• 2001‑2010
• 2011‑2020
• 2021
• 2022
• 2023
• 2024
• 2025

• Anna Rose O'Sullivan
• Genevra Zambon
• Giacomo Rovero
• Heewon Moon
• Iain Mackay
• Laura Morera
• Leo Dixon
• Marianna Tsembenhoi
• Reece Clarke
• Tristan Ian Massa
• Yasemine Kayabay

Reece Clarke

Principal, The Royal Ballet

Interviewed by David Bain
American International Church, Thu 21st Aug, 2025

 

David welcomed Reece who told us about his summer when he'd taken the longest rest ever. Straight after Alice he flew next morning to New York to work with ABT which was incredible. He should have performed with them last October but sadly was very ill with a virus two nights before the show, couldn't eat, couldn't sleep and couldn't dance so crawled back on the plane home. He was gutted to have missed the shows but was delighted that they invited him again for their Met season to perform Sylvia. It was very exciting for Reece as his last Sylvia was his debut in 2017, an early big break, and he'd hoped to revisit the role which he really enjoyed. There's a great energy with ABT, amazing to be on that huge stage, his second favourite after the Opera House, jumping as high as he wanted and cushioned on landing. He was scheduled for two shows and picked up extra, so two with Christine Shevchenko and one with Chloe Misseldine. Three shows in five days is a lot but the ABT schedule is different from the Royal Ballet. They either perform for a set number of weeks or they're off – so either 100 mph or just a few rehearsals a day. He was exhausted by the end, but it was really great to revisit Sylvia. Coming back, he went to Milan for a gala where he did Onegin Act III pas de deux which was wonderful. Even for a gala the Onegin rehearsal team are involved so he went to Stuttgart Ballet whose theatre is so full of history and rehearsed for two days with Reid Anderson beforehand, and that was it for the summer. He went to West Wittering with his dog and had the family with him which was great as since becoming a principal it's been non-stop with travel and exciting projects and he wanted to give himself time to slow down and reflect a bit. He had been down for the company trip to Italy but didn't go as the ABT invitation came up and Kevin O'Hare thought it was a tremendous opportunity for Reece and good to have someone there representing Ashton and the Royal Ballet. With hindsight he should have asked Kevin why Sylvia hasn't come back here but he might try as all the dancers enjoyed it last time round.

Reece then spoke about some of his roles last season. Cinderella was great with two lovely ballerinas, Marianela Nunez and Natalia Osipova, who brought different energies to the role. That's something he's enjoying as a principal, sharing the stage with some incredible artists. All the principals bring not only a different energy on stage but also in the studio which then affects how he interprets his roles. He likes to be open-minded whether revisiting a role or debuting, going in with an idea of what he wants to do but seeing what happens in the rehearsal phase and taking that to the stage. It's one of his favourite aspects of the job, working with incredible artists and creating something unique and brilliant. He did six shows around Christmas time which got him in shape for the season. After that came Onegin which was brilliant to revisit. For his debut pre-Covid he'd been thrown in at the deep end and it was a very different experience, unlike a Prince or Romeo, and not to be the good guy which was interesting and taught him a lot including about himself. People said he was so suited to Onegin which gave him pause for thought! It's a brilliant character with so much depth. The rest of the cast affects how you interpret the role. For his debut Natalia was his Tatiana and was so generous and really helped him early on in their partnership. She explained Pushkin was equivalent in Russia to Shakespeare, so she knew it back to front from school and shared a lot of her understanding of the text. This time there was a different cast with Marianela, and William Bracewell alongside Akane Takada. He experienced a huge life event during the run as sadly he lost his dad so it was a testing time but beautiful in many ways as although he missed some performances he was able to heal and carry on and show his emotions on stage. Looking back, it was an interesting moment.

