Our aim since 2002 has been to record interviews with some of those who have been instrumental in developing British ballet in the 20th Century and beyond.
People from all over the world have contributed to the growth and success of British ballet. We have tried to capture as many of their voices as possible to enrich our understanding of the art form and give a backdrop of dancing life from the 1930s until the present day.
Some names are famous and some not at all. Some people stay in the ballet world for decades and others for just a few years. They all have their stories to tell.
One of our hopes has been to honour those less recognised, who have nevertheless played a vital role within the art. In the telling, our archive builds up a remarkable and vivid picture of the spirit and community of the British dance world across the years.
Voices of British Ballet is a small charity, gratefully supported by the donations and passion of the growing number of our supporters.
We have now recorded almost 500 individuals and plan to gather more. This truly rich and diverse archive will be accessible and free to everyone. It will be a powerful resource for students of dance and history, as well as a source of enjoyment for people new to ballet as well as the experienced enthusiast.
Funding
Voices of British Ballet has been supported by a number of businesses, charities and private individuals. As well as our anonymous donors we have received help from:
Thomas Patterson & Son, AB Charitable Trust, The Garrick Charitable Trust, John Lewis and Partners, Legal & General, The London Ballet Circle and The Mercers’ Company.
We are looking for further grants to help towards costs for future plans.
The Project Director received a Winston Churchill Traveling Fellowship in 2006 to cover over 3 months of interviews in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa for Voices of British Ballet. During this tour 80 interviews were made.
Voices of British Ballet also received a grant in 2004 from the Dancers’ Career Development for the purchase of computer and recording equipment.
Voices of British Ballet is a Registered Charity (charity number 1096312) and Company (registered in England company number 04558942), and produces Annual Reports detailing funding and expenses as required by law and the Charity Commission. These are visible on the websites of the Charity Commission and Companies House and can be made available as required.
If you are interested in supporting our work to chart the history and future of British ballet, you can donate here.
People
Founder and Director of Voices of British Ballet
Patricia Linton was trained at the Royal Ballet School and joined the Royal Ballet Company in 1964. A dancer and teacher with the Company, she was appointed Assistant Ballet Mistress to Jill Gregory in 1969. She joined the staff of The Royal Ballet School in 1974 and taught continuously at the Junior School, White Lodge until retiring at Christmas 2001. From 2002 until 2017 she taught ballet and History of Ballet at Central School of Ballet. She is now devoting herself to this project, Voices of British Ballet. Her role as Director is that of co-ordinator and organizer. Patricia is assisted by a team of interviewers made up of dancers, choreologists and writers. The photographs of Patricia Linton (above) are courtesy of Edward Colyer.
Producer
Natalie Steed is an audio producer making radio programmes and podcasts with her production company Rhubarb Rhubarb. She works mostly in arts and ideas For Voices of British Ballet she acts as podcast producer and advises on all aspects of production.
Patrons
Sir Anthony Dowell, CBE, former principal and director of the Royal Ballet.
Lesley Collier, CBE, former principal and répétiteur to the Royal Ballet.
Dame Darcey Bussell, DBE, former principal ballerina with the Royal Ballet.
Sir David Bintley, CBE, choreographer and former director of Birmingham Royal Ballet.
Adam Cooper, former principal with the Royal Ballet, choreographer, promoter and director working across the theatrical spectrum.
Deanne Bergsma, former principal with the Royal Ballet.
Sir Peter Wright, CBE, Director Laureate of Birmingham Royal Ballet.
Brandon Lawrence, former principal with Birmingham Royal Ballet and now principal with Ballett Zürich.
Advisors
Sarah Woodcock, former Assistant Curator, Theatre Museum.
Stephen Johnson, writer on music, composer and broadcaster.
Francesca Franchi, former Head of Collections at The Royal Opera House.
Jane Pritchard MBE, Curator of Dance, Theatre and Performance at the V&A, archivist for English National Ballet and Rambert Dance.
Peter Wilson OBE, former Secretary of the Royal Ballet Benevolent Fund and Hon. Secretary to the Governors of the Royal Ballet Companies.
Gerald Dowler, author and critic
Trustees
Kathryn Wade, former principal with the Royal Ballet and Director of English National Ballet School, and former principal of The Royal Ballet School Outreach Programme.
Jonathan Gray, writer and former editor of the Dancing Times.
