. Laura recalled watching Romeo and Juliet last time in the Grand Tier with Kevin (which never normally happens) and a man in front was a bit, ugh, in the first act, perhaps an anniversary presents for his wife? In the second act a lot more, by the third act Laura was wanting to say this is a play, you can read the book. When Juliet took the poison, there was a gasp, as if all the feelings were coming to the fore and when Juliet woke up it blew his mind and at the end he was on his feet. Laura found it fascinating and from a coaching perspective the timing was perfect. Her first thought was it's Shakespeare; you can buy it in a bookshop, but her second thought was this is why we do it. He was converted and was really living it. That's how she felt with Frankenstein with people sobbing at the end and there was so much depth in the way it was all put together with so much heart. They'd lived that horrendous thing, and they loved Liam, and it was the first time they were putting the work into their bodies which changes you as an artist, and as a coach you just have to guide. They chose three beautiful casts and then they did the studio call which was horrendous. They went back to the studio, and worked on everything, and when it came to the next call the dancers had embodied the character and understood the creature. Everyone was crying, though Laura managed to keep herself in check, and then there was a massive silence as it's rare to have everyone at the front reacting in that way. She gave a speech but broke down the next day. There were a lot of feelings, and her nervous system goes into overdrive, so she has to take care of herself. Justin comes with her on her trips as he can do his work and organise tours etc anywhere, so they see each other more now. When she retired, she wanted to have more time with him, her mum and brother and his parents, so life is still happening, and they keep moving. Recently they were in China for six weeks putting on Elite Syncopations for Shanghai Dance School graduate year. Her two leading ladies are now in Prix de Lausanne and today she was trying to see something of them on YouTube. They asked who her favourite choreographer was and she said Kenneth MacMillan. She felt she'd made a difference in bringing something to them which they didn't know. Their minds have expanded and hopefully they'll change as artists and have a bright future ahead of them.

David said it was always a delight to interview Laura. We are enormously grateful for her support for the BA over 30 years. Thank you for this evening. Laura in turn thanked us all for our support, we are in her mind when she's coaching and staging and we are owed a debt for having so much knowledge and love for what they do. They are always trying to create something meaningful and fulfilling for us, the audience.

Report written by Liz Bouttell and edited by Laura Morera and David Bain.

© The Ballet Association 2025