Speaking about differences in performing that role with Nela and Natasha, Reece said Natasha can be very spontaneous and is a powerhouse on stage but she's such a kind and generous artist and laid back and people don't always understand that. On stage you have to be prepared as she likes to be free. Male dancers would ask tentatively how he found working with her, was he struggling or panicking? For him it felt natural because he likes to stay open-minded and build something together as well as learning and Natalia had so much to offer. He's had a lot of debuts with her – Swan Lake, Onegin and Romeo - and it's magic. All you have to do is look at her and you know how to react. You do have to be ready for things not to go to plan in many ways but some of his favourite performances are with her as she's so committed and so professional, caring about the art form. She's danced the whole range of rep by now but still puts so much care and detail into her performance. With Nela it's a bit more planned. They like to set things in the studio and be on the exact same page, the flip side from Natalia. What you get in the studio is what you get on stage with Nela which is really beautiful and when it comes to some of his solos, he might be more free and can let rip. They are both beautiful artists in their unique way.

Another highlight that comes to mind is the Balanchine bill. Reece really hopes to do more Balanchine which hasn't featured much in his rep so far. The first thing that springs to mind is feel-good dancing to great music. He did Symphony in C, and Serenade with Annette Buvoli which was beautiful as they'd not danced together since they were at school when they were pas de deux partners in the Upper School. It was lovely to be with her on stage and see how she has grown as an artist and it was a lot of fun, rehearsing with Patricia Neary and Zenaida Yanowsky. He's hoping, though it's not yet official, to revisit it with the Peck and Marston bill later this season. In Symphony in C, he was hoping to do one of the other numbers which might have been a nice challenge rather than the second movement again but he has no complaints at all in repeating the second movement with Marianela. It was a lovely bill, especially for the women, as everyone felt it was a great celebration for the women, seeing them dancing so beautifully on stage. It was a tough season with lots of dancing for the whole company, but that bill was a highlight.

Asked about Pat Neary, Reece said how do you talk about Pat Neary?! She has so much energy and is really iconic and inspirational and anyone that works with her would agree. She's committed in the studio warming up before everyone, remembering steps, demonstrating. She's passionate about her career with so many stories – every rehearsal there's a different story. She cares about every cast, but she expects commitment from everyone and gets great results on stage.

This time for Romeo he had a new Juliet, Anna Rose O'Sullivan, a first for them doing a principal role together. They'd been through White Lodge and the Upper School together as he was only a year behind her and weren't expecting it so when the casting came out it was a surprise, but it was brilliant. He was supposed to dance five performances for his debut, but had knee surgery so only danced a handful, with Anna Rose it was a great new partnership and Darcey Bussell brought out a nice side for them, a nice balance of trusting their interpretation and letting them explore. Romeo for the male is one of the toughest roles but having Anna Rose on stage bringing that energy but quietness and softness to the role helps you make it through the ballet. He hopes he can dance more with her and Kevin agreed that their new partnership worked well. It was very natural, and they enjoyed lots of laughs in the studio, trying different things, working on little detail, and it was a great cast with Gary Avis as Tybalt, as he had been for Reece's debut, and is everything as a Romeo you can ask for. In the Act II fight the emotion was there. They had a few shows and then came back to it some months later. It's hard to keep the stamina going for months of rehearsals, but after the first show you've got rid of the nerves and can enjoy yourself. Although tough, it's a real favourite of Reece's.

In terms of partnering, he doesn't notice much of a difference in height between ballerinas and has never struggled with a smaller dancer although the wrists get a bit more tired. It's more the interpretation, everyone is different, some more natural, some butting heads, all individual styles and personalities.

The day after Onegin, Reece flew to Milan where Roberto Bolle was hosting a gala and he did the balcony pas de deux with Melissa Hamilton. He had done Manon with her, and believes she is one of the MacMillan ultimate ballerinas, natural in her artistic interpretation. This was a pas de deux out of context which can be a worry as you have to get into that character and grasp the emotion but with Melissa it comes so naturally. He enjoys doing that pas de deux in a gala now as when he hears the organ and Melissa makes her entrance, he can close his eyes and be transfixed with memories of the rest of the ballet rushing through him. They had three or four shows, and it was brilliant. She's a beautiful Juliet who can also be a bit spontaneous so keeps you on your toes and Reece has come to enjoy that feeling of being in the moment.

