The Royal Ballet

The Royal Ballet
General information
NameThe Royal Ballet
Previous names
  • Vic-Wells Ballet
  • Sadler's Wells Ballet
Year founded1931
FounderDame Ninette de Valois
PatronHM The King
Principal venueRoyal Opera House, London, UK
Websitewww.roh.org.uk
Senior staff
Director
PresidentLady Sarah Chatto
Artistic staff
Music Director
Resident Choreographers
Other
Sister companyBirmingham Royal Ballet
Associated schoolsRoyal Ballet School

The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded in 1931 by Dame Ninette de Valois.[1] It became the resident ballet company of the Royal Opera House in 1946, and has purpose-built facilities within these premises.[1] It was granted a royal charter in 1956, becoming recognised as Britain's flagship ballet company.

The Royal Ballet was one of the foremost ballet companies of the 20th century, and continues to be one of the world's most famous ballet companies to this day, generally noted for its artistic and creative values. The company employs approximately 100 dancers. The official associate school of the company is the Royal Ballet School, and it also has a sister company, the Birmingham Royal Ballet, which operates independently. The Prima ballerina assoluta of the Royal Ballet is the late Dame Margot Fonteyn.

  1. ^ a b "Royal Opera House Collections Online". rohcollections.org.uk. Archived from the original on 7 April 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2010.