Over the years, The Royal Ballet School has produced many acclaimed ballet performers, but also countless choreographers who have gone on to enjoy illustrious careers in the world of dance.

Famous choreographer alumni of the School include Kenneth MacMillan, John Cranko, Robert North, John Neumeier, Michael Clark, Jonathan Burrows, Ashley Page, Russell Maliphant, Jiří Kylián, William Tuckett, Christopher Hampson, David Dawson, Cathy Marston, Alastair Marriott, Alexander Whitley, Andrew McNicol, and Charlotte Edmonds.

Here, we’ll look at how The Royal Ballet School incorporates choreography into its training for students of all ages and how the School’s Choreographic Programme has evolved throughout its nearly 100-year history.

The History of Choreography at The Royal Ballet School

Originally founded in 1926 under the name “The Academy of Choreographic Art,” The Royal Ballet School has a rich history of choreographic training.

The School’s founder, Dame Ninette de Valois, was herself a choreographer and the Artistic Director of the emerging Royal Ballet Company.

She understood the importance of nurturing creative talent within the art form, and, to this day, choreography plays a crucial role in students’ artistic and academic education at the School, albeit in an updated format.

The Royal Ballet School’s choreographic training has progressed in stages since the 1920s under the guidance of different choreographers. 

• From 1968-71, choreographer Léonide Massine taught dance composition at The Royal Ballet School.
• From 1975-81, Richard Glasstone and Kate Flatt taught an initiative based on Massine’s approach. 
• From 1990-99, Norman Morrice and David Drew developed this initiative even further.
• In 1999, Gailene Stock launched an updated Choreographic Programme that is still in place today.

Owing to The Royal Ballet School’s commitment to continually improve classical ballet education, the evolution of the Choreographic Programme is ongoing.

The Royal Ballet School’s Evolving Choreographic Programme

In 2018, The Royal Ballet School’s Artistic Director Christopher Powney conducted a review of the existing Choreographic Programme, aided by an independent think tank of leading choreographers.

These choreographers included Christopher Wheeldon, Kerry Nicholls, David Bintley, Christopher Hampson, Russell Maliphant, Mikaela Polley, and Wayne McGregor.

The review highlighted the School’s invaluable efforts to foster students’ creative expression.

It also emphasised the importance of mentoring while moving away from the judgement or pressures of traditional, competition-based evaluation, particularly for younger students.

The School updated the Choreographic Programme based on this review. The revised Programme builds on the successful work that Choreographic Course Coordinators Susie Cooper, Jennifer Jackson, and Kate Flatt have developed over the past 20 years.

Renewed aims involve broadening students’ understanding of the ballet tradition and introducing new choreographic approaches, drawing from the abundant heritage of The Royal Ballet and new concepts emerging from the contemporary ballet world.

The reformed Choreographic Programme encourages students to participate in various projects that emphasise creativity, discernment, and choice.

Thanks to numerous opportunities to create their own routines, taking inspiration from educational guest workshops and special trips to watch performances and visit galleries, students benefit from a thorough insight into the choreographic process.

The academic curriculum also reflects aspects of the Choreographic Programme, with students studying dance with a focus on developing choreographic craft.

Choreography at White Lodge

As a result of the 2018 review, choreographic events at White Lodge, The Royal Ballet School site for dancers aged 11 to 16, have moved away from a competition format to presentations of younger students’ work. 

Every week throughout the autumn term, students are guided through development sessions, improvisation classes, workshops with guest choreographers, and more, preparing students in Years 7, 8, and 9 for the Ninette de Valois Emerging Choreographer performance, and students in Years 10 and 11 for the Kenneth MacMillan Emerging Choreographer performance.

Named after the School’s founder, the Ninette de Valois Emerging Choreographer performance allows young choreographers to stage their unique works.

Meanwhile, the Kenneth MacMillan Emerging Choreographer performance demands slightly more of older students.

As well as choreographing their own works, Year 10 and 11 students must organise rehearsals, select casts and music, and get involved with costume design and lighting. 

Both performances take place in front of a select audience of staff, peers, and special guests. Plus, a panel of dance specialists offers valuable feedback and advice on each piece of choreography.

Following these performances, the School’s artistic team selects a few of the students’ original works to undergo further development with a mentor.

These developed pieces return to the stage at important School events like the Summer Fair.

Choreography at Upper School

Upper School, The Royal Ballet School’s site for students aged 16 to 19, has also introduced a new approach to choreographic training in recent years, involving mentorship from professional choreographers. 

First-year Upper School students receive choreographic training through a series of introductory composition sessions that fine-tune their grasp of gesture, improvisation, time, and space, and help them generate new ideas from the principles of classical ballet.

Second-year Upper School students experience choreographic craft development, group work, and music education.

The School’s older students also work on a themed, longer project for the revised Ursula Moreton Emerging Choreographer performance, receiving guidance from young, established choreographers.

Due to The Royal Ballet School’s updated Choreographic Programme, the Ursula Moreton Emerging Choreographer performance, first established in 1973, has seen a shift from a contest format to an event showcasing students’ creative skill and achievement.

Like the choreographic events at White Lodge, a select few pieces undergo further development, resulting in professional presentations later that academic year at the Linbury Theatre and Opera Holland Park.

The list of past Ursula Moreton Emerging Choreographer winners who are today professional choreographers includes Adam Cooper, Cathy Marston, Christopher Hampson, Christopher Wheeldon, Jonathan Burrows, Matthew Hart, William Tuckett, and Xander Parish.

Learn more about The Royal Ballet School’s Choreographic Programme.

About The Royal Ballet School

The Royal Ballet School is world-renowned for its classical ballet training, with a reputation for nurturing and educating students who become exceptional performers and choreographers.

The School has trained iconic dancers such as Margot Fonteyn, Darcey Bussell, and Anthony Dowell, as well as a new generation of stars, including Lauren Cuthbertson, Vadim Muntagirov, and Marcelino Sambé.

The School admits dancers through an audition process based solely on artistic potential and does not consider academic ability or personal circumstances.

On average, 88% of the School’s full-time students receive financial support to fund their courses.

Once their training is complete, many enjoy careers with The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, and more of the best UK and international dance companies.

The Royal Ballet School offers an extensive Training and Access programme that seeks to broaden opportunities so that more children, teachers, and members of the public can access the School’s dance training expertise.