Join us for a series of three centenary insight events at White Lodge, Upper School and online on 8, 15 and 22 March.
These three events will explore the past, present and future of The Royal Ballet School and its place in the wider cultural landscape through performance, student demonstrations and varied presentations.
The events include live repertoire performances by our Upper School students, featuring a recreation of Dame Ninette de Valois’ The Arts of the Theatre (1925) along with a new choreography by Dr Adesola Akinleye, created especially for this centenary celebration.
Internal speakers will include Artistic Director Iain Mackay, Head of Teacher Training Karen Berry with The Royal Ballet School Healthcare Team and Dr Anna Meadmore. We are also privileged to welcome external guests including Professor Susan Jones, dance critic Sarah Crompton, Dr Susan Crow and Dr Adesola Akinleye.
22 MARCH 2026 - Foundational and future aspirations: considering the ongoing impact of the regenerative creative ethos embedded in The Royal Ballet School
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- Dr Anna Meadmore (curator of this series of centenary insight days) considers the enduring strengths and possible fault lines in Ninette de Valois’ founding vision for her School – in relation to the teaching of choreography as a composite theatrical form, fostering versatility, and creating a modern ballet repertoire.
- Iain Mackay, graduate of the School, former Principal of Birmingham Royal Ballet and our Artistic Director since 2024, introduces and discusses the School’s unique Ninette de Valois Choreographic Programme. Illustrated by practical student demonstrations and performances of their own work
- Dr Adesola Akinleye, dance artist, choreographer and the editor of the seminal volume (Re:) Claiming Ballet (2021), presents a performance of Excerpts from ‘Sycorax’s Tempest’, a duet, trio and quartet especially created for Upper School students. She considers how the physical language of ballet can be experienced as a creative act of translation between diverse legacies, histories and cultures
- Sarah Crompton, the dance and theatre critic, journalist and writer, hosts a panel including School staff, alumni and current members of The Royal Ballet. The discussion will range across the century-long arc of the three days of insights but focuses on the future relevance of ballet to theatre and wider culture.
