Ballet dancer Marcelino Sambé was born in Lisbon in 1994. After he won a place at the National Conservatory of Lisbon aged eight, his father died and he was fostered. At 16, he moved to the Royal Ballet school in London and graduated into the company two years later. In 2019, he was promoted to principal dancer – recent roles include Siegfried in Swan Lake and Franz in Coppélia. Sambé will perform in Manon at the Royal Opera House on 17 January and 17 February.
