Podcast » Mark Morris
American dancer, choreographer and director Mark Morris is one of the most successful and influential of contemporary modern choreographers.
decade » 2010s
Podcast » Christopher Wheeldon
Christopher Wheeldon talks in 2003 with his former classmate and Royal Ballet First Soloist Jane Burn. Christopher speaks about his early years in dance with candour and charm, mentioning Anatole...
Timeline Event » 2010 – New English Ballet Theatre established
New English Ballet Theatre was launched in 2010. The brainchild of Karen Pilkington-Miksa, who remains its artistic director, the company is mainly a vehicle for dancers, choreographers, designers...
Asphodel Meadows was Liam Scarlett’s first work for the main stage at the Royal Opera House. Performed by The Royal Ballet to music by Francis Poulenc, it announced his arrival as a new voice in...
Arthur Pita’s The Metamorphosis is based on Franz Kafka’s dark tale in which Gregor Samsa, a travelling salesman, awakes one morning to find that he has been turned into a monstrous insect. His...
Timeline Event » 2011 – Premiere of Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by The Royal Ballet
Christopher Wheeldon choreographed Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland for The Royal Ballet in 2011 to music by Joby Talbot. A co-production between The Royal Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada,...
Timeline Event » 2012 – Kevin O’Hare becomes director of The Royal Ballet
Following the retirement of Monica Mason in 2012, Kevin O’Hare was appointed director of The Royal Ballet.
Timeline Event » 2012 – Tamara Rojo becomes director of English National Ballet
In 2012, Tamara Rojo became artistic director of English National Ballet. Among her achievements were the company’s relocation to purpose-built premises in London City Island, the invitation for...
Timeline Event » 2012 – Christopher Hampson becomes director of Scottish Ballet
In 2012, Christopher Hampson became artistic director of Scottish Ballet, combining that role with that of CEO from 2015. There, he has presented works from many leading choreographers, including...
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 » 2015 – Premiere of Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works by The Royal Ballet
Woolf Works was Wayne McGregor’s first full-length work for The Royal Ballet, set to music by Max Richter and inspired by three novels by Virginia Woolf: Mrs Dalloway, Orlando, and The Waves. The...
Timeline Event » 2016 – Premiere of Akram Khan’s Giselle by English National Ballet
Akram Khan’s version of Giselle, performed by English National Ballet at the Palace Theatre, Manchester, in 2016, was a brilliant reimagining, fusing his own dance vocabulary with classical ballet...
Timeline Event » 2017 – Crystal Pite creates Flight Pattern for The Royal Ballet
Flight Pattern, a piece made for 36 members of The Royal Ballet, and set to the first section of Henryk Górecki’s Symphony No. 3, marked an end to an 18 year hiatus of women choreographers...
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...
Over a lifetime Geoffrey Hill produced some of the most important poetry of the era. The Book of Baruch is his final poetic statement. Like much modern ballet it draws on a wealth of different...