1969 – Scottish Theatre Ballet (later Scottish Ballet) established

In 1969, Peter Darrell accepted an invitation to relocate the company he opened with Elizabeth West – Western Theatre Ballet – to Glasgow, becoming Scottish Theatre Ballet. This marked the establishment of Scotland’s first national dance company. The company changed its name to Scottish Ballet in 1974. After Darrell’s death in 1987, the company appointed a series of guest directors until Galina Samsova took over the company in 1991.

After Samsova’s resignation in 1997, Kenn Burke shouldered the artistic direction of the company until a new director was installed. Robert North took over as artistic director in 1999 and remained until 2002. From 2002 until 2012, Scottish Ballet’s new artistic director, Ashley Page, successfully guided the company into the second millennium, retaining many of the values so close to the founder, Peter Darrell’s, heart. Christopher Hampson became artistic director in 2012, and was appointed CEO in 2015. Scottish Ballet continues to be inventive and cutting edge whilst balancing the challenges of both classical and contemporary techniques and choreographic themes in an ever-changing world.