Episode 1 - Xander Parish

Xander Parish tells a story of snatching triumph from the jaws of frustration. After a great start – winning a silver medal in the RAD’s Genée International Ballet Competition (now named The Fonteyn) and joining The Royal Ballet – his career seemed to be going nowhere. Then a coach from St Petersburg visited London, saw Xander’s passion to prove himself, and snapped him up for the Mariinsky Ballet. Xander is now a Principal at one of the world’s great companies, dancing the princes he was born to play. Listen to his rollercoaster ride, described with unfailing honesty and good humour.About Xander ParishXander was born in East Yorkshire, England. He trained at the Royal Ballet School in London and in 2005 joined The Royal Ballet Company with his sister Demelza. In 2009, he was invited to join the Mariinsky Ballet by its director Yuri Fateyev, becoming the company’s first and only British dancer. Now a Principal, his roles include Albrecht in Giselle, Siegfried in Swan Lake, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet and the title role in Apollo, for which he won Best Male Performance (Classical) at the UK’s Critics Circle National Dance Awards. In 2019, he was awarded an OBE. In 2004, Xander won a silver medal in the RAD’s then-named Genée International Ballet Competition.Find out more about the RAD’s flagship event, The Margot Fonteyn International Ballet Competition: https://bit.ly/2RV9Qb7Follow the RAD on social mediaInstagram- @royalacademyofdanceFacebook- @RoyalAcademyofDanceTwitter- @RADheadquartersYouTube- royalacademyofdanceDavid Jays - @mrdavidjaysSign up to our mailing list: https://bit.ly/3frWPh9RAD is an independent educational charity and does not receive regular government funding. Every penny we make goes back into the work we do. You can support us by either naming a seat as part of our Name A Seat Campaign: https://bit.ly/3fnxEwm  or make a donation: https://bit.ly/3bxA6z5Xander is launching balletclass.com this summer: leading dancers from the UK and Russia are recording classes which students and fans can follow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Om Podcasten

Why Dance Matters is a series of conversations with extraordinary people from the world of dance and beyond. It traces the impact of dance on their lives and asks why dance matters to them – and why it might matter to us all. The RAD inspires the world to dance, and we hope these insightful personal conversations – hosted by David Jays, editor of Dance Gazette, the RAD magazine – will delight and even surprise you. Find out more on our website > https://www.royalacademyofdance.org/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.