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The Royal Ballet
Royal Ballet logo.jpg
General information
Name The Royal Ballet
Previous names
  • Vic-Wells Ballet
  • Sadler's Wells Ballet
Year founded 1931
Patron HM The King
Principal venue Royal Opera House, London, UK
Website www.roh.org.uk
Senior staff
Director
  • Kevin O'Hare
Artistic staff
Music Director
  • Koen Kessels
  • Barry Wordsworth (Principal Guest Conductor)
Resident Choreographers
  • Wayne McGregor
  • Christopher Wheeldon
Other
Sister company Birmingham Royal Ballet
Associated schools Royal Ballet School

The Royal Ballet is a famous classical ballet company from Britain. It is based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London. Founded in 1931 by Dame Ninette de Valois, it is the largest of the five main ballet companies in Great Britain.

The company became the main ballet group at the Royal Opera House in 1946. It even has special facilities built just for them there. In 1956, it was given a special "royal charter," making it Britain's top ballet company. The Royal Ballet is known for its amazing art and creativity. About 100 dancers work for the company. Its official school is the Royal Ballet School. It also has a sister company, the Birmingham Royal Ballet, which works on its own. The most famous dancer ever from the Royal Ballet was the late Dame Margot Fonteyn.

History of The Royal Ballet

How the Royal Ballet Started

In 1926, Ninette de Valois, a dancer from Ireland, started a dance school for girls. She wanted to create a ballet company and school that would perform many different ballets. So, she teamed up with Lilian Baylis, a theatre owner in England. Baylis owned the Old Vic and Sadler's Wells theatres. In 1925, she hired de Valois to put on dance shows at both places.

Sadler's Wells Theatre reopened in 1931. That's when the Vic-Wells Ballet and Vic-Wells Ballet School were created there. These groups were the beginnings of today's Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, and Royal Ballet School. Before coming back to Britain, Ninette de Valois had danced with the Ballets Russes. This was one of the most famous ballet companies of the 20th century. When de Valois started the Vic-Wells Ballet, she hired some former stars from Ballets Russes. These included Alicia Markova and Anton Dolin, who became lead dancers. Tamara Karsavina also helped as an advisor. The first Music Director was Constant Lambert, who greatly influenced the company's early years.

Becoming the Sadler's Wells Ballet

In 1939, the company changed its name to Sadler's Wells Ballet. The school also became the Sadler's Wells Ballet School. They stayed at Sadler's Wells Theatre until 1946. Then, the company was invited to move to the newly reopened Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. David Webster was in charge there. The company moved that same year. Their first show at the new venue was The Sleeping Beauty.

After the main company moved, the school got its own building in 1947. A sister company was also created to keep performing at Sadler's Wells. This was called the Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet, led by John Field. In 1955, this sister company moved back to the Royal Opera House. It became a touring group for the main company.

Receiving a Royal Charter

In 1956, both companies and the school received a special "Royal Charter." This meant they were officially recognized by the Royal Family. They were then renamed the Royal Ballet, Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet, and the Royal Ballet School.

The Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet went back to Sadler's Wells Theatre in 1970. It also continued to tour around the country. However, in 1987, the company was invited to become the main ballet group at the Birmingham Hippodrome. It moved to Birmingham in 1990 and was renamed Birmingham Royal Ballet. In 1997, it became fully independent from the Royal Opera House. Sir Peter Wright became its artistic director. The Birmingham Royal Ballet still has strong ties with the Royal Ballet and the Royal Ballet School.

Today, the Royal Ballet is still the main ballet company at the Royal Opera House. It also performs internationally. The Royal Ballet School is now based at White Lodge, Richmond Park and in Floral Street. These new premises are right next to the Royal Opera House.

Nicholas Sergeyev and Classical Ballets

In its early years, the Sadler's Wells Ballet was one of the first companies outside the Soviet Union to perform full ballets by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. These ballets were very important to the Imperial Russian Ballet. To stage these ballets, de Valois hired Nicholas Sergeyev. He used to be a stage manager for the Imperial Ballet.

Sergeyev put on productions of famous ballets like Petipa's The Sleeping Beauty. He also staged Petipa and Ivanov's Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. Other ballets he helped with were Petipa and Cecchetti's Coppélia and Petipa's Giselle. He used special notes written in St Petersburg to recreate these works. These ballets have been part of the Royal Ballet's shows ever since. Sergeyev's work helped make traditional classical ballet popular around the world. His notes are kept in the Sergeyev Collection at Harvard University Library.

Prima Ballerina Assoluta: Top Dancers

The Royal Ballet is special because it has had four dancers called "prima ballerina assoluta." This is the highest honor for a female ballet dancer. Three of these dancers trained at the Royal Ballet School.

The first was Alicia Markova. She was one of the first dancers when the Royal Ballet started. She was named the company's first Prima Ballerina and later recognized as a Prima Ballerina Assoluta.

Margot Fonteyn trained at the Royal Ballet School and danced with the company her whole career. Queen Elizabeth II named her Prima Ballerina Assoluta on her 60th birthday.

