1955 – Sadler’s Wells Theatre Ballet is expanded and later becomes The Royal Ballet Touring Company

Peggy van Praagh left the Sadler’s Wells Theatre Ballet in the summer of 1955. With this development and the understanding that it was increasingly difficult for the Covent Garden troupe to tour the regions, it was decided the smaller group would be enlarged from 30 to 60 dancers so productions such as The Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake could be produced and toured extensively. John Field became director of this new Royal Ballet Touring Company. One offshoot of this new situation was that company members would rarely be available to dance when required by Sadler’s Wells Opera. A special group of dancers under the direction of Peter Wright would fulfill these obligations. The Touring Company would go through a further metamorphosis in 1970, being re-named The Royal Ballet New Group after amalgamation with The Royal Ballet at Covent Garden.