Australian dancer Steven McRae will join violinist Vasko Vassilev for a new theatrical collaboration opening The Royal Ballet’s 2026/27 season at London’s Linbury Theatre.
The McRae / Vassilev Project, running from September 11 to 19, will bring together two artists known for pushing beyond the conventional boundaries of their respective forms. McRae, a Principal of The Royal Ballet, will draw upon both ballet and tap, while Vassilev, the Royal Ballet and Opera’s Principal Guest Concert Master, will perform music spanning his career as a violinist and collaborator.
Directed by Natalie Abrahami, the evening will unfold in two acts. The first offers a more personal view of McRae and Vassilev’s individual artistic journeys, with each performer showcasing the skills and influences that have shaped his career.
The second act will feature the world premiere of a new ballet inspired by the music and performance style of Niccolò Paganini. Choreographed by New Zealand artist Loughlan Prior, the work will also feature Royal Ballet Principal Sarah Lamb and pianist Pamela Tan-Nicholson.
For McRae, the project grows from an artistic affinity he felt immediately when first performing with Vassilev.
“There was an immediate understanding of how we both heard and felt the music,” McRae said. “My dancing and his music became one, proof of my belief that music and dance are a marriage.”
He described the new production as a celebration of both art forms and of the different paths that brought the pair to the Royal Ballet and Opera.
“We can’t wait to share our love of these artforms that have truly transformed our lives,” he said.
Vassilev said McRae’s versatility had encouraged him to reconsider Paganini’s music beyond its original instrumental form.
“Steven being Steven allows me to imagine music beyond the notes on a score and the four strings of my violin,” he said, adding that the collaborators had looked “backwards, sideways, forwards and all around” in their search for the spirit of Paganini.
Born in Sydney, McRae trained with Hilary Kaplan before entering The Royal Ballet School on a Prix de Lausanne scholarship in 2003. He joined The Royal Ballet the following year and was promoted to Principal in 2009.
His career has been distinguished by an unusual command of both classical ballet and tap, alongside roles created for him in productions including Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The Winter’s Tale, Frankenstein, Woolf Works and The Age of Anxiety. He has also appeared as a guest artist with The Australian Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, The National Ballet of Canada and Tokyo Ballet.
Prior, the production’s choreographer, danced with the Royal New Zealand Ballet for a decade and became its Choreographer in Residence in 2018. His works for the company include Cinderella, Hansel & Gretel, The Firebird and Ultra Violet. He has also created or staged work for Queensland Ballet, West Australian Ballet, The Royal Ballet and companies across North America, Europe and Asia.
The creative team for The McRae / Vassilev Project includes set and costume designer Anisha Fields, lighting designer Prema Mehta, sound designer Max Pappenheim and video and projection designer Tal Rosner.
The McRae / Vassilev Project plays at the Linbury Theatre, London, from September 11 to 19.