Phyllis Spira joined the Royal Ballet School in 1959. She later returned to South Africa, where she was named Prima Ballerina Assoluta by the President.

The most recent is Alessandra Ferri. She finished her training at the Royal Ballet Upper School. After dancing with the Royal Ballet for four years, she became Prima Ballerina Assoluta of La Scala Theatre Ballet in Milan.

Other famous guest dancers who have performed with the Royal Ballet include Yvette Chauvire from France and Nina Ananiashvili from Georgia.

How The Royal Ballet Works: Ranks of Dancers

The Royal Ballet has six different levels, or ranks, for its dancers:

  • Artist: This is the first level for new dancers. They join the Corps de ballet, which is the large group of dancers who perform together.
  • First Artist: Dancers at this level get to perform more important roles within the Corps de Ballet. They might also get small solo parts sometimes.
  • Soloist: There are usually 15–20 soloists in the company. They perform most of the solo and smaller roles. For example, they might dance as Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet.
  • First Soloist: Dancers at this level are being considered for promotion to the top rank. They dance many important solo roles. They also learn the main roles to fill in if a Principal dancer is unable to perform.
  • Principal Character Artist: These dancers perform special "character" roles in ballets. These roles are often very dramatic and use character dance or ballet mime. Examples include Carabosse in The Sleeping Beauty. Most dancers at this level are older and have been with the company for a long time.
  • Principal: This is the highest rank in the Royal Ballet. These dancers are the main stars of the company. They perform the most challenging and important roles in a ballet. Many world-famous dancers have been Principals here.

The Royal Ballet also has "guest artist" and "principal guest artist" roles. A guest artist is a dancer who visits to perform in a specific ballet. A principal guest artist performs with the company for a longer time.

Meet The Royal Ballet Company

The Royal Ballet has about 100 dancers. Here are some of the main people who lead the company:

  • Director – Kevin O'Hare: He trained at the Royal Ballet School and used to dance for the Royal Ballet.
  • Music Director – Koen Kessels: He is a conductor from Belgium.
  • Resident Choreographer – Wayne McGregor CBE: He is a famous choreographer known for modern dance.
  • Artistic Associate – Christopher Wheeldon OBE

Principal Dancers

Name Nationality Training
Matthew Ball  United Kingdom Royal Ballet School
William Bracewell  United Kingdom Royal Ballet School
Reece Clarke  United Kingdom Royal Ballet School
Cesar Corrales  Cuba
 Canada		 Canada's National Ballet School
Lauren Cuthbertson  United Kingdom Royal Ballet School
Francesca Hayward  United Kingdom Royal Ballet School
Ryoichi Hirano  Japan Setsuko Hirano Ballet School
Fumi Kaneko  Japan Jinushi Kaoru Ballet School
Sarah Lamb  United States Boston Ballet School
Mayara Magri  Brazil Petite Danse School
Royal Ballet School
Steven McRae  Australia Hilary Kaplan
Royal Ballet School
Vadim Muntagirov  Russia Royal Ballet School
Yasmine Naghdi  United Kingdom Royal Ballet School
Marianela Núñez  Argentina Colón Theatre Ballet School
Royal Ballet School
Anna Rose O'Sullivan  United Kingdom Royal Ballet School
Natalia Osipova
  Russia Moscow State Academy of Choreography
Marcelino Sambé  Portugal National Conservatory of Lisbon
Royal Ballet School
Akane Takada  Japan Hiromi Takahashi Ballet Studio
Bolshoi Ballet Academy

Famous Ballets Performed by The Royal Ballet

The Royal Ballet performs many well-known ballets. Here are some of them:

Important Choreographers

Sir Frederick Ashton: A Founding Choreographer

Sir Frederick Ashton was the first main choreographer for the Royal Ballet. He started as a dancer and then became a choreographer. When the Royal Ballet began in 1931, he was its associate choreographer. He created most of the company's early ballets. He also staged their first show at the Royal Opera House, The Sleeping Beauty, in 1946.

Ashton was the artistic director of the Royal Ballet from 1963 to 1970. Even after he retired from that role, he kept creating ballets around the world. His last work was for a special show by the Royal Ballet School in 1986. Many of his ballets are still performed by top dance companies today, including the Royal Ballet.

Ashton's Famous Ballets

Some of the most famous ballets choreographed by Sir Frederick Ashton include:

  • A Month in the Country
  • Cinderella
  • La fille mal gardée
  • Marguerite and Armand
  • Ondine
  • Symphonic Variations
  • The Dream

Sir Kenneth MacMillan: A Visionary Choreographer

Sir Kenneth MacMillan was a British ballet dancer and choreographer. He was the artistic director of the Royal Ballet from 1970 to 1977. While he was a good dancer, MacMillan is best known for his amazing choreography. He worked with other ballet companies too, like the American Ballet Theatre.

MacMillan took over from Frederick Ashton as Director of the Royal Ballet in 1970. He left after seven years because it was hard to create new ballets while also managing the company. He continued to be the Principal Choreographer for the Royal Ballet until he passed away in 1992.

