{{short description|Australian ballet dancer and tap dancer (born 1985)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}} {{Use British English|date=February 2020}} {{Infobox dancer | name = Steven McRae | image = Sugar Plum Fairy.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = McRae and Miyako Yoshida at the curtain call of ''The Nutcracker'' in 2009 | birth_name = | birth_date = | birth_place = Plumpton, New South Wales, Australia | death_date = | death_place = | education = Royal Ballet School | occupation = Principal dancer | years_active = 2004–present | home_town = | height = | spouse = Elizabeth Harrod | children = | current_group = The Royal Ballet | former_groups = | website = }} '''Steven McRae''' is an Australian ballet dancer and tap dancer. He is a principal dancer with the Royal Ballet in London, England.
==Early life and education== Steven McRae was raised in the western Sydney suburb of Plumpton, the son of a drag racer.<ref name=TEL_01>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/dance/8473998/Steven-McRae-Dancing-at-full-throttle.html Steven McRae: Dancing at full throttle], by Mark Monahan, 26 April 2011, The Telegraph.</ref><ref>{{cite news|author1=Peter Theodosiou|title=Aaron on Ballet High|work=Blacktown Advocate|date=16 August 2012|page=51|quote=McRae is a fellow western Sydney resident, having grown up in Plumpton.}}</ref> He started dancing at age seven, after watching his older sister in her dance classes. He studied tap as well as ballet.<ref name=TEL_01 />
He was soon being entered for the performing-arts competitions in Australia known as eisteddfods, often gracing 25 sections at a time.<ref name="TEL_01"/> In 2002, at age 16, he won the gold medal at the 2002 Genée held in Sydney that year. In 2003, at age 17, he won the Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland, earning a scholarship, and entered the Royal Ballet School in London.{{citation needed|date=July 2025}}
==Career== McRae graduated into The Royal Ballet in 2004 and was promoted to first artist in 2005, soloist in 2006, first soloist in 2008 and principal in 2009.<ref name=ROH_01>{{cite web | title=Steven McRae | website=Royal Ballet and Opera | url=https://www.rbo.org.uk/people/steven-mcrae | access-date=11 July 2025}}</ref> ''The Guardian'' has called McRae "a modern-day Fred Astaire".<ref name=Guardian>{{cite news|last=Mackrell|first=Judith|title=Steven McRae – the ballet star who's a modern-day Fred Astaire|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2013/mar/15/versatile-steven-mcrae-alternate-tap|work=The Guardian|date=15 March 2013 |accessdate=14 February 2014}}</ref>
In 2014, he was named "Young Australian Achiever of the Year in the UK" for his work with the Royal Ballet.<ref name=mcrae_dancetabs>{{cite web|title=Steven McRae – Young Australian Achiever of the Year 2014|date=25 January 2014 |url=http://dancetabs.com/2014/01/steven-mcrae-young-australian-achiever-of-the-year-2014/|publisher=DanceTabs.com|accessdate=2 May 2014}}</ref>
He works still{{when|date=July 2025}} with Lesley Collier, a principal dancer with the Royal Ballet from 1972 to 1995 and répétiteur since 2000, as his coach at the Royal Ballet.{{citation needed|date=July 2025}} McRae's most marked characteristics have been noted as his speed and his red hair.<ref name=biographygramilano2014>[http://www.gramilano.com/2014/04/steven-mcrae-answers-gramilano-questionnaire-dancers-edition/ Steven McRae answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Dancers’ Edition] with biography, 4 April 2014, Gramilano.</ref>
===First principal role=== In 2005, in his first season with the Royal Ballet, McRae jumped on the occasion to dance Symphonic Variations by Frederick Ashton, which is an iconic piece of the Royal Ballet.<ref name=interviewbloch2014/> Symphonic Variations was Ashton's first work after World War II, and one of the Company's first to be performed on the huge main stage of the Royal Opera House.<ref>[http://light-house.co.uk/calendar/2016/07/royal-ballet-dreamsymphonic-variationsmarguerite-and-armand/ Royal Ballet: Dream/Symphonic Variations/Marguerite and Armand], announcement for the performance scheduled on 7 June 2017, Times.</ref>
===Original roles=== In 2011, McRae originated the role of the Mad Hatter in Christopher Wheeldon's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland at the Royal Opera House.<ref name=Guardian /> In 2014, he originated the role of Prince Florizel in Christopher Wheeldon's new full-length ballet The Winter's Tale.<ref name="jennings_winter's-tale">{{cite news|last1=Jennings|first1=Luke|title=The Winter's Tale review – 'a ballet to keep'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2014/apr/13/winters-tale-christopher-wheeldon-british-ballet|newspaper=The Observer|date=12 April 2014 |accessdate=3 June 2014}}</ref>
In 2016, McRae originated the role of "The Creature" in Liam Scarlett's full-length ballet of Mary Shelley's ''Frankenstein''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/dance/what-to-see/frankenstein-royal-ballet-covent-garden-review-theyve-created-a/|title=The Royal Ballet has created a monster with Frankenstein – review|work=The Telegraph|access-date=11 May 2017}}</ref>
"There is a moment before Steven McRae steps on stage that you easily can mistake for nerves and he has learnt over the years that it's not nerves, it's adrenaline and a slight sense of anxiety. It's almost impossible to dance as a soloist without this performance element."<ref name=interviewbloch2014>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQRqDk-yKr4 Steven McRae Q&A], interview by Bloch from 2014 (9 min 31 s).</ref>
He is frequently used in works from Royal Ballet choreographer Wayne McGregor such as ''Chroma, Multiverse'', and ''Limen'', as he is very quick in picking up on McGregor's modern style as well as the way he can manipulate his body.{{citation needed|date=July 2025}}
===Injuries=== In January 2008, at 22, McRae partially tore his Achilles tendon and was told that not only would he never dance again but he would have an enduring limp. He found "a most incredible" Swedish surgeon and it took a year, until December 2008, to recover.{{citation needed|date=July 2025}} He started rehabilitation classes with his coach, Lesley Collier, and psychological rehabilitation, and studied for a BA Hons in business management and leadership.<ref>[http://www.gramilano.com/2016/02/the-royal-ballets-steven-mcrae-on-injury-turning-weakness-into-strength/ The Royal Ballet’s Steven McRae on injury: turning weakness into strength], Gramilano, 6 February 2016.</ref><ref name=guardian22march2015>[https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2015/mar/22/steven-mcrae-pain-and-ecstasy-ballet-star Steven McRae: ‘Sometimes I feel 100 years old’ – the pain and the ecstasy driving star of Swan Lake], 22 March 2015, ''The Guardian''.</ref> McRae completed his university degree while working full time.
