The Royal Ballet School

Biography

The Royal Ballet School is a British school of classical ballet training founded in 1926 by the Anglo-Irish ballerina and choreographer Ninette de Valois. The school's aim is to train and educate outstanding classical ballet dancers, especially for the Royal Ballet and the Birmingham Royal Ballet.

Channel description

The Royal Ballet School is one of the world’s greatest centres of classical ballet training, which for generations has produced dancers and choreographers of international renown including Margot Fonteyn, Anya Linden, Kenneth MacMillan, Lynn Seymour, David Wall, Antoinette Sibley, Anthony Dowell, Marguerite Porter, Stephen Jefferies, Darcey Bussell and Jonathan Cope.

And now there’s a new generation making its mark on the world stage, all of whom trained at the Royal Ballet School – Lauren Cuthbertson, Steven McRae, Edward Watson, Christopher Wheeldon and Liam Scarlett to name a few.

Admission to the School is based purely on talent and potential, regardless of academic ability or personal circumstances and 89% of current students rely on financial support to attend the School.

The School offers an eight-year carefully structured dance course, aligned with an extensive academic programme, giving the students the best possible education to equip them for a career in the world o

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• 01 589 Choreography from Year 8 student, Rosie, on the importance of education May 27, 2026
• 02 621 Choreography from our Year 8 student, Will, inspired by David Attenborough May 27, 2026
• 03 2.2K Leave a lasting legacy to the The Royal Ballet School May 27, 2026
• 04 152 100 stories for 100 years: Jonathan Watkins Apr 28, 2026
• 05 3.2K Inside the studio: rehearsing Ninette de Valois' Checkmate for the School's centenary performances Apr 9, 2026