During the Onegin run at the beginning of the year Reece was due to go to Paris to dance with Hannah O'Neill. He arrived in time to do the stage call but returned the same day as his dad was very ill in hospital so it was a bit up and down. He's honoured to have been invited back to Paris to do three performances of Giselle this October. Another item on the bucket list is to perform on that stage, and just to be in that building Last year he was rehearsing with Dorothée Gilbert for another gala in Tokyo and she was giving him a tour of the building which is so grand with so much history and its wonderful pieces of art, and they went into a beautifully decorated circular room where Nureyev used to rehearse some of the corps girls in the Swan Lake patterns. You can just feel the history. He's been onto the stage, and the rake is something he'll have to get used to but it's a really exciting prospect.

How to work out guesting? He said Kevin is so incredible in so many ways. If Reece is available, he never questions it and respects his judgement. It's more that Reece asks for his reassurance. Sometimes it can be hard if it's a very quick European trip. With ABT he had ten days before the show to get adjusted and meet the dancers, a whole learning experience, growing as an artist but also a person, travelling and rehearsing and taking in the culture. You have to be open-minded and adapt as you're out of your comfort zone and usual routine and there's added pressure to perform at the highest level, but he's grown to love the challenge, loves meeting different dancers and seeing how they prepare for their performances and how their company structure works. Also, there are different audiences around the world and you see how they interpret dance. The Americans are so enthusiastic, very vocal and honest, other cultures more reserved. London is home and still the priority, but with the gaps in the schedule sometimes it's necessary to keep going. You can train and be in the studio when not performing but you miss the stage stamina when you don't have energy with lights and make up and lift before and come down after performances and you get more nervous if it's not kept up.

The previous season he performed Different Drummer, again a very different role for Reece who found it one of the hardest challenges of his career. He was warned beforehand that it was very demanding and then he found out. He didn't know it well or see himself in the role which wasn't a natural for him but found out a lot about himself within the choreography. He had a great cast with Natalia and Francisco Serrano and David Donnelly who were brilliant. It's really dark and heavy and he recalled after the first performance doing meet-and-greet backstage with his mum there and he wasn't talkative and in a strange place. It was the first time a role had spilled into his own life, but it was the effect of being on stage and imagining those dark things happening in life. He went home to his dog who takes you out of yourself. Reece was a bit nervous at the first show and couldn't let go but afterwards he really enjoyed it as he and Natasha settled into the roles. It's so physically demanding running around the stage but he'd like to have another go at it. Coaching with Alessandra Ferri and Wayne Eagling was an interesting mix. They would do demos individually; Wayne liked to do the partnering and demonstrate and quite natural. Just watching him demonstrate was helpful. They were trusted to push themselves as much as possible and Alessandra, being a great actress, brought something out of both he and Natalia and liked to question on interpretation and why you did something. Both wonderful in their unique ways and it would be good to work with them again.

Working with other choreographers. Another interesting project at the end of last season was with Russell Maliphant, again outside Reece's comfort zone, very contemporary, a modern interpretation of L'apres midi d'un Faun, with two musicians at Charleston Festival. Talking beforehand he told him he loved his work but it will be a big challenge. He and Russell were in the studio, moving in an incredible way with Reece trying it out and exploring and coming up somewhere in the middle ground. Russell is a caring, kind and intellectual choreographer, quiet and modest with his ideas. He brought out a different style in Reece which was challenging but it helped that they had a long period of rehearsal. Justin Peck is coming up, something different, dancing soft shoe, moving in a different way. Classics are where his heart lies but now, he feels he can challenge himself, even with Wayne's work which he loves but isn't always natural for him, and fingers crossed he'll be involved again in Woolf Works.

With Chris Wheeldon he's not always been cast but been understudy and jumps in to do some performances. Chris created a pas de deux for him and Lauren Cuthbertson. You have to show what you can do, he expects a lot but draws things out of you. Reece did Alice last season which was a bit of a surprise. He wasn't sure he could be convincing in the characterisation but really enjoyed it. Alice should have been Yasmine Naghdi but ended up being Ella Newton-Severgnini who was brilliant. They hadn't worked together before, but she has a bright future with great artistry at such a young age. Dancing with Zen in After the Rain springs to mind as one of the highlights of his career. They always said if she was younger and he was older it would have been great to make something beautiful but having a limited number of performances made it super precious. Beatriz Stix-Brunnell's final performance was so emotional, she was in tears halfway through the pas de deux with still five minutes to go and he could barely look into her eyes as all he saw was tears and knew he had to hold it together.

