Interview with William Bracewell
After an unforgettable run of dancing Romeo to Marianela Nunez’s Juliet, we had the great privilege of interviewing Royal Ballet Principal Dancer, William Bracewell, before he dives down the rabbit hole into Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Photo credit: Unknown
Welsh dancer William Bracewell joined The Royal Ballet as a Soloist in 2017 and was promoted to First Soloist in 2018, Principal in 2022. Born in Swansea. William trained at the Pamela Miller Ballet School and, from the age of 11, at The Royal Ballet School. Whilst a student, he won the 2007 Young British Dancer of the Year Award and the grand prix at the 2010 Youth America Grand Prix. He joined Birmingham Royal Ballet in 2010, promoted to first artist in 2012 and to soloist in 2014.
His repertory with The Royal Ballet and BRB includes Des Grieux, Oberon, Polixenes and Florizel (The Winter's Tale) Lead roles in Requiem, The Dante Project, Hamlet and Ophelia, Romeo, Prince Siegfried (Swan Lake), Prince (The Nutcracker), Franz (Coppélia), Oberon (The Dream), The Prince (Cinderella), Ferdinand (The Tempest), Salamander Prince (David Bintley’s The Prince of the Pagodas), First Seminarian (Carmina Burana), Prince Florimund (The Sleeping Beauty) pas de six (Giselle), Rajah/Caterpillar (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland), Ted Feltham (The Unknown Soldier), Kulygin (Winter Dreams), Beliaev (A Month in the Country), Dr John Brown (Like Water for Chocolate) and roles in Woolf Works, Dances at a Gathering, Symphonic Variations, Tombeaux, Obsidian Tear, Les Rendezvous, Elite Syncopations, ‘Still Life’ at the Penguin Café, Theme and Variations, Untouchable, Sylvia, Asphodel Meadows, Corybantic Games and DGV: Danse à grande vitesse.
William Bracewell as Prince Siegfried & Akane Takada as Odile in Swan Lake at the Royal Ballet & Opera House
Photo credit: unknown
His role creations for BRB included Le roi soleil (Bintley’s The King Dances), Alexander Whitley’s Kin and Jessica Lang’s Lyric Pieces. He has created roles for The Royal Ballet in Jessica Lang's Twinkle, Untitled 2023, Yugen, Corybantic Games, Dispatch Duet and The Weathering.
Bracewell's other awards include Best Male Dancer 2023 and Outstanding Male Performance (Classical) 2015 from Critics' Circle National Dance Awards.
William, can you tell us what you are currently rehearsing and performing?
It’s nearing the end of our season here at the Royal Ballet & Opera House and the final thing I’m performing here is Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. I’m also creating a new ballet with Cathy Marsden that will premiere in November 2025.
Photo credit: William Muir.
Can you please tell us what motivated you to join the Covent Garden Dance Company to perform at Hatch House this July?
It’s rare that I get to perform in such a beautiful part of the world so I was thrilled to be asked. Having danced with Sarah Lamb last summer, I was also incredibly keen to continue forming our relatively new dancing relationship.
What are you looking forward to most about performing at Hatch House?
I can’t wait to see the house and gardens and of course share the stage with Sarah both in repertoire we know well and something totally new to myself. I also cannot wait to see the gardens for the first time. After dancing, my second love is horticulture and gardening. I find it such a therapy and escape, if there is any help needed in the garden I’ll be there!
Photo credit: Alice Pennefather
What will you be performing and why did you choose these pieces?
Myself and Sarah Lamb will be dancing an excerpt from La Bayadère and Frederick Ashton’s Cinderella pas de deux. Cinderella is a firm favourite of mine; the precision and detail all Ashton works combined with his musicality is such a joy to perform. I feel Sarah is an absolute master of this way of moving. La Bayadère is new to me, so I’m looking forward to the challenge of tackling something quite different.
When you’re dancing these works, what do you hope the audience feels?
These pieces are quite different from one another so hopefully the audience will be able to take away the contrast and versatility of our dancing.
You will be performing alongside some wonderful artists from all around the world, who are you most looking forward to watching perform?
I always love seeing people dance that I haven’t before.
Many children will be coming to watch the rehearsal on the 24th July - how important are these opportunities for future generations of dancers?
Seeing dancers of the Royal Ballet perform was what made me want to start dancing more seriously, so I know how important these experiences are.
Photo credit: Alice Pennefather
What is your favourite role to dance?
It’s a tough question but probably of the classical ballets it would have to be Romeo and Juliet or Manon but there are too many to chose from…
Can you tell me three things people don’t know about you – fun facts perhaps?
I am an excellent whistler (to some people’s annoyance).
I built all the door frames and doors in my current flat (yes they are a little wonky)
And my YouTube rabbit hole is electric car videos.
