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.
1. Theatre
A Strange Loop at the Barbican
This was a remarkable piece of theatre. Watching it was like holding up a mirror: it made me question my behaviour as a gay man and how I can be more authentic in my homosexuality. It’s about a young man who is writing a musical and trying to represent the experience of being Black and queer. His family wants him to do a religious, Tyler Perry-style musical, but he wants to have a fresh take. The performers were incredible and the choreography was sumptuous, but what was really special to me was how it hit a nerve and raised so many important questions.
2. YouTube
This is a very interesting and quite shocking series of interviews with people in Los Angeles who’ve had their lives turned upside down: homeless people, rape victims, people with addiction. The interviewer, the photographer Mark Laita, is very frank and direct with his questions. One interviewee I’ve found particularly inspiring is Rebecca, a trans woman with incredible views on politics, beauty and society. The series is voyeuristic but I’m learning so much from watching it, and I look at people struggling with homelessness or addiction in a different way.
3. Art
Marina Abramović at the Royal Academy
In New York a few years ago, I remember seeing the massive queues outside MoMA for Marina Abramović’s show The Artist Is Present. Since then, I’ve been mesmerised by her work, so it was nice to finally experience it first-hand at the Royal Academy. This exhibition covered key moments from her career as a performance artist: the bow and arrow film [Rest Energy], the naked couple in the doorway that you’ve got to squeeze past. The show really takes you on a journey through her life. I loved it so much, I went twice.
4. Film
I loved this movie. The director, Sebastián Silva, creates really intimate and interesting films and has a very specific voice. Here, he plays a film-maker in Mexico City who is struggling with his identity and his work. He meets a horrific LA-based influencer and they decide to collaborate, but then something unexpected happens and the movie completely changes. It was a magical experience to be surprised like this in the cinema. It’s the most fascinating movie, hilarious, satirical and dark. And Catalina Saavedra gives an Oscar-worthy performance as Sebastián’s housekeeper Vero.
5. Music
Stormzy at All Points East festival
This Stormzy concert in August was magical. I love Stormzy. He holds culture in his voice, and his charisma is so powerful that when he came on stage I had shivers going down me. He started with a very emotional part of his album where he reflects on the world and how kids are taught to be and what they’re exposed to. Then he moved on to heavier songs with powerful beats. When he sang about rain falling on his enemies, the rain started pouring down. It was such a cinematic moment – everyone in the crowd was exhilarated.
6. Restaurant
This is a restaurant in east London with a gorgeous atmosphere, amazing food and the most incredible wine list. Whenever I go, I have a great time. It’s in the arches beneath an overground station so it looks quite unassuming from the outside, but inside it’s got this quiet luxury that I love so much. The last time I went, the monkfish was excellent and I had calf’s brains, which I’d never tried before but really enjoyed. There’s an effortlessness and openness to the place and lots of surprising elements. It’s a really special restaurant.