Strapless was created with Natasha although Federico, who had a foot problem, was there during the creation process and stepped in for the performance. It was the start of Reece and Lauren working together and his first time creating a principal role. He was thrown in at the deep end, but it was a thrilling experience. Although it was a lot at an early stage of his career it created amazing memories working with the whole team at the time. The second time around Reece was supposed to be in it but it coincided with Zenaida's farewell in Liam Scarlett's production, Symphonic Dances. He was struggling as it was the end of season and working with Liam was physically demanding so they were very stretched recreating Strapless and creating a whole new piece with Zen. She was really the priority at the time so sadly he missed the recreation of Strapless. Liam's piece was challenging but they had such a good time creating it with a great cast who were all there for Zen, a great favourite in the company, making so many happy memories of working with her and everyone having fun with the costumes. They may not do it again, but he was very grateful to be part of Zenaida's farewell.

 

Classics. Reece feels he gets the most from Swan Lake's Prince Siegfried. In terms of the artistic side and characterisation it has the most depth and there's the back story from the beginning so it's fun now to revisit and find different interpretations with different casts. His last years at school and when he first joined the company it was the physical challenge in the princely roles which he really wanted to perform, probably wanting to show to an audience all those years of hard work in the studio and seeing how far he could push himself. Similarly with Sleeping Beauty and Nutcracker prince. These days he likes an artistic as well as a physical challenge like Romeo or Onegin which has depth and gives him the most joy. He's done a lot of the classics as a principal he wondered if he'd get bored with the rep but enjoys exploring and challenging himself, remembering how he did it before and how he could experiment and take it somewhere else. Recently he realised he can hit a moment and tweak little things on stage which is a learning experience and inner artistry takes over. The MacMillan and Ashton roles offer a physical challenge – pleasure or torture - and there's great classical music too.

Challenges of Ashton. Being tall makes it a bit harder with the bending of the body, but he was well prepared at the Royal Ballet School and he had to keep up and be on time with the shorter guys, he really liked to push himself to do it as quickly as possible and set up to do the rep. The first Ashton he thinks of is Symphonic Variations which was another of his early big breaks. An incredible 15 minutes on stage which can bring out so much. He was almost in a trance, there's no real story, just six bodies on stage, and you have to go into a happy zone though there's physical exhaustion and lungs screaming at you, but it is a lovely challenge of a beautiful simple pure ballet structure.

Training. The school now has a Scottish director, Iain Mackay, and is changing its system. Reece's older brothers were ahead of him, so it was the easiest pathway, seeing what works and what doesn't, and they were a huge inspiration for him and he has so many memories of travelling to watch them on stage, then mimicking their big jumps. He had a great time at the school though he didn't really understand what the dance world was. He knew he'd be doing dance and academic classes but that was all. Probably in the second year when they went to watch the Royal Ballet company perform, something clicked, and the physical challenge became an obsession. At lights out when he should have been in bed, they'd find him in the studio practising jumps and pirouettes at 9pm. YouTube became his best friend, watching all the incredible dancers in the company and around the world, seeing live performances and hearing the orchestra really drew him in, something clicked and he knew that's what he aspired to. He doesn't watch much these days as he gets super nervous, particularly watching partnering, like a one-handed lift, he starts sweating! Reece recalled while at school being at the Opera House and then going backstage, getting into the big elevator and Carlos Acosta walked in, joking with their Spanish teacher, and their jaws dropped – an iconic moment for the students. Joining the company and being in class with these amazing people was a full-circle moment.

Iain Mackay is a genuinely great individual, who Reece has known for years, and has all the right intentions. It's tricky as Reece had such a happy time at the school, but times are changing and everything is being rethought, with mental health considerations and support networks, so some young can stay closer to home and family. His hope is there is enough great teachers with an understanding of the system to fill these new slots around the country. It's so important to have these good teachers who can take students through school and into a top professional company. It's not an easy task for Iain but he's sure it will go well. Reece had great care and support during his time there.

