Birmingham Royal Ballet Archives » Voices of British Ballet

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Timeline Event » 1919 – World premieres of La Boutique fantasque and Le tricorne, by the Ballets Russes

La Boutique fantasque and Le tricorne Set in an enchanted toy shop in the 1860s, Léonide Massine’s La Boutique fantasque was one of his happiest and most effervescent works, danced to Ottorino...

Timeline Event » 1922 – Foundation of Elmhurst School in Camberley, Surrey

Founded by Helen Ida Mortimer in the grounds of a Prep School run by Miss Violet Crisp, Elmhurst Ballet School is one of the oldest vocational dance schools in Britain. It was based at premises in...

Timeline Event » 1926 – Ninette de Valois opens the Academy of Choreographic Art

Ninette de Valois (1898-2001) was an Irish dancer, choreographer and founding director of The Royal Ballet.In 1918 and 1919 she became principal dancer for the Beecham Opera at Covent Garden and...

Timeline Event » 1977 – The Royal Ballet New Group becomes Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet with Peter Wright as director

Peter Wright studied ballet with Kurt Jooss, Vera Volkova and Peggy van Praagh. After dancing with several companies, including Sadler’s Wells Theatre Ballet, he became director of the Sadler’s...

Timeline Event » 1981 – Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet dances Peter Wright and Galina Samsova’s new production of Swan Lake

In the autumn of 1981, Sadler’s Wells (now Birmingham) Royal Ballet undertook an ambitious undertaking – a new production of Swan Lake. Produced by Peter Wright and Galina Samsova and...

Timeline Event » 1995 – David Bintley becomes director of Birmingham Royal Ballet

Following Peter Wright’s retirement, David Bintley was appointed artistic director of Birmingham Royal Ballet, a position he held until 2019. Under his leadership, as well as dancing works by...

Timeline Event » 1995 – Premiere of David Bintley’s Carmina Burana by Birmingham Royal Ballet

To launch his leadership of Birmingham Royal Ballet, David Bintley created a new version of Carmina Burana to Carl Orff’s epic score. The production, in designs by Philip Prowse, was spectacular,...

Timeline Event » 2014 – Alexander Whitley Dance Company established

Alexander Whitley trained at The Royal Ballet School and started his performing career with Birmingham Royal Ballet. Leaving the classical landscape, Whitley moved on to dance with contemporary...

Timeline Event » 2017 – Kenneth MacMillan Celebration

From the 18 October until 1 November 2017, the Royal Opera House combined the talents of all five of Britain’s major classical ballet companies for the first time to celebrate the 25th anniversary...

Timeline Event » 2020 – Carlos Acosta becomes director of Birmingham Royal Ballet

David Bintley stepped down as director of Birmingham Royal Ballet after nearly 20 years. His replacement was Cuban dancer Carlos Acosta.