1988 – London Festival (Now English National) Ballet School established

English National Ballet School (ENBS) – originally London Festival Ballet School – was started by the then director of the company, Peter Schaufuss in 1988. His aim was to provide talent for London Festival Ballet. It commenced with just 12 students and shared the same premises as the company in Markova House in South Kensington. When Schaufuss changed the name of London Festival Ballet to English National Ballet in 1989, the name of the school changed too. By 1995 ENBS had outgrown Markova House and moved to new premises in Chelsea which were opened by Diana, Princess of Wales. From then, under the auspices of various principals, notably Kathryn Wade form 1993 – 2005, the school developed beyond all recognition. From the handful of students in 1988, the school now has a range of training programmes. In addition to the ENBS dancers’ course, which prepares students from age 16 – 19 to audition for companies worldwide, it also has programmes that fit both before and after the central raison d’être of the school. There are Associate classes from age 12 and Professional Trainee courses for post 19 year olds. There are Adult Community classes, and various types of chances to perform both with the parent company – with which it retains close ties – and in various types of performances independently.