Born: 1984
Nationality: English
Education: Monzani School of Dancing, Tring, Hertfordshire, 1990-2000, Tring Park School for the Performing Arts, 2000-03
Previous companies: Ballet Vorpommern, Greifswald, 2003-05, Scottish Ballet, Glasgow, 2005-08, promoted to Coryphée in 2007
Career: Joined the Royal Danish Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in 2008. Promoted to soloist in 2011 and to principal dancer in 2013
Highlights from the repertoire with the Royal Danish Ballet: Siegfried in Swan Lake (Peter Martins), Siegfried in Swan Lake (Nikolaj Hübbe and Silja Schandorff), Prince Désiré in The Sleeping Beauty (Christopher Wheeldon), James in La Sylphide (August Bournonville), Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (John Neumeier), Romeo in Romeo and Juliet (John Neumeier), Other Dances (Jerome Robbins), Sugarplum Cavalier in The Nutcracker (George Balanchine), Albrecht in Giselle (Nikolaj Hübbe and Silja Schandorff), Junker Ove in A Folk Tale (August Bournonville) and Hank in Come Fly Away (Twyla Tharp)
Creations: Uncontaminated by Jacopo Godani, 2009, Prince in The Golden Cockerel by Alexei Ratmansky, 2012, and Pas de Quatre in The Sleeping Beauty by Christopher Wheeldon, 2012
Own choreography: The Forgotten Children, the Royal Danish Ballet School, 2017, choreography for the movie De standhaftige, 2016, When H.C. Andersen Met the Little Carl Nielsen, the Royal Danish Ballet School, 2016, Hungarian and Italian Divertissements for Swan Lake, the Royal Danish Ballet, 2015, On the Feeling of Light, Aarhus Festuge, 2015, L’amour fou, Pop Up performance, 2014, Arabian pas de deux, New Year’s Eve concert, 2013, Träume, Scottish Ballet, 2008
Awards: Johannes og Ulla Poulsens Fond, 2010, Albert Gaubiers Hæderslegat, 2010
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What was the first ballet you saw?
The first ballet I saw live was The Nutcracker, and my parents bought me the sweater from the merchandise table, which I wore non-stop for about a year.
Why do you dance?
The combination of the beautiful music, the physical pursuit of perfection and losing yourself in a role, makes me feel extremely lucky to be able to earn a living through dancing. I also love that it is my job to bring joy to an audience.
Why do you think that ballet is relevant today?
I think ballet transcends all cultures. Dance talks to a very primal part of the brain. Body language and movement have formed human interaction for thousands of years. When a ballet is done well it can move an audience in a very deep way.
Do you have a backstage story that you want to share?
There is nothing better than to go to work with one’s friends and lose yourself in a world of fantasy and beauty. For the last year I have also been living with Kizzy Matiakis, her husband and their young boy. It was a very special experience to be by her side, as her prince, when she got promoted to principal and then come home together to “hygge”!