You notice him at once. It is not just the bright flame of auburn hair, but the still brighter flame of his temperament shining through his dancing in every ballet in which he appears at the Royal Opera House.

Just 21 years old, Steven McRae has already made a considerable mark in the Royal Ballet, which he joined in 2004, trailing prize-winning clouds of glory from the Prix de Lausanne (the most serious of balletic showcases for aspirant dancers) where he won the gold medal, and the no less valued accolade of the Adeline Genée gold medal given by the Royal Academy of Dance.