Steven McRae, a principal dancer with the Royal Ballet is an inspiring figure. Not only are his skills and talent on stage second to none, he has also inspired the comic strip Ballet Hero Fantasy which appears in a Japanese ballet magazine, introducing readers to some of the art form’s classic stories with McRae as the lead. Ballet is not so far removed from the power moves of superheroes, with McRae landing his jumps and turns with apparent ease, flying across the stage.
Growing up in Australia, McRae was a champion tap dancer who won a scholarship to train in London in 2003. He has been a principal at the Royal Ballet since 2009, having won competitions and continuing to excel and succeed. In his spare time he tries to break down the stereotypes of ballet through social media, being hugely active on Facebook and Twitter every day, and sharing his life with fans and balletomanes. Posting technical tips and pictures of his training regime, his feeds are full of ballet.
Back on stage, roles McRae has become best known for include the tap dancing White Rabbit in Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Romeo in the tragic love story and of course the prince in Swan Lake. Following a ruptured Achilles tendon early in his career, his attitude to performance has changed hugely, now focusing on prolonging his ability and preserving his skills. He is more focused on quality rather than quantity, hugely aware of the need for a dancer to protect the body.
There is no doubt that huge amounts of physical work go into being a professional ballet dancer, with a steady state of activity rather than the peaks and troughs of sporting stars. In between parenthood, classes, rehearsals and performances, McRae has even found time to complete an Open University degree in business management and leadership.
Steven McRae - the real life ballet hero!
Steven McRae - ballet hero
Steven McRae, a principal dancer with the Royal Ballet is an inspiring figure. Not only are his skills and talent on stage second to none, he has also inspired the comic strip Ballet Hero Fantasy which appears in a Japanese ballet magazine, introducing readers to some of the art form’s classic stories with McRae as the lead. Ballet is not so far removed from the power moves of superheroes, with McRae landing his jumps and turns with apparent ease, flying across the stage.
Growing up in Australia, McRae was a champion tap dancer who won a scholarship to train in London in 2003. He has been a principal at the Royal Ballet since 2009, having won competitions and continuing to excel and succeed. In his spare time he tries to break down the stereotypes of ballet through social media, being hugely active on Facebook and Twitter every day, and sharing his life with fans and balletomanes. Posting technical tips and pictures of his training regime, his feeds are full of ballet.
Back on stage, roles McRae has become best known for include the tap dancing White Rabbit in Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Romeo in the tragic love story and of course the prince in Swan Lake. Following a ruptured Achilles tendon early in his career, his attitude to performance has changed hugely, now focusing on prolonging his ability and preserving his skills. He is more focused on quality rather than quantity, hugely aware of the need for a dancer to protect the body.
There is no doubt that huge amounts of physical work go into being a professional ballet dancer, with a steady state of activity rather than the peaks and troughs of sporting stars. In between parenthood, classes, rehearsals and performances, McRae has even found time to complete an Open University degree in business management and leadership.
Steven McRae - the real life ballet hero!