The School takes over Covent Garden this summer with screenings, sculptures, sweets and more
From 22-27 June, The Royal Ballet School has partnered with Covent Garden on a landmark Piazza takeover to mark the School’s centenary year and transform one of London’s most iconic public spaces into an open-air celebration of ballet, performance and creativity. The takeover will be open to the public from 12.00-20.00 Monday to Saturday.
Film screenings, merch cart and a London tour map
The Covent Garden Big Screen will provide exclusive behind-the-scenes content from within the School, including daily classes, performances, student choreography, interviews and dance-themed films, including Billy Elliot the Musical, Step Up, Ballerina and Center Stage. On Saturday 27 June, there will be three 30-minute live participation classes for the public to get up from the deck chairs and learn simple ballet movements
Next to the screen and deck chairs, the School will be handing out a unique London tour map of Royal Ballet School landmarks, designed by Marketing and Communications Executive Catja Christensen. Lucky recipients will find a golden ticket inside select maps, with each ticket corresponding to a prize from the School and local partners.
A cart will also sell brand new centenary merchandise designed by Catja and Digital Marketing Apprentice Aimee Tregunno and provide information about the School’s upcoming Summer Performances at Opera Holland Park.
Ballet-themed food and beverage
Between viewings, visitors can enjoy drinks from award-winning winemaker Chapel Down, a curated menu of afternoon tea treats and charcuterie from Courtyard Wine Cellars, a black sesame seed matcha from TOKKIA, inspired by legendary ballet Swan Lake and featuring a feather-like black-and-white design and Blondies Kitchen’s’ pink strawberry shortcake ‘Sugar Plum Fairy’ cookie.
A butterfly sculpture made of pointe shoes
The celebration will also feature a new sculpture created by former English National Ballet dancer and artist Amber Hunt. The ‘Strength and Grace Butterfly’, crafted from pointe shoes previously worn by Amber and other dancers from the institution, creating a symbolic connection between The Royal Ballet School’s past, present and future.
Amber says of her sculpture:
The Royal Ballet School inspired our design through its unique ability to transform young dancers into artists. We were particularly drawn to the idea of metamorphosis – the journey of growth, dedication and continual development that every student experiences.
By constructing the wings from the students’ shoes, we wanted to highlight the balance of strength and grace that lies at the heart of ballet. Pointe shoes are associated with the way a dancer makes their art form look effortless, yet they are also tools of immense discipline, endurance and physical strength. Bringing hundreds of these shoes together into a single pair of wings reflects the collective effort, resilience and artistry that I’ve had the pleasure of capturing in photography over the years and now with this new sculpture to celebrate The Royal Ballet School’s 100th year.
Our process began by exploring visual symbols that could express both transformation and the physical realities of ballet training. The butterfly emerged as a natural representation of growth and metamorphosis, while the ballet shoes provided a direct connection to the dancers themselves.
We developed the concept of creating life-sized wings that visitors could stand in front of and interact with. The design evolved through sketching, modelling and experimenting with how the pointe and ballet shoes could be arranged to create the organic shapes and patterns found in butterfly wings. Students and alumni all contributed their used shoes, which were then hand dyed different colours so that each shoe became like an individual brushstroke, contributing texture, movement and depth to the overall form. The final installation combines over 250 shoes with close to 100 hours of construction (and a lot more head scratching), creating a piece through used ballet materials that celebrates both artistry and craftsmanship.
We hope visitors experience a sense of wonder and inspiration when they encounter the installation. From a distance, we want the wings to evoke beauty, lightness and grace; on closer inspection, we hope people recognise the pointe shoes and reflect on the dedication, perseverance and strength that they represent.
The installation is intended to celebrate the extraordinary journey of every dancer. We hope visitors leave with a deeper appreciation of the commitment behind ballet’s apparent effortlessness and feel inspired by the idea that transformation is achieved through patience, hard work and passion. The wings invite people to imagine themselves taking flight, embodying both the strength and grace that define the spirit of The Royal Ballet School.
An aerial installation inspired by ballet and the Bridge of Aspiration
Walk through the Market Building and look up to see the aerial installation titled A Century of Becoming by sculptural artist Pauline Loctin.
Pauline describes her creative process:
The installation was inspired by movement, transformation and the shared language between ballet and my sculptural practice. The word plié, one of the most iconic ballet movements, literally means “folded” in French, and folding is at the heart of my work. Just as dancers use their bodies to tell stories through movement, I use paper as my medium, with every fold carrying meaning and memory.
Drawing on the architecture of The Royal Ballet School and the geometric lines of the Bridge of Aspiration, I created 25 suspended sculptures from over 200 sheets of hand-folded paper. Through 26,000 folds made entirely by hand, I wanted to tell the story of the School, celebrating the generations of dancers who have grown, evolved and passed on their knowledge over the past 100 years. The colours flow from blue to purple and red, reflecting this journey of transformation and continuity.
I hope the installation inspires people to pause, look up and experience ballet in a new way. For me, this work is a ballet reimagined through sculpture, where movement is created not by dancers’ bodies but through folded paper. The suspended forms appear to dance in the air, capturing the grace, rhythm and energy of ballet through thousands of carefully crafted folds.
I want visitors to feel a sense of wonder, movement and possibility, and to discover the connection between these two worlds: ballet and folding. Even without stepping into a theatre, they can experience how paper can embody motion and emotion, and connect with the beauty, discipline and creativity that both dance and sculpture share.
Covent Garden has long been a champion of the arts in London, and The Royal Ballet School has inspired generations of dancers for the past 100 years. To celebrate this centenary through a large-scale public artwork in such an iconic location feels very special. It is an incredible honour. It’s a dream collaboration and a meaningful moment in my artistic journey.
ITV London captured the photo opportunity, featuring behind-the-scenes footage, archival videos and interviews with Pauline, 1st Year student Maia and 2nd Year student Robin.
A garden full of tutus
Covent Garden’s Head of Horticulture Kenny Wilding-Raybourn has designed a bespoke floral installation, capturing the students’ growth and the beauty of ballet in a magical display of seasonal blooms.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to experience Covent Garden like never before and celebrate 100 years of excellence with The Royal Ballet School.
Catja Christensen is the Marketing and Communications Executive at The Royal Ballet School and joined the School in 2025. She enjoys interviewing students, staff and guest artists for news stories and crafting eye-catching newsletters.
