Interview with Joseph Sissens
Discover what Joseph Sissens thinks of the ethos of Covent Garden Dance and why he decided to perform at our sumptuous night of Ballet Under the Stars.
Currently performing on tour with the Royal Ballet in Japan, Principal dancer, Joseph shares his excitement about joining the Covent Garden Dance Company for our Hatch House swan song.
Discover what he thinks of the ethos of our 20 year anniversary gala and why he decided to join us for a sumptuous night of Ballet Under the Stars.
Photo credit: Louis DeFelice
English dancer Joseph Sissens is a Principal of The Royal Ballet. He trained at The Royal Ballet School and graduated into the Company in 2016. He was promoted to First Artist in 2018, to Soloist in 2021, to First Soloist in 2022 and Principal in 2024. In the 2024/25 Season, he curated Legacy as part of The Royal Ballet's Black History Month celebrations. His choreography while with The Royal Ballet includes a piece for Draft Works 2017.
Sissens’s role creations with the Company include in Robert Binet's Dark with Excessive Bright, Crystal Pite’s Flight Pattern and Light of Passage, Robert Binet’s Void and Fire, Wayne McGregor's The Dante Project and Untitled, 2023, Kyle Abraham's The Weathering, Joseph Toonga's See Us!! and Christopher Wheeldon's Like Water for Chocolate. His repertory includes Romeo, The Prince (Cinderella), Espada (Don Quixote), Siegfried (Swan Lake), Florizel (The Winter's Tale), Lescaut (Manon), The Prince and Hans-Peter (The Nutcracker), Florestan and Bluebird (The Sleeping Beauty), Dance of the Blessed Spirits, Lensky (Onegin), The White Rabbit (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland), Jimmy (MADDADDAM).
What have you been working on recently and what have been your highlights of this season?
So, I actually had a quieter end to the season than I’m used to, but still filled with beautiful moments on stage in works like So Are We: Leon and Lightfoot. I would say that my highlight of the season would be making my debut in Sir Peter Wright’s Giselle. It was such a dream of mine, as well as an enormous challenge coming back from an injury. Truly fulfilling.
What made you want to join Covent Garden Dance Company for this gala production?
A few of my colleagues have danced at Hatch House and each time they’ve said how brilliant it was. It is always nice to dance outside of your home theatre, experiencing different audiences and teams. Also, I love its surrounding nature and I very much enjoy having the time to get outside after working in such a busy city.
Photo credit: Andrej Uspenski
What will you be performing with Viola Pantuso and why did you choose these pieces?
Viola and I are super close as people, we have a bond that can only be described as siblings, and I cherish any time I get to share the stage with her. We will be dancing Wayne McGregor’s final Infra pas de deux, originally created on Edward Watson and Marianela Nunez, and Petipa’s Sleeping Beauty.
What do you hope the audience feels when watching you dance these pieces?
Within our chosen repertoire, I hope the audience enjoys getting to watch us more closely and intimately. Especially with Infra, I interpret the piece to imbue a sort of universal love, that I hope can touch people in a way that they can relate it to their own experiences.
“After all, love is all we’ve got.”
Photo credit: Andrej Uspenski
Since its first production, our company has sought to nurture new works and artists alongside bringing world class dancers together to delight audiences around the world, how important are companies and galas such as ours?
I believe that galas like this are really important, not only because they allow audiences to see us outside our usual environments, but also because they give dancers the chance to experience other artists’ work and be inspired by different forms of expression. I think that’s what makes an artist so special, the variety of influences they absorb throughout their career.
“Opportunities like this allow us to learn from one another, grow creatively, and continue evolving as artists.”
Photo credit: Andrej Uspenski
The Dorothy Coleborn School of Dance in Bath will be performing a new work inspired by nature and the grounds, how important is it to provide performance opportunities such as these, to the next generation of young dancers?
