Reece Clarke was born in North Lanarkshire in 1995 to a steelworker father and a mother who worked as a childminder. Growing up in Airdrie, he began ballet classes aged three and later joined his three older brothers at the Royal Ballet School. He won young British dancer of the year in 2012 and has since performed – often as a prince – in Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty. In 2022 the Royal Ballet promoted Clarke to principal dancer. On 28 and 31 December he performs in Cinderella at the Royal Ballet and Opera, and plays the title role in Pushkin’s Onegin on the opening night, 22 January, and again on 7 and 13 February.
1. Film
The Outrun (dir Nora Fingscheidt, 2024)
I watched this last week and was really impressed by Saoirse Ronan’s performance and the dramatic depth she carries throughout the film – if I could bring even a small percentage of her intensity to Onegin, I’d be happy. The film is based on Amy Liptrot’s memoir of living in London and dealing with alcoholism, which resulted in her moving back home to the Orkney islands, where her separated parents still live. I loved how it paid homage to the harsh and beautiful Scottish countryside, which complemented the themes of perseverance, hope and dealing with harsh realities.
2. Book
All That Matters by Chris Hoy
The cyclist Chris Hoy was at the top of his game when suddenly, out of nowhere, he got a terminal cancer diagnosis. I was a big fan from watching him at past Olympics, and when the book came out I knew it was one I had to read. It details how he came to terms with the diagnosis, breaking the news to family members and trying to keep it out of the media. What I love most of all is that, amid these devastating moments, he still manages to hold on to his sense of humour.
3. Sport
Wimbledon men’s final, 2024
Growing up, I was really into sports. Tennis is the one I can still play without worrying too much about risking an injury. This summer I was lucky to attend the men’s final at Wimbledon and I was so inspired by the athleticism from Alcaraz and Djokovic – the way they would coordinate balance, then throw themselves into shots was almost balletic. I was mesmerised. Djokovic was maybe the more graceful, but Alcaraz pulled out all the tricks and everything worked for him on that day. It was a great match.
4. TV
I used to watch this Scottish sitcom with my family growing up. Now it’s on Netflix so I can watch it on repeat throughout the year, all nine seasons of it. It’s timeless, and any time I miss my homeland I’ll put on a episode. It’s set in a suburb of Glasgow. The two central characters, played by creators Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill, are pensioners going about their daily lives, visiting the pub and finding small moments of beauty and humour while reflecting on the future and the past. It’s brilliant.
5. Fragrance
Absolu Aventus by Creed
I use fragrances a lot. I find them so powerful in evoking emotions and they can really change a mood. My main focus these days is finding a fragrance to get into a character before a performance. If I’m up close and personal with a ballerina, I’d hope for them to experience it as a layer of my character as well. Recently, playing the Prince in Cinderella, I chose Absolu Aventus by Creed. It’s quite a masculine scent, vanilla and oaky but not overpowering. Putting it on is the last thing I’ll do before going onstage.
6. Dance
Irina Kolpakova
Irina is a legend in the dance world – she has trained, coached or worked alongside every famous dancer you can think of, and was a dancer herself growing up in the Soviet Union. I was working with American Ballet Theatre this past summer and got to work with her. I was a bit apprehensive in my first rehearsal, but she was brilliant. What I loved is how she was really physical with me, she’d get up and fix my arm positions despite being half my height. She’s 91 now and still has more energy than a lot of coaches.
