Join us for a series of three centenary insight events at White Lodge, Upper School and online on 8, 15 and 22 March.
These three events will explore the past, present and future of The Royal Ballet School and its place in the wider cultural landscape through performance, student demonstrations and varied presentations.
The events include live repertoire performances by our Upper School students, featuring a recreation of Dame Ninette de Valois’ The Arts of the Theatre (1925) along with a new choreography by Dr Adesola Akinleye, created especially for this centenary celebration.
Internal speakers will include Artistic Director Iain Mackay, Head of Teacher Training Karen Berry with The Royal Ballet School Healthcare Team and Dr Anna Meadmore. We are also privileged to welcome external guests including Professor Susan Jones, dance critic Sarah Crompton, Dr Susan Crow and Dr Adesola Akinleye.
Guest speakers
Each insight event will begin with an introduction from The Royal Ballet School’s Artistic Director, Iain Mackay and Manager of Special Collections and curator of the centenary insight events, Dr Anna Meadmore.
Ticket prices per day
In-person: £60
Online: £15
Booking opens 4 February 2026
Centenary insight: our past
8 March 2026
10.00 – 17.00 GMT
White Lodge, Richmond Park, Richmond, Surrey, TW10 5HR
Visit the historic White Lodge to learn about the School’s early foundation and witness a performance of The Arts of the Theatre (1925), de Valois’ early ballet recreated by Dr Anna Meadmore and our Upper School students. Prof Susan Jones, Emeritus Professor of Modern Literature at St. Hilda’s, Oxford, and a former member of Scottish Ballet, will set the historical and cultural context of de Valois’ original School, founded during the inter-war modernist period. Enjoy a day of theatrical readings of early correspondence between our founding members by theatre writer Heloise Spring and professional actors and panel discussions about how our heritage nourishes our future.Â
Centenary insight: our present
15 March 2026
10.00 – 17.00 GMT
Upper School, 46 Floral Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9DA
Shaping Change: Innovation and Evolution in Ballet TrainingÂ
Join us in Covent Garden to gain insight into our renowned system of training. Hear from Dr. Susie Crow about wider dance education and cultural contexts and from Teacher Training Manager Karen Berry about the various teacher training programmes offered by the School. This event features live student demonstrations of current pedagogical practice alongside our Artistic staff and Healthcare team.
Centenary insight: our future
22 March 2026
10.00 – 17.00 GMT
Upper School, 46 Floral Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9DA
Foundational and future aspirations: considering the ongoing impact of the regenerative creative ethos embedded in The Royal Ballet SchoolÂ
Conclude this series of centenary insight days with an exciting look into the next 100 years of the School, including an exclusive performance of Excerpts from ‘Sycorax’s Tempest’ by Dr Adesola Akinleye with our Upper School students. Dr Anna Meadmore and Artistic Director Iain Mackay will explore how de Valois’ emphasis on choreography continues to shape the School, particularly with the Ninette de Valois Choreographic Programme. Current students will showcase their choreography. Dance and theatre critic Sarah Crompton will conclude the evening with a panel of School staff, alumni and members of The Royal Ballet, with drinks and a reception to follow.
