Francesca Hayward facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Francesca Hayward
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Hayward in 2020
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| Born | 4 July 1992 Nairobi, Kenya
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| Nationality | British |
| Education | Royal Ballet School |
| Occupation | Ballet dancer, actress |
| Height | 5 ft 2 in (157 cm) |
| Current group | The Royal Ballet |
Francesca Hayward (born on July 4, 1992) is a talented ballet dancer and actress. She was born in Kenya but is British. She is a top dancer, called a principal dancer, with The Royal Ballet in London. In 2019, she also acted in the movie Cats, playing Victoria the White Cat. This movie was based on the famous stage musical.
Contents
Early Life and Ballet Journey
Francesca Hayward was born in Nairobi, Kenya, in July 1992. Her father was English and her mother was Kenyan. When she was two years old, she moved to Goring-by-Sea in West Sussex, England, to live with her grandparents.
Francesca started ballet when she was just three years old. Her grandparents bought her a video of The Nutcracker, which made her fall in love with dance. She first danced at the Le Serve School of Ballet. Her teacher saw her amazing talent and told her to try out for the Royal Ballet School.
She became a Junior Associate at age nine. Then, in 2003, at age 11, she officially joined the Royal Ballet School. She moved up to the Royal Ballet Upper School in 2008. Even though an injury kept her from officially graduating, she still got a certificate for attending.
A Rising Star in Ballet
Francesca Hayward joined The Royal Ballet in 2010. Right away, people noticed how gifted she was. She quickly started getting bigger and more important roles in major ballet shows. She was promoted often: to First Artist in 2013, Soloist in 2014, First Soloist in 2015, and finally, a Principal dancer in 2016. Critics have praised her amazing talent and dancing skills.
In 2012, Francesca danced a special duet (called a pas de deux) from The Flower Festival in Genzano. She performed with another Royal Ballet dancer, James Hay, at a competition in Canada. That same year, she danced the role of Clara for the first time in The Nutcracker at the Royal Opera House.
Francesca was also featured in a BBC documentary film. It was called Dancing the Nutcracker: Inside the Royal Ballet. Her performance as Clara in The Nutcracker and her role in Woolf Works were even recorded for DVDs. Woolf Works was also shown on the BBC.
Acting and Special Performances
In November 2018, Francesca Hayward joined the cast of the movie Cats. She played the role of Victoria the White Cat in the film, which was directed by Tom Hooper. She also sang the song "Beautiful Ghosts" in the movie. This song was written by Taylor Swift and Andrew Lloyd Webber. To be in the movie, Francesca took a break from The Royal Ballet. She returned to dancing with them in May 2019. Her first performance back was in Romeo and Juliet.
In 2020, Francesca was supposed to dance the main role of Odette/Odile in Swan Lake. However, this was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. She took part in a special online fundraiser called "Swans for Relief," organized by dancer Misty Copeland. Francesca danced a piece called The Swan to help raise money for dance companies affected by the pandemic.
Later that year, Francesca danced a new piece choreographed by Wayne McGregor. This was part of the Royal Opera House's first performance since the lockdown, which was streamed live online. Also in 2020, she appeared in the documentary film Audrey. In this film about actress Audrey Hepburn, Francesca played Audrey during her Hollywood years through dance.
In 2023, Francesca performed at the Coronation Concert. This concert celebrated the coronation of Charles III and Camilla.
Personal Life
As of 2016, Francesca Hayward lives in Stoke Newington in North London.
Notable Ballet Roles
Francesca Hayward has performed many important roles in classical ballets. Here are some of them:
| Ballet | Choreographer | Role |
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| The Nutcracker | Sir Peter Wright | Clara, The Sugar Plum Fairy |
| A Month in the Country | Sir Frederick Ashton | Vera |
| Manon | Sir Kenneth MacMillan | Manon |
| Alice's Adventures in Wonderland | Christopher Wheeldon | Alice |
| Romeo and Juliet | Sir Kenneth MacMillan | Juliet |
| Rhapsody | Sir Frederick Ashton | Lead Female Principal |
| The Winter's Tale | Christopher Wheeldon | Perdita |
| The Invitation | Sir Kenneth MacMillan | The Girl |
| Frankenstein | Liam Scarlett | Justine |
| La Fille Mal Gardée | Sir Frederick Ashton | Lise |
| The Sleeping Beauty | Marius Petipa | Aurora, Princess Florine |
| Mayerling | Sir Kenneth MacMillan | Princess Stephanie |
| Tarantella | George Balanchine | The Girl |
| The Dream | Sir Frederick Ashton | Titania |
| Giselle | Sir Peter Wright | Giselle |
| Coppelia | Dame Ninette de Valois | Swanilda |
| Onegin | John Cranko | Olga |
She has also danced as the Rose Fairy in The Nutcracker, and in ballets like Infra, Ballo della Regina, Symphony in C, and Within the Golden Hour.
Film and TV Appearances
Francesca Hayward has also appeared in several films and documentaries.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Dancing the Nutcracker: Inside the Royal Ballet | Herself | A BBC documentary about ballet |
| 2017 | The Sun Is God | Francesca | A short film |
| 2019 | Romeo and Juliet: Beyond Words | Juliet | |
| Cats | Victoria |
Awards and Achievements
Francesca Hayward has won many awards for her dancing. While she was a student at The Royal Ballet School, she won the Lynn Seymour Award for Expressive Dance in 2009. She also won the Young British Dancer of the Year Award in 2010. She received a silver medal and the Audience Choice Award at the 2010 Genée International Ballet Competition.
Later, she won the Best Emerging Artist award in 2014. In 2016, she received the Grishko Award for Best Female Dancer at the Critics Circle National Dance Awards.
In September 2019, she was one of fifteen women chosen to be on the cover of British Vogue magazine. This special issue was guest-edited by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
In 2020, Francesca was named one of the most influential people of African or African Caribbean heritage in the United Kingdom. She was included in the 2021 edition of the annual Powerlist.
