Francesca Hayward joined the Royal Ballet in London at the age of eighteen and since 2016 she has been a Principal dancer. She talks to Akram about her grandmother buying her a ballet video aged three, how the stories she saw enveloped her, and the drama of dance became her all-consuming passion. She says ‘as a small person’ she likes to surprise people by using the stage to the max – her big jumps ‘eating up the space’ and feeling like flying. And how although she doesn’t enjoy swimming on the surface of water, underwater she feels at home, ‘like a fish’. And Francesca opens up to Akram about the way she gets her body and mind into gear as she prepares to be confident and calm for a performance. Move to Live is a podcast brought to you by Marquee TV and Tandem Productions and is available on all main podcast platforms. If you’d like to get in touch with the show you can email: [email protected] Or get in touch on our socials: Twitter: @marqueeartstv Instagram: @marqueeartstv Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marqueetv Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarqueeTV The show is also available as a video podcast via Marquee TV - https://marquee.tv/, the leading streaming platform showcasing arts and culture to millions of arts fans around the world. #movetolivepodcast Credits: Director and Producer: Alex Anderson Assistant Producer: Marion Bettsworth Researcher: Charlotte Barbour-Condini Executive Producer: Sarah Devonald Music: Jay Witsey and Aref Durvesh Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.