During a live performance in October 2019, McRae again tore his Achiles tendon;<ref>{{Cite news|last=Craine|first=Debra|title=Steven McRae: I didn't think I would walk again. We've achieved the impossible|newspaper=The Times |language=en|url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/theatre-dance/article/steven-mcrae-i-didnt-think-i-would-walk-again-weve-achieved-the-impossible-lpn8b86tk|access-date=2021-10-20|issn=0140-0460}}</ref> he returned to performing in October 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|date=October 17, 2021|first=Tristan|last=Balagtas|title=Royal Ballet Dancer Steven McRae Will Return to the Stage 2 Years After He Snapped His Achilles Tendon|url=https://people.com/sports/royal-ballet-principal-dancer-steven-mcrae-achilles-tendon-healed-dance/|access-date=2021-10-20|website=PEOPLE.com|language=en}}</ref>
===Film work=== McRae plays Skimbleshanks the railway cat in ''Cats''. He is featured in the BBC show ''Men at the Barre''.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mead|first=David|title=Men at the Barre - Inside the Royal Ballet|url=https://www.seeingdance.com/men-at-the-barre-31052020/|access-date=2021-10-20|website=SeeingDance|date=31 May 2020 |language=en-GB}}</ref>
The film ''Dancing Back to the Light'' summarises his profesional and personal life, including excerpts from several of his significant performances. (Broadcast on BBC Two 14 March 2025, and on BBC iPlayer).<ref>''Radio Times'' 8–14 March 2025.</ref>
==Personal life== McRae is married to Elizabeth Harrod, soloist with the Royal Ballet, and they have children.<ref>[https://www.interviewenlair.com/steven-mcrae/ Steven McRae interview en l'air], by Armando Braswell, 17 August 2015.</ref> <!---WP:BLPPRIVACY--- don't mention non-notable children, and all person info must be cited.--->
==Repertory== {{Div col|colwidth=30em}} * The Tales of Beatrix Potter : Squirrel Nutkin * Alice's Adventures in Wonderland : Magician/Mad Hatter * Sweet Violets : Jack * Hansel and Gretel : Sandman * Frankenstein : Creature * Swan Lake : Siegfried<ref>[https://www.abt.org/dancers/dancer_display.asp?Dancer_ID=313 Steven McRae], website of the ABT.</ref> * Giselle : Albrecht * Romeo and Juliet : Romeo * Manon : Des Grieux * The Sleeping Beauty : Prince Florimund * Mayerling : Crown Prince Rudolf * The Nutcracker : Sugar Plum Fairy's Cavalier {{Div col end}}
==Awards== * 2002 : Genée International Ballet Competition, Gold Medal<ref name=guardian22march2015/> * 2003 : Prix de Lausanne{{citation needed|date=July 2025}} * 2007 : Emerging Male Artist (Classical)<ref name=biographygramilano2014/> * 2012 : Best Male Dancer Awards at the Critics' Circle Dance Awards{{citation needed|date=July 2025}} * 2014 : Young Australian Achiever in the UK by the Australia Day Foundation{{citation needed|date=July 2025}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb name|4036816}} * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQvtB-4Pv-U Steven McRae performs Czárdás during World Ballet Day 2015], website of The Royal Ballet * [http://www.timeout.com/london/dance/interview-steven-mcrae Interview: Steven McRae], by Lyndsey Winship, ''Time Out'', 25 February 2011 * [https://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/theatre/with-ballet-i-m-like-a-superhero-and-each-jump-is-a-power-move-a3188916.html With Ballet I'm like a superhero and each jump is a power move], by Lindsey Winship, ''London Evening Standard'', 25 February 2016
{{DEFAULTSORT:McRae, Steven}} Category:Principal dancers of The Royal Ballet Category:Australian male ballet dancers Category:Australian male dancers Category:People educated at the Royal Ballet School Category:Entertainers from Sydney Category:Australian expatriates in England Category:Living people Category:Tap dancers Category:Year of birth missing (living people)