I think performance opportunities like this aren’t just important for the younger generation, they’re absolutely essential. They not only gain invaluable experience performing on stage in a variety of works, but they also have the chance to share the space with more experienced artists and be inspired not just by our dancing, but by the knowledge, perspective, and experience we’ve built throughout our careers.
“I think those exchanges are incredibly valuable and play an important role in shaping the next generation of artists.”
Photo credit: Andrej Uspenski
Your career has been meteoric, with new debuts this year. With all the experience you have garnered over the years, what do you hope to bring to this year's performance?
What I hope to bring to this year’s Hatch House gala is the same thing I hope to bring to every performance: honesty and authenticity.
“For me, dance is about genuine connection—telling a story and communicating something truthful through movement. If I can leave the audience feeling something real, then I’ve done my job.”
What would be your dream role to dance next? Or have you danced them all?
One of the next roles I’m hoping to take on is Des Grieux in Manon. It’s one of my favourite ballets, and it’s a role I’ve dreamed of dancing for a long time. Beyond that, I’d also love the opportunity to create new works and originate roles. There’s something incredibly exciting about being part of the creative process from the very beginning and helping to bring a new character or story to life.
Can you tell us three things people may not know about you?
Three things people might not know about me are that I absolutely love trains, I’m currently studying for a university degree alongside dancing with The Royal Ballet, and my favourite colour is green… anything inspired by nature, really.
Photo credit: Andrej Uspenski
Interview with Viola Pantuso
Be the first to hear from Royal Ballet Soloist, Viola Pantuso and discover what she will be dancing at Ballet under the Stars, Hatch House 2026.
We are delighted to welcome back Viola Pantuso, Soloist of the Royal Ballet, to our 20th Anniversary, Ballet Under the Stars stage.
Since performing the world premiere of Calvin Richardson’s The Lighthouse at Hatch House in 2024, Viola’s rise through the Royal Ballet Company has been nothing short of meteoric.
Photo credit: Eva Nys
Chicago born dancer, Viola Pantuso, joined The Royal Ballet as an Aud Jebsen Young Dancer from the Royal Ballet School at the start of the 2021/2022 season and entered the Company as an Artist in the 2022/23 season, Viola was promoted to First Artist in 2024 and Soloist in 2025.
Pantuso's repertory with The Royal Ballet includes Alice (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland), Olga (Onegin), Perdita (The Winters Tale), Clara, Vivandière, Mirliton (The Nutcracker), Ren (MADDADDAM) and roles in Mayerling, Manon, Les Rendezvous, The Dream, Everyone Keeps Me and The Dante Project. She created roles in McGregor's Untitled, 2023 and Figures in a Landscape, Jessica Lang's Twinkle and Pam Tanowitz’s Secret Things and Or Forevermore. We have been delighted to support her career and to welcome Viola back to dance at Hatch House in July 2026.
What have you been working on recently?
The highlight of my season was performing the role of Princess Stephanie in Mayerling last month, which was a very special experience for me. At the moment, we are performing So Are We: León & Lightfoot at The Royal Ballet, featuring Shoot the Moon and Salle de danse. It’s been exciting to work on this piece and share the stage with a large amount of the company dancers for our final production of the season.
Photo credit: Magda Hoffman
What made you want to return to join the Covent Garden Dance Company, for a second time?
I have such special memories from dancing with CGDC a few summers ago alongside Marco Masciari. It was nice to make friends with dancers from different companies and I still look back on that experience very fondly. The reception from audiences was incredible, the atmosphere was so warm and welcoming, and there is something very special about performing in the beautiful countryside surroundings of Hatch House. The dancers are always looked after so well and returning felt like an easy decision.
Viola dancing Calvin Richardson’s The Lighthouse, with Marco Masciari at Hatch House in 2024
Photo credit: Alice Pennefather
It is our 20th anniversary and our final year at Hatch House. How would you describe the ethos of the company and the atmosphere of performing there?
