Carlos Acosta CBE

Carlos Acosta CBE, internationally renowned dancer, choreographer, and director, joined The Royal Ballet School’s Board of Governors in July 2020.

Born in Havana in 1973, Carlos trained at Cuba’s National Ballet School before performing internationally with companies including English National Ballet, Houston Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and Paris Opera Ballet.

He joined The Royal Ballet in 1998, becoming a Principal Guest Artist in 2003. Following his retirement from the stage in 2016 after a 28 year-long career, he founded Cuban contemporary dance companies Acosta Danza and Acosta Danza Yunior.

In 2020, he was appointed Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet.

Carlos has received numerous prestigious honours for his impact as a dancer, choreographer and visionary leader, including a CBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List in 2014, the Critics’ Circle National Dance Award for Outstanding Services to the Arts in 2019 and Outstanding Creative Contribution in 2023, as well as the Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre Award at the UK Theatre Awards in 2025.

He has been awarded Honorary Doctorates by the University of Birmingham in 2025 and the University of Oxford in 2026.