Patricia Linton, founder of Voices of British Ballet
Former Trustees and Patrons
George Walden, CMG, former MP, Government Minister and Diplomat and now author and journalist, a Trustee from our start in 2002 and chair from 2005 until 2022.
The Lord Quinton of Holywell, Philosopher, former President of Trinity College Oxford and former Chairman of the British Library, first Hon. President of Voices of British Ballet and chair from 2002 until 2005.
Hon. President: The Baroness Deborah Bull, CBE. Dancer, writer and broadcaster, Bull was a former ballerina with the Royal Ballet and former Creative Director of the Royal Opera House, was Director of the Cultural Partnership, King’s College London and then VicePresident and Vice Principal of King’s College London. She was a Trustee of Voices of British Ballet from 2002 – 2005.
Dame Beryl Grey, CH, DBE, a ballerina with Sadler’s Wells Ballet and the Royal Ballet, former artistic director of London Festival Ballet (later English National Ballet), was a Patron of Voices of British Ballet from 2002 until her death in 2022.
Interviewers
Rose Attfield (English teacher and academic)
Jane Burn (Former principal with the Royal Ballet)
Katie Burningham (Radio producer, and an interviewer for the de Valois conference 2011)
Meryl Chappel (Former dancer with The Royal Ballet; stained glass window specialist, lecturer and practitioner)
Hilary Condron (Former choreologist at the Royal Ballet School)
Clement Crisp (Critic and author)
Tudor Davis (Former dancer, choreographer and theatre director and former vice-principal of Laine Theatre Arts)
Gerald Dowler (JP, critic, author and former teacher at City of London School)
Frank Freeman (Former dancer with the Royal Ballet; teacher, choreographer and late governor of the Royal Ballet)
Richard Glasstone (Choreographer, ballet teacher and author)
Jonathan Gray (Freelance writer on dance and former editor of the Dancing Times. Trustee for Voices of British Ballet)
Jacquie Hollander (Former choreologist to the Royal Ballet)
Jennifer Jackson (Former dancer with the Royal Ballet; choreographer, and university lecturer)
Stephen Johnson (Author, critic, composer and radio presenter)
Jeanetta Laurence (Former dancer with The Royal Ballet; associate director of The Royal Ballet; chair of The Frederick Ashton Foundation)
Sue Lawe (Former dancer with the Royal Ballet; barrister)
Alastair Macaulay (Author and critic; former dance critic for the New York Times)
Nicola Gaines (Early dance specialist, performer and teacher)
Amanda Maxwell (Former dancer with Festival Ballet; teacher of character work at The Royal Ballet School)
Gail Monahan, (Former dancer with the Royal Ballet, and former governor of the Royal Ballet)
Mark Monahan, (Arts editor & dance critic for The Daily Telegraph)
Anthony O’Hear (Professor of philosophy, University of Buckingham)
Daniel Pratt (Dancer with Sarasota Ballet and author)
Simon Rice (Former dancer with the Royal Ballet; teacher and choreographer)
Philippa Ritchie (Radio producer)
Sir Luke Rittner, CBE (Former secretary general of the Arts Council of Great Britain and former chief executive of the Royal Academy of Dance)
Bruce Sansom (Former principal of the Royal Ballet; assistant artistic director of San Francisco Ballet and former head of Central School of Ballet)
Natalie Steed, (Radio producer, interviewer and podcast producer for Voices of British Ballet)
Kathryn Wade (Former principal with the Royal Ballet; former principal of the English National Ballet School; former principal of the Royal Ballet School Outreach Programme. Trustee of Voices of British Ballet)
Lynn Wallis (Former dancer with the Royal Ballet; former director of the Royal Academy of Dance and trustee of the Frederick Ashton Foundation)
Deborah Weiss (Former dancer with London Festival Ballet, author, critic and editor of Bachtrack)
Image Credit
The main Voices of British Ballet image features Antoinette Sibley as The Bride in Kenneth MacMillan’s Le baiser de la fée. The photograph was taken by Roy Round and we are very grateful to Tobias Round for his kind permission to use it.
About page images courtesy of Edward Colyer.
Website Credits
This website has been written and compiled by Gerard Dowler, Jonathan Gray, Isabella Hulbert, Patricia Linton, Anthony O’Hear and Daniel Pratt.
Editor: Jonathan Gray.
Graphics and additional image content: Jeremy Richardson. Podcast pages copy-editing: David Hopper.
Additional picture research and Project Management: Natalie Steed.
Web Design: Dan Coe at DCOE:D