1991 – A Chance to Dance programme established

Set up by The Royal Ballet in 1991, A Chance to Dance offered free ballet classes to underprivileged children in three London boroughs. Inspired in part by the powerful social impact Arthur Mitchell’s Dance Theatre of Harlem had in New York since its inception in 1969, Daryl Jaffray, a former dancer with The Royal Ballet and subsequent director of education at the Royal Opera House, committed to moulding a ballet culture that reflected today’s society. An ambitious, socially responsible programme of provisions was developed to diversify the pool of young people with potential in ballet. The free, community-based classes would develop talent, with the long-term aim of increasing the numbers of Black, Asian and non-white dancers in ballet companies through the selection of children who had potential for vocational training.