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Steven McRae (1985-) Australian dancer

Born in Australia in 1985 and raised in Sydney, Steven McRae started dance classes at the age of seven. These included tap as well as ballet. In 2003 he won the Prix de Lausanne and came to study at The Royal Ballet School. He joined The Royal Ballet in 2004, becoming a soloist in 2006 and principal in 2009.

In his first season with the company, McRae danced in Frederick Ashton’s Symphonic Variations and went on to dance in all the main classics, as well as major works by Ashton and Kenneth MacMillan. He created roles in Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland in 2011 and The Winter’s Tale in 2014, and in Liam Scarlett’s Frankenstein in 2016. McRae has worked frequently and closely with Wayne McGregor.

Steven McRae returned to performance after two significant Achilles tendon injuries (in 2008 and 2019) to continue his dancing career. He has guested internationally, with companies including American Ballet Theatre, Tokyo Ballet and The Australian Ballet.

Timeline Event » 2006 – Premiere of Wayne McGregor’s Chroma by The Royal Ballet

First performed by The Royal Ballet in 2006, the huge success of Wayne McGregor’s Chroma, a highly charged abstract work in minimalist designs and costumes, led directly to the appointment of...

Timeline Event » 2011 – Premiere of Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by The Royal Ballet

Christopher Wheeldon choreographed Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland for The Royal Ballet in 2011 to music by Joby Talbot. A co-production between The Royal Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada,...