CGDC has always felt like a celebration of both artistry and community. There is a genuine sense of support and camaraderie that makes it a very memorable performance experience.
The setting at Hatch House creates an intimate connection between the dancers, the audience and nature itself. It encourages artists to share their work in a very honest and personal way. As this is the final year at Hatch House, I think audiences and dancers alike will treasure those memories even more.
What will you be performing with Joseph Sissens?
Joe and I will be performing excerpts from Infra and Rhapsody.
Since performing at Hatch House in 2024, your career has been meteoric. What do you hope to bring to this year’s performance with Joe?
Joe and I first danced together in The Winter’s Tale by Christopher Wheeldon, which was also the production where I made my first major debut with The Royal Ballet. Since then we’ve become very close friends, and although we’ve shared the stage in various productions, we haven’t had many opportunities to dance together in this way since.
To come together for an evening like this feels very special. I hope we can bring our friendship, trust and shared enjoyment of dancing to the audience. It’s one we’re really looking forward to.
What do you hope the audience feels when watching you dance these two pieces?
I hope the audience feels a sense of freshness, excitement and genuine connection. Joe is one of my closest friends, and I think that friendship naturally comes through when we dance together. We want people to enjoy the energy between us and feel drawn into the joy of sharing these works on stage.
Photo credit: Isabella Turolla
Since its first production Covent Garden Dance has sought to foster new works and artists alongside bringing some of the most celebrated artists together to delight audiences around the world. How important are companies and galas such as these?
I think they are incredibly important. Dance is such a universal art form, and dancers from all backgrounds, styles and cultures deserve to be celebrated. Events like Ballet Under the Stars give audiences the chance to experience a wide range of artists in one place, while also creating opportunities for dancers to learn from one another.
It is an honour to perform alongside both established and young emerging artists in the ballet world. Every dancer brings something unique and deeply personal to their work, and bringing them together creates an experience that is inspiring for both audiences and performers.
Who are you most looking forward to sharing the stage with?
Honestly everyone! I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and sharing the stage with some of them before, so it will be wonderful to reunite. Equally I’m excited to meet new artists and experience their work. One of the best parts of galas like this is discovering and appreciating each other’s artistry.
The local Dorothy Coleborn School of Dance will also be performing a new work inspired by nature just as you did in 2024. The same children watched that world première of Calvin’s work. How important is it to provide performance opportunities such as these for the next generation?
Photo credit: Alice Pennefather
It’s incredibly important. A dancer’s development is shaped in many different ways, and performing on stage is one of the most valuable experiences they can have. It builds confidence, teaches resilience and allows young dancers to discover who they are as performers.
What makes this project even more special is that it is inspired by the natural surroundings of Hatch House. Performing in such a beautiful environment will give the students endless inspiration and create memories they will carry with them throughout their training and careers. I hope they leave with a genuine love for creativity and performing.
What would your dream role to dance be?
Two of my ultimate dream roles are Mary Vetsera in Mayerling and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet.
However, one of my dreams is actually coming true next season, as I’ll have the enormous honour of dancing the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker alongside Marcelino Sambé. It’s a role I’ve admired for as long as I can remember, so I feel incredibly grateful and excited for the opportunity.
Photo credit: Carol Lancelloti
Tell us three things people don’t know about you.
Interestingly before ballet became my full-time focus, I was actually a World Champion Irish dancer, which always seems to surprise people!
I also moved to New York City at the age of 12 to pursue my ballet training. It was a huge step at such a young age, but it taught me independence, resilience and gave me experiences that have shaped both my career and who I am today.
Photo credit: Christopher Duggan.
And finally while ballet can be incredibly demanding and intense, I’ve always made it a priority to find joy and fun in what I do. No matter how hard I work or how much I push myself, I never want to lose sight of why I fell in love with dancing in the first place. Finding meaning, gratitude and enjoyment in every moment is something that’s very important to me.