1973 – David Gayle’s Yorkshire Ballet Seminars established

David Gayle danced with The Royal Ballet in the 1960’s and, on leaving the company, was the very first man to enrol on the newly formed Teacher Training Course at The Royal Ballet School. He went on to teach in Britain and the United States.

Aware of the need for young dancers far from London to have something of their own that was easy to reach and of very good quality he set up the Yorkshire Ballet Seminars, in his hometown of Ilkley, in August 1975. They were opened by Ninette de Valois and the first master class was given by Alicia Markova.