Sambé promoted to Principal with Royal Ballet

Published: 15 June 2019
Reporter: Vera Liber

Marcelino Sambé as Basilio in Don Quixote Credit: Andrej Uspenski

Marcelino Sambé in Elite Syncopations Credit: Tristram Kenton

Marcelino Sambé in Flight Pattern Credit: Tristram Kenton

Marcelino Sambé as Benno in Swan Lake Credit: Bill Cooper

Marcelino Sambé as Blue Boy in Les Patineurs Credit: Alice Pennefather

Francesca Hayward as Lise and Marcelino Sambé as Colas in La Fille mal gardée Credit: Helen Maybanks

Marcelino Sambé as Lescaut in Manon Credit: Bill Cooper

Marcelino Sambé as Romeo, Anna Rose O'Sullivan as Juliet Credit: Helen Maybanks

Lisbon-born Marcelino Sambé has been promoted to Principal dancer with The Royal Ballet.

Sambé joined The Royal Ballet in 2012 from The Royal Ballet Upper School, was promoted to First Artist in 2014, Soloist in 2015 and First Soloist in 2017.

His repertory with the Company includes Romeo (Romeo and Juliet), Basilio (Don Quixote), Colas (La Fille mal gardée), Oberon (The Dream), Hans-Peter / Nutcracker (The Nutcracker), Mercutio (Romeo and Juliet), Lescaut (Manon) and Benno (Swan Lake). He has created roles in Crystal Pite’s Flight Pattern, Obsidian Tear, Multiverse and Woolf Works by Wayne McGregor and Hofesh Shechter’s Untouchable.

Sambé’s awards include a silver medal at the Moscow International Ballet Competition in 2008, first prize at the Youth American Grand Prix in 2009, a gold medal and special award at the USA International Ballet Competition in 2010 and the Dance Europe Award for Outstanding Male Performance (Classical) at the Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards 2017.