Royal Ballet Principal Akane Takada made a comeback to the Covent Garden stage on 1 October, 2024 after an absence from performances for about an year due to an injury or injuries.
The Japanese dancer performed Alice, the title role of Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventure in the Wonderland. She will be casted again on 11th October.
First Soloist Claire Calvert also returned to the stage earlier as The Queen of the Hearts on the opening day of the Royal Ballet’s new season. It was her first show after having a daughter. Her husband is the wonderful Alexander Campbell, who retired from stage to become Artistic Director of the Royal Academy of Dance earlier this year.
Coming back from injuries, mental health issues and maternity leave is not easy and it takes and not all companies provide enough support for dancers to recover. Seeing Akane and Claire come back is very inspiring. Congratulations to these wonderful dancers!
Image by Andrej Uspenski, shared from Akane’s Instagram account.