A biography for Francesca Haywardhasn’t been written yet.
“Everyone knows that I'm not very nice when I'm hungry.”
“I've always just done ballet, and I feel like I'm sort of living the dream.”
“For people who know about dance, 'Cats' is a musical that really celebrates dance, and there are so many different styles of dance in this film, too. I was really looking forward to being part of that.”
“I believe that when we die, we die - but I believe people's energy stays behind.”
“I didn't expect to be so tired sometimes on stage. There are moments when you're so tired you could pretty much collapse.”
“I always enjoy ballet when you can read the situation very precisely, when I could tell you exactly which sentence that person is saying to that person even when they're not speaking and just moving their hand.”
“Finding ways to unwind and switch off is just as important as working very hard.”
“I had to learn about how to use my voice as an instrument, like a muscle in my body when I dance. I had no idea how much you could do with your voice and how much you have to look after it.”
“Even in the early stages of my career I've had to dance with principal dancers. I could have easily freaked out and got nervous, but I think that helped when it came to trying to forget I was doing a scene with Judi Dench.”
“On stage I have to amplify some of my emotions with my back or make something a little bit more obvious because my audience might be very far away from me, or very high up and find it harder to read what I'm trying to express.”
“I love acting, but that's also kind of what I love about ballet - the acting. So, obviously, film is like an extension of that, which is amazing, but it's also something I can do a bit later on as well.”
“No one recognises me in the street.”
“When I'm performing I just want to tell the audience something. I want every person watching to walk away feeling something.”
“I'd definitely like to do some more film acting.”
“I'm so happy that I ventured out beyond the Royal Ballet - which is my home, and I love it - but I would never have pushed myself outside of my comfort zone.”
“As a dancer, I am either in something glamorous or I am rocking up to work in a leotard and my pyjamas. Dressing in between is quite difficult.”
“I recycle and try to reuse bags in shops but, like most people, I don't do as well as I could.”
“I just want always to move people at every performance. If someone cries, that's brilliant.”
“I feel like when you've got a good outfit on it makes your day, right?”
“There was never really a moment that I decided that I wanted to be a ballet dancer. It's always just felt like it's what I was meant to do.”