Reece started at a weekly dance class aged three, and as there were four boys their parents signed them up for everything to keep them occupied. It began as a social activity, once or twice a week, each of their dance teachers said they should take it further, so they went weekly to Scottish Junior Associates (JAs) for a year. To progress Reece and his next brother travelled every fortnight to Royal Ballet JAs taking the overnight sleeper after school on Friday, took class for three hours and then travelled back on another overnight train, before auditioning for RBS. When he became a principal, it wasn't just Reece but so many people had been involved in his journey to reach that point. There was emotional support from friends, family and childhood neighbours, as well as businesses giving financial support which gave him a chance to get a great education and bring him to his present level. David asked how many from his year 7 progressed to Upper School and on to a professional career. Reece thought about 60-70 percent from White Lodge into the Upper School. 60 percent are still in professional companies, and he sees them performing on social media.

Coaching in the company. Reece feels lucky with his coaching. For most of the classics he works with Alexander Agadzhanov who's brilliant, and they know each other well. There's textbook preparation, guidance and wisdom. He also enjoys working with guest coaches. He's worked a lot with Darcey over the years for Cinderella and Romeo and Juliet amongst others, offering a fresh perspective. A coach can lead on artistic interpretation but it's tough as there's a fine balance in getting dancers ready to be on stage while allowing for artistic freedom. He trusts all his coaches, enjoys Reid who comes to set Onegin and is incredible, one of the most demanding, an old school traditionalist who's worked with every cast. He appreciates them all, not just those from an original cast but also those who've performed the role. It's still quite fresh for Darcey who can relate a lot not just to the ballerinas but to the production as a whole and has great ideas and visions. Stuart Cassidy, he had worked with and he's great and not too far from his time on stage with great partnering experience. It's sad that Johnny Cope isn't around anymore though he was there for Reece's early performances with Lauren. Some people say they are similar in certain ways, and it would have been nice to share some studio time with him although he does watch videos.

Audience questions:

Mayerling is coming up in 2026. Would he be interested in Rudolf? Reece was down for Bay Middleton before but had a minor injury and did officers instead but it's definitely up there on the list of things yet to tackle and one of the main MacMillan roles. Keeping fingers crossed. David Wall said it was so demanding it took a year off his dancing career in creating the role! If it doesn't happen in 2026 it's not the end of the world as you continue to gain more life experience which can add layers and depth to interpretation.

As to what he'll be performing next season, Reece said Nutcracker, Giselle, Peck probably, Serenade, Woolf Works (not officially). This time round he won't do Fille. Characterisation-wise he feels he might not be as successful as he'd want to be so at this point Colas isn't quite right for him. He's had some chats with Sol Leon and Paul Lightfoot and will explore some things in the studio. A nice way to finish the season before heading for the tour to Singapore and Japan which will probably be more classical.

When you take a break do you still work to maintain fitness? Up till this summer he hasn't taken as many breaks as he should have, but each week and each day listens to his body. This summer no dancing at all for a week which was super difficult when he wanted to exert himself. He went to the beach with his dog which was fun. They say it takes double the amount of time you take off to get back to full performance fitness. It depends on the performing sked but the start of the season is not too demanding. After the time off he did lots of work in the gym, and went into the studio a couple of times a week to do his own class, and dance around to nice music. It's important to have those moments to rest the body and the mind. Sometimes he has no time to reflect if he's rushing around from place to place. It's a fine balance as you want to say yes to everything but also important to have quiet moments.

How old was he when going up and down from Scotland? Reece did it for two years aged 9 and 10. His parents and brother, who is 18 months older, came so he had a support network. It was tough but worth it.

Working with brands and how they come about. It was an opportunity which came up when he was made principal and he was approached by agencies. He thought it sounded interesting and was quite open minded about learning new things but always wanted to do something with an intention. Did it work artistically, could it be used creatively? He'd love to work with musicians as there is an overlap within the arts. There's scope for collaboration and lots of opportunities to be creative with these brands. There's not a lot of time to explore just now, but he's met some interesting and creative people along the way and it's been fun and insightful.

Big thanks to Reece who we'd been trying to get since he was promoted. It was a pleasure to have him as our guest and we look forward to seeing the next stage of his career, challenging himself in the variety of roles.

Report written by Liz Bouttell and edited by Reece Clarke and David Bain.

© The Ballet Association 2025