Introduction Origins of Ballet Dance in the 18th Century  18th Century Satire Romantic Ballet  The Cult of the Ballerina The Pas de Quatre Marie Taglioni Classical Ballet 20th Century Revolution  Diaghilev Ballet Diaghilev Ballet after 1918 Nijinsky Anna Pavlova The Establishment of British Ballet  Ballet Rambert The Royal Ballet The Royal Ballet post 1945

Marguerite and Armand

Over the next ten years, the Sadler’s Wells Ballet achieved international fame, first in Europe and then America. In 1957 it became The Royal Ballet. The repertory included the major classical ballets, works by the greatest choreographers of the 20th century, and important revivals from the Diaghilev Ballet repertory. The company developed a new generation of choreographers who included Robert Helpmann, John Cranko and Kenneth MacMillan.

See Margot Fonteyn in Swan Lake Read the Royal Ballet souvenir programme

Royal Ballet Programme

Margot Fonteyn in Swan Lake

Nureyev in Ropes of Time

Cockerel Costume

From de Valois’ original six dancers, The Royal Ballet organisation now comprises the Covent Garden Company and a school training children full time from the age of 10. The Sadler’s Wells Theatre Ballet became the touring section of The Royal Ballet in 1957. It moved to Birmingham in 1990, becoming The Birmingham Royal Ballet. The Royal Ballet has had a major influence on world ballet. Both the ballets it has created and the dancers it has produced have performed all over the world.

Lynn Seymour in Mayerling

Les Biches

Read more about choreography.

Helpmann, Robert

Australian dancer, actor, choreographer and stage director. A dancer of great theatrical flair, Helpmann was the undisputed star of the Sadler's Wells Ballet in the 1930s and 1940s and partner of Margot Fonteyn. He was equally successful as a choreographer, creating strongly theatrical works like Hamlet and Miracle in the Gorbals. He left the company in 1950 and became a successful actor before his appointment as Director of the Australian Ballet in 1965.

Cranko, John

South African born dancer and choreographer. Cranko developed as a choreographer with the Sadler's Wells Ballet organisation. He had extraordinary range from high comedy, like Pineapple Poll danced to music from the Gilbert and Sullivan operas, to psychological explorations. In 1961, he took over the Stuttgart Ballet in Germany in 1961 and transformed it into one of the most important companies in Europe.

MacMillan, Kenneth

One of the outstanding and most controversial of 20th century choreographers developed by The Royal Ballet. MacMillan was greatly influenced by post-war drama and film and his aim was to make ballet as intellectually and emotionally challenging as theatre. His ballets observe the human condition in works that examine isolation, passion, violence, identity and death.