“I think so many people watched ballet who had never seen any before, which has definitely brought in a new audience,” she says. Since then, she’s been excited to see ballet’s reach widened by The Royal Opera House’s digital screenings, which were put on throughout lockdown. 'Only this last season have I felt really, truly myself again on stage' Photographed by Jesse Jenkins “Everyone acknowledged that it wasn’t the same as it was before – that was an important breakthrough,” she says. It’s not just physical – mentally, I felt a bit lost for a while, and not quite comfortable on stage.” She says that the key to getting back to her peak was talking about how she was feeling to other dancers. “I think it took me a long time to settle back into it, into being natural again, without having doubts in my head. “Only this last season have I felt really, truly myself again on stage,” she says. What has it been like, I wonder, returning to ballet after having to grind to such a halt? She (and every other dancer, for that matter) found her career put on pause when coronavirus hit, shuttering The Royal Opera House and cancelling performances. “I’ve been invited to do Hatch House for a few years, but the whole thing was interrupted by pandemic,” she explains, “so this is going to be the first time”. Hayward is looking forward to dancing again in the open air at Hatch House, especially as this particular event feels as if it’s been a long time coming. 'When you know someone inside out and can see behind their professional mask, it can be harder to work with them – but the reward is having a closer connection.' Photographed by Jesse Jenkins

Romeo and juliet play script and cover