In review: 2025 Summer Performance at the Royal Opera House

Saturday 12 July marked the final show of our 2025 Summer Performance season on the Royal Opera House main stage, following two stellar performances at the Linbury Theatre and five at Opera Holland Park.

Each year, our students exceed expectations, bringing energy, passion and immense talent to the stage as they showcase their ability to perform a challenging array of repertoire on some of the largest public stages.

The Royal Opera House radiated enthusiasm and awe as the curtains closed on another performance season, captivating a sold-out audience of family, friends, staff, alumni, supporters, ballet enthusiasts and members of the press.

Read more about what the press had to say about our final matinée performance:

It was, quite simply, the best Royal Ballet School performance I have seen in years. – Jonathan Gray, Bachtrack

The Royal Ballet School Summer Performance was a dazzling show of technique, professionalism and sheer joy of dancing – Teresa Guerreiro, Ballet Position

Iain Mackay may have only recently stepped in to the role of Artistic Director of one of the most famous schools in the world but, undaunted, has already upped the game by a large margin. This year’s Summer Performance was tour-de-force, with unbelievably high standards of dancing from the youngest to the oldest, two classical ballets performed to top professional standards, and five new pieces all of which were creative, innovative, inspiring, and exciting to watch. A huge well done to everyone involved, but especially, of course, to the dancers. – Nicola Claire, Seeing Dance

I feel confident in saying that the show is perhaps the best school offering I’ve ever seen, and rivalled a lot of the professional performances I’ve attended over the last few years. What struck me was the mindset of the young performers. The joy of dance simply radiated from the stage, as did confidence and bravery. These traits are mostly developed within the context they find themselves in – the daily grind – and that’s Mackay’s house, plus his brilliant faculty, and all of this should be acknowledged and celebrated. Mackay has also devised a successful programme which shows the strength and breadth of the school, its current student body and the legacy that underpins the institution as we know it. – Matthew Paluch, Broadway World

Aurora’s Wedding 

Our matinée programme opened with Aurora’s Wedding, restaged for the School by Anthony Dowell and performed by Upper School 1st, 2nd and Pre-professional Years. 

They aced it.  As the Princess the aptly named Aurora Chinchilla showed regal demeanour and technical assurance; as Prince Florimund Joe Parkinson proved a charming, attentive partner. It was a glorious occasion, one that bodes well for the future of The Royal Ballet and of ballet in the UK in general.  Iain MacKay and his faculty are to be wholeheartedly congratulated. – Teresa Guerreiro, Ballet Position

By the end of this suite, when the royal court bows down before Aurora and Florimund, the audience was feeling equally reverential. All the students had dreamily sailed through the Royal Ballet’s signature work.  – Georgina Butler, Gramilano

Les Patineurs 

A party of skaters from Upper School 2nd and Pre-professional Years then took to the ice in Frederick Ashton’s charming Les Patineurs, staged by Vanessa Palmer.   

On a scorcher of a Saturday, there could have been no better way for an appreciative audience to cool off than to be swept away in this glittering snowstorm. Timeless and tasteful – elegant filigree arches border the pond, bare tree branches and glowing lanterns are suspended overhead, the starry night sky glistens with promises – this piece demands the best from every single [ice] dancer. And they delivered: soloists, couples, trios and groups made forming kaleidoscopic patterns on the ice and freezing off-kilter lifts look easy. They all blew us away, as if by a gust of wintery wind. Notably, the Blue Boy (second-year student Wendel Vieira Teles Dos Santos) risked melting the ice with the warmth of his smile and showmanship, not to mention searingly strong technique.  – Georgina Butler, Gramilano

When the ‘snow’ came down, it was a moment of pure magic that made the audience gasped with wonder. – Nicola Claire, Seeing Dance

The production was both slick and joyous. – Matthew Paluch, Broadway World

The students captured the exquisite style of the ballet exactly, emphasising especially the sliding movements suggestive of ice skating, as well as the choreography’s innate sense of charm and fun. – Jonathan Gray, Bachtrack

Garden Suite 

Ruth Brill brought a wildflower garden to life with Garden Suite, created especially for our Year 7, 8 and 9 students who assumed the role of ants, bees, ladybirds and grasshoppers. 

It was a delight. Brill’s choreography is just right, engaging but never twee, and showcasing these future dancers to perfection. – Nicola Claire, Seeing Dance

Sweet Morning Blooms 

The flower theme continued with acclaimed American choreographer Jessica Lang’s bright new piece for our 1st Year students titled Sweet Morning Blooms.  

Classical with a modern twist, and American in its freshness in relation to structuring and execution, it really was a breath of fresh air. White and (strong) pastels defined an invigorated palette, and the dancing by the 1st year Upper School students was both athletic and capricious. – Matthew Paluch, Broadway World

Gridlock 

London-based dance artist and choreographer, Hannah Joseph, was intrigued by the idea of individuality through synchronicity when creating Gridlock for our 2nd Year students. 

Gridlock by Hannah Joseph had a strong, distinct identity. I saw urban-esque matadors, and the 2nd year Upper School students seemed to enjoy discovering the freedom within the bound movement style. – Matthew Paluch, Broadway World

Tracks Uniting 

Iva Lešić returned to the School with Tracks Uniting, an energetic new folk piece created in collaboration with the Dutch National Ballet Academy and performed by our White Lodge Year 10 and 11 students. 

The students from  the White Lodge years 10 and 11 handled its syncopated rhythms and fast progressions with great precision.  It was thrilling to see. – teresa

A character piece, but with a very modern, classical feel, it was perfectly suited to the dancers, who performed it expertly. – Nicola Claire, Seeing Dance

Culmination 

Set to three uplifting and energetic tracks by Quincy Jones, Olivier award-winning choreographer Arielle Smith’s Culmination marked the final piece that our Pre-professional students performed together as a cohort. 

You would have been excused for thinking a wild Brazilian samba school had hijacked the proceedings, such was the dancers’ abandon and joie de vivre – none more thrilling and expressive, perhaps, than Tristan-Ian Massa – teresa

The combination of orange hues, bossa nova vibes and dancing like your life depends on it, meant that anyone watching had no hope of escaping the intoxicating trip. All dancers were brilliant but Tristan-Ian Massa was on a totally different level – just wow. – Matthew Paluch, Broadway World

Grand Défilé 

As tradition, the performance ended with the mesmerising Grand Défilé, with all 212 students of The Royal Ballet School uniting on the main stage of the Royal Opera House for one final curtain call – some for the last time as students before they embark on glittering professional careers worldwide. 

The performance closed with a Defile to Carl Czerny’s rousing music, which offered another opportunity to see the student body from 11-19 in their element. The whole experience was overwhelming when contemplating the talent and extreme hard work involved in getting to this point. Consequently it must be said: Mackay has his house in order – and this was most evident in the way the young people felt capable of giving themselves wholeheartedly in performance; joy abounds. – Matthew Paluch, Broadway World

View more images from our performance at the Royal Opera House below.