DEbuting in the role of Romeo as a young dancer with the Royal Ballet In 2007, one of my peaks of all time remains. Whenever you go out to tackle the emblematic repertoire feels surreal and to play on the Royal Opera scene is the most extraordinary feeling.
This is something that I have regularly known since I joined the company in 2004 to … Bang! In October 2019, alone on stage with 2,250 people watching, I took off for a jump and my Achilles tendon broke.
Confused, embarrassed and suffering, I fell on the ground and my career flashed before my eyes. The thrill and joy of a life devoted to dance – with each drop of sweat and blood – were now risking to be removed from me. I was there, in a fog of chaos with people who were running around me, but I had the impression that the world remained motionless. How did he devil I was going to save my career and continue to support my three young children? Panic, humiliation, fear and anger consumed me, lying on the side of the stage and looking at the piece of Achilles which was separated from my leg.
In the 20 minutes, I was brought back to my dressing room and a surgeon consulted by phone. My director Kevin O'Hare clearly indicated that we would find a way to bring me on stage. Of course, the show must continue and he did it, a colleague taking control of my role and the curtain raised again.
As a person who has moved to the other side of the world, sacrificing my own family in Australia to continue this career, I was no stranger to be out of my comfort zone. However, having to learn to walk again, not to mention dancing at an elite level, seemed unrealistic.
I embarked on the documentation of this unknown challenge with the French filmmaker Stéphane Carrel in order to highlight these humiliating experiences and which change life. The Royal Ballet was a cutting -edge medical team for its dancers in the last decade, so it was also a chance to explore the cross between art, sport, science and medicine. The team brings together the knowledge and experience of the worlds of athletics, gymnastics, hockey, NFL, psychology, nutrition and more. They provide support and improvement of performance to dancers, alongside rehabilitation for injured people.
The shooting was intimate, but incredibly therapeutic. Stéphane acted as a silent therapist, never sounding for an answer, but providing me with moments to open up naturally to the way I felt.
The recovery process continues to be exhausting. The physical and mental challenges were immense, affecting my daily life with my family and even making a simple walk to the park a task that could be too difficult. I started a daily program of gymnasium sessions, connected to the devices that follow my strength and my power. With Pilates, a head-on-one ballet coach, swimming and ultimately rehearsals, I found the confidence necessary to meet the requests of a principal dancer.
The rehabilitation process quickly revealed aspects of my profession which, I believe, must change. The fear of being replaced – and my inability to say no – were among the first lessons learned. The dancers live with the idea that our careers are short, so we should do everything now; If we have prioritized our health and working hours, we would undoubtedly have longer and very fulfilling careers. I came to understand that I lived in a constant state of professional exhaustion, greatly under informed for what I asked my body to do. After the hours spent with the sports scientist of the Royal Ballet, Gregor Rosenkranz, I realized that the dancers had to respect their bodies as do the elite athletes.
Fortunately, things change. The Royal Ballet opens the way in Dancer Healthcare and Support, and my recovery demonstrates the difference that this can make. The BBC film Dancing Back To The Light is an offering to future generations of any profession to encourage them to put their health first.
Since his return to stage in Romeo and Juliet In 2021, I appreciated once again by flying around the opera stadium that I love so much, even if another challenge occurred in 2023 when I broke my anterior crossed ligament in the knee half-performance.
This weekend I will come back Romeo again. A role that I assured for the first time 18 years ago. Becoming a father three times, the wounds I have suffered and the love and support of my wife, Elizabeth, all combined to make the character much more complex and emotional for me, especially in act 3 because I am now so aware of how far I would go to protect those I love.
I am proud not only to go back on stage, but also that my children have witnessed and lived these experiences, knowing that even if we are all faced with challenges, the good people around you, anything is possible.
