The Royal Ballet

The Royal Ballet is a British classical ballet company based at the Royal Opera House in London. Its repertory spans classical works and ballets created for the company.

The Sleeping Beauty (Royal Ballet production): The Royal Ballet’s production of Marius Petipa’s classical ballet, first staged by the company in 1946. This 1946 production helped establish the company’s postwar identity.
Ninette de Valois: An Irish-born dancer and choreographer who founded the Vic-Wells Ballet and shaped the Royal Ballet’s institutional foundations. Her leadership established the company that became the Royal Ballet.
Royal Ballet School: A London ballet school that trains dancers and has a close institutional relationship with the Royal Ballet. The school supplied many dancers as the company developed its own artistic identity.
English National Ballet: A British ballet company founded in 1950 that performs across the United Kingdom and is based in London. It offers a major British company counterpart with a distinct touring mission.
British ballet: Ballet made and performed in Britain, shaped by local institutions, artists, and repertory. The company became one of the central institutions of this national tradition.
The Nutcracker (Royal Ballet production): The Royal Ballet’s 1984 production of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s ballet, choreographed by Peter Wright. Wright’s production became a defining recurring work in the company’s repertory.
Frederick Ashton: A British choreographer whose ballets helped define the style and repertory of the Royal Ballet. His works gave the company a distinctive British choreographic tradition.
Vic-Wells Ballet: A British ballet company founded by Ninette de Valois in 1931, which became the Sadler’s Wells Ballet. The Royal Ballet grew from the company de Valois established under this name.
Birmingham Royal Ballet: A British ballet company based in Birmingham that developed from the Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet. Its shared institutional ancestry contrasts with the Royal Ballet’s London base.
Ballet in the United Kingdom: The history and practice of ballet across the United Kingdom, including its companies, schools, and audiences. The company’s history forms a major strand of ballet’s development in Britain.

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