Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland from our students’ perspectives
Some of our Pre-Professional students recently had the opportunity to perform in Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland at The Royal Opera House. We caught up with four of those students: Edoardo, Axel, Sean, and Pietro, to see how their experience was.
Many of our students dream of performing with The Royal Ballet, and getting a glimpse of what life is like in the company is invaluable to them as students in their last year at the School. From castings to fittings to dress rehearsals and, finally, their first performances on The Royal Opera House stage, the students were grateful and so excited.
Edoardo, reflecting on his debut, shared:
It was really exciting for me because it was my first time working with The Royal Ballet company. As Christopher Wheeldon said, everything in the production is important in telling the story—from the dancers to even the smallest set pieces. We are all part of the ballet, helping to tell the story. It was amazing to work with such talented dancers and see how much effort everyone put into the production.
For Axel, performing with the company fulfilled a long-held aspiration:
I’ve always watched Pre-professional Year students perform with the company, so being part of it was a dream come true. The whole behind-the-scenes process, seeing how everything comes together—it was just incredible.
Pietro emphasised how this experience prepared them for their future careers:
As it’s our final year, it’s good to see how everything works at a professional level. It really helps us understand what to expect when we move into the professional world.
In Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the students performed a variety of roles that brought the story to life. Axel and Pietro were part of the court, interacting with the main action and subtly guiding the audience’s perception:
Even though the Queen of Hearts is a villain, we had to pretend to be her friends, smiling and supporting her. It was fun, though, because we also got to show our emotions through our movements.
Pietro’s most memorable moment came when he had to step into a new role as a card at the last minute:
I had no idea what I was doing at first, but the other dancers were really helpful. It was nerve-wracking, but it worked out in the end. Being thrown into the deep end like that made me realize how important it is to stay calm and adapt when something unexpected happens.
Sean and Edoardo were part of the hedges, a more comedic role designed to enhance the overall atmosphere of the set. What fascinated Edoardo the most was observing how seasoned dancers handled on-stage mishaps:
I think the most interesting part was being backstage and seeing how everything works with the company. It was also amazing to see how the professional dancers react when something goes wrong on stage. You realise that mistakes happen, but the professionals handle it so naturally. It’s great to witness that level of composure.
Among their highlights, the first performance stood out vividly for all three:
The first show was surreal. I had been dreaming of performing at the Royal Opera House, and to finally do it—it was incredible.
Sean mentioned another fond memory:
As a hedge we get first row seats to most of the third act, I think our biggest highlight is trying not to laugh as we watch the comedic rose adage parody performed by the Queen of Hearts. It’s always a joy to experience interaction between us, the students, and the company dancers we admire as they make jokes and make us feel like a part of the production.
We are so proud of our students who brought Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to life on stage. Their dedication, resilience, and passion shone through every moment. We can’t wait to see where their talents take them next.
