New faces look back

Part two

Even the more familiar repertory brought surprises for the new dancers.

'I did four years as a student in Nutcracker with The Royal Ballet, from 11- to 15-years-old,' says Oliver, 'but this year was much harder, stamina-wise, than I thought it was going to be. When the casting first went up, I was third cast for everything, or even just cover [understudy], and I was originally thinking "I'm never going to go on! Everyone keeps going on about how hard Nutcracker is, but this is going to be a breeze!"'

The easy-life was short-lived, however, as Oliver remembers: 'I was thinking "that's not so bad, for my first Nutcracker season", looking forward to being able to take it easy, and then that all changed and I suddenly was first cast Trepak, then I was opening night Trepak even. And soon I was rats every night, and then doing three different roles in a night, most nights. By the end of the run I did Cadets, Rats, Spanish, Trepak and Butler. And I realised "Oh, okay, this is why people find it so hard!"'

Oliver reveals all of this without a shadow of complaint. 'While Nutcracker was the hardest thing, I found it the most enjoyable,' he reveals. 'I quite liked the fact that we were eating and breathing to get these shows on. It sounds weird, but I liked feeling tired, completely exhausted, with that momentum of having to go on driving you all forward!'

The Nutcracker - and 2007 - had barely come to a close when the Company headed off to Japan for a string of January tour dates. 'I enjoyed performing over there,' says Laura-Jane, 'It's not ever been a country that I'd ever normally choose to go to as a holiday or whatever, so it was really, really good to experience the sights of Japan.'

It was an incredibly busy time, however. After performing Coppélia and Beauty and the Beast in Japan, the dancers were straight back home and into rehearsals for February performances of Swan Lake in Dublin. Come March, the show had also opened a string of UK tour dates, joined by David Bintley's All the jazz.

'It's been a very busy year, I don't think I've ever worked harder in my entire career,' says Natasha. 'But I think it's a testament to the Company that I've wanted to work so hard - it's just so infectious, there's a lot of energy in this Company, and the whole year has been very exciting.

'Swan Lake was a highlight, a big challenge that I was building up to all year. When you've got that under your belt you really feel you can progress a stage further from that, onwards and upwards.'

The jazz programme was equally exciting for Laura-Jane. 'I really enjoyed the jazz triple because it was a bit different,' she explains, 'the costumes, the set and the music, with the jazz band, I absolutely loved it!'

For many, the experience of working on pieces by the Company's own Director David Bintley is one that they are keen to repeat in 2008-09. 'I'm really looking forward to all of the Bintley ballets in the new season, because I haven't done so much in the last year,' says Natasha. 'I enjoyed doing the Romeo and Juliet segment in the jazz bill, I just got a little opportunity to work with David on that, and that was good fun, so I'm looking forward to working with him more.

Natasha cites working with the whole ballet staff as a personal highlight. 'I think for the size of the Company, we've got a very strong team going on,' she says, 'and working with all them has been great, especially Desmond! And though he's leaving I'm very very glad to have caught even a year of him! I got quite emotional at the Gala the other night, and really thought "thank goodness I've not been here longer, I think I would have been a wreck!"'

For the younger members, the 2007-08 season will always be remembered as their first full season as a professional performer. 'That's the thing,' reveals Oliver, 'people have asked me - new friends that I've met - "what do you do then?" And I answer: "I'm a classical ballet dancer" - that's my actual job now! I got so used to saying "I'm at the Royal Ballet School", seeing myself as a student, but now it's a career!"

ENDS