MacMillan's Full-Length Ballets

His full-length ballets often tell a complete story. Some of his most famous ones are:

  • Romeo and Juliet (1965)
  • Anastasia
  • Manon
  • Mayerling
  • The Prince of the Pagodas (1989)

MacMillan's One-Act Ballets

He also created many shorter ballets, called one-act ballets:

  • Danses Concertantes (1955)
  • The Invitation (1960)
  • The Rite of Spring
  • Elite Syncopations
  • Gloria
  • Song of the Earth
  • Winter Dreams
  • The Judas Tree (1992) – This was his last ballet.

Wayne McGregor: Modern Dance Influence

Before becoming the Resident Choreographer of the Royal Ballet, Wayne McGregor was already a well-known dancer and choreographer. His first work for the Royal Ballet was Fleur de Peux in 2000. This led to more ballets for the company, like Symbiont(s) in 2001 and Qualia in 2003.

McGregor was named Resident Choreographer of the Royal Ballet in 2006. He was the first person to hold this job in 16 years. He was also the first to come from the world of contemporary dance, which is a more modern style of dance.

McGregor's Ballets for the Royal Ballet

Some of Wayne McGregor's ballets for the Royal Ballet include:

  • Fleur de Peux
  • Symbiont(s)
  • Qualia
  • Engram
  • Chroma
  • Limen
  • Infra
  • Carbon Life
  • Woolf Works
  • The Dante Project

Fonteyn and Nureyev: A Legendary Partnership

On February 21, 1962, Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev danced together for the first time in Giselle. This became known as one of the greatest ballet partnerships ever. Both dancers became incredibly famous. Their partnership happened during what many consider the most successful time in the Royal Ballet's history.

On March 12, 1963, they premiered Sir Frederick Ashton's Marguerite and Armand. This ballet was created just for them and became their signature piece. It tells a sad story that starts with Marguerite on her deathbed. The ballet was a huge success. Fifty photographers came to the rehearsal, and the premiere had twenty-one curtain calls!

The Fonteyn-Nureyev partnership lasted for many years. Fonteyn retired from the Royal Ballet in 1979 at age 60. After Frederick Ashton retired in 1970, many people wanted Nureyev to be the new artistic director. But Kenneth MacMillan got the job instead. Nureyev then left the Royal Ballet to be a guest dancer around the world. Fonteyn and Nureyev remained close friends throughout their lives. Nureyev once said about their dancing, "one body, one soul."

Notable People at The Royal Ballet

Famous Dancers

Many incredible dancers have been part of the Royal Ballet. Here are some of them:

Artistic Directors of The Royal Ballet

These are the people who have led the Royal Ballet over the years:

  • 1931–1963: Dame Ninette de Valois (Founder)
  • 1963–1970: Sir Frederick Ashton
  • 1970–1977: Sir Kenneth MacMillan
  • 1977–1986: Norman Morrice
  • 1986–2001: Sir Anthony Dowell
  • 2001–2002: Ross Stretton
  • 2002–2012: Dame Monica Mason
  • 2012–present: Kevin O'Hare

Kevin O'Hare: Current Director

Kevin O'Hare used to be a Principal dancer for the Birmingham Royal Ballet. He became the Director of The Royal Ballet in August 2012. Before that, he was the Administrative Director of the company since 2009. O'Hare stopped dancing in 2000. He then worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company and as Company Manager for Birmingham Royal Ballet.

He has big plans for the company. He wants to bring together the best artists of today, including dancers, choreographers, designers, and musicians. He also wants to use new ways to connect with audiences. He aims to keep the classic ballets alive and also introduce new works and fresh talent. He is excited that Wayne McGregor and Christopher Wheeldon, two top choreographers, have joined his artistic team.

Awards and Recognition

The Royal Ballet company has won many Laurence Olivier Awards. These awards celebrate excellence in London theatre. Here are some of the awards won by the company and its people:

  • 1978 – Best Ballet Production, for Sir Frederick Ashton's A Month in the Country.
  • 1980 – Outstanding Achievement in Ballet, for Gloria.
  • 1983 – Outstanding New Dance Production, for Sir Kenneth MacMillan's Requiem.
  • 1992 – Outstanding Achievement in Dance, for In The Middle, Somewhat Elevated.
  • 1992 – Special Award for Dame Ninette de Valois, the founder of the Royal Ballet.
  • 1993 – Best New Dance Production, for Sir Kenneth MacMillan's The Judas Tree.
  • 2007 – Best New Dance Production, for Chroma, choreographed by Wayne McGregor.
  • 2008 – Best New Dance Production, for Jewels by George Balanchine.
  • 2013 – Outstanding Achievement in Dance, awarded to principal dancer Marianela Núñez.
  • 2016 – Best New Dance Production, for Woolf Works, choreographed by Wayne McGregor.
  • 2018 – Best New Dance Production, for Flight Pattern, choreographed by Crystal Pite.

Images for kids

  • Royal Ballet logo

    The Royal Ballet logo

See also

  • English National Ballet School
  • Northern Ballet
  • Rambert Dance Company
  • Royal Ballet of Flanders
  • Royal Danish Ballet
  • Royal Swedish Ballet
  • Scottish Ballet
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