Known for his pristine technique and princely grace, Matthew Golding joined The Royal Ballet as a Principal earlier this year. ‘It’s a dream [come true], really nice to finally be here,’ he told the audience at a recent Insight event at the Royal Opera House. ‘I was a fan of the Company, watching Carlos Acosta and Tamara Rojo give the best shows, thinking that maybe one day it could be me,’ the Canadian dancer reveals. ‘You watch these videos on YouTube of Carlos doing these roles, and now I have a chance to do them!’

Golding will soon dance as the barber Basilio, a lead role that Acosta himself performed last year in his own, acclaimed production of Don Quixote. There are different versions of this ballet classic – Golding himself recently danced in one in Hong Kong – but he confesses he prefers the Acosta choreography: ‘He’s really talented as a choreographer as well [as a dancer] – he knows what he wants in his productions – I’d never heard flamenco music at the opera house!’

Starring alongside him will be Principal Natalia Osipova, who’s been cast as Basilio’s lover, Kitri. International fans and critics alike have long admired the Russian ballerina’s dazzling versatility and technical abilities. ‘She is special,’ Golding says resoundingly. ‘Her energy is endless… she does not get tired! All that experience at all those theatres that she’s sold out – she cares a lot!’

But no challenge is too big for Golding either: ‘I’ve always felt it inside that I wanted to express myself [through dance]. It felt right to move.’ And now, even with the demands of his busy schedule of rehearsals and shows, for him dancing continues to feel that way. ‘When you go on stage here and you see the Opera House, [you know] there’s a reason why the show is tonight.’

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Matthew Golding on Don Quixote, dancing with Natalia Osipova and ballet as a calling

Coppelia 2019-20 Audio Intro - Part 1

The Royal Opera House in London's Covent Garden is home to The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet.

Matthew Golding on Don Quixote, dancing with Natalia Osipova and ballet as a calling

The Royal Ballet and Opera

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