Royal Ballet and Opera 2026/27 Season

• A Season of ballet masterworks: Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Ashton’s Symphonic Variations and Daphnis and Chloë, and MacMillan’s Manon and Song of the Earth

• Wayne McGregor at 20: The Royal Ballet revives Chroma and MADDADDAM to mark his two decades as Resident Choreographer

• 50 years of Schools’ Matinees: expanding access, opportunity and creative futures

• A global Season on screen: nine productions broadcast in 1,500 cinemas

• Tickets from £7, on sale from 24 June 2026

Royal Ballet and Opera (RBO) announces the 2026/27 Season, a showcase of world‑class talent across both bold reinterpretations of classic works and groundbreaking new creations. This expansive Season underscores the RBO’s commitment to delivering extraordinary artistic experiences that resonate deeply with audiences across the globe.

Alex Beard, Chief Executive Officer, Royal Ballet and Opera said: “Our 2026/27 Season is a celebration of bold storytelling, artistic innovation and inspiring performances that push the possibilities of our art forms. Through world‑class music, dance and theatre, we aim to connect with audiences not only in our two theatres, but across the globe. Alongside our cinema season, digital platforms and international reach, we are opening doors for people right across the UK through our expanding schools and community programmes – inspiring creativity and growing access to our art forms for all.”

You might have read Alex Beard’s comments in a piece headlines, “Timothée Chalamet said ‘no one cares’ about opera — and boosted sales” in The Times

HERO_SUMMER SCHOOL_2627_1st Year Upper School students in Sweet Morning Blooms by Jessica Lang

The Royal Ballet

This Season, The Royal Ballet proudly unveils a programme that both honours an extraordinary lineage and embraces the exhilarating future of the art form – a celebration of the world’s finest dancers and the creative forces redefining what ballet can be.

In celebration of his 20th anniversary as Resident Choreographer, The Royal Ballet revives Wayne McGregor’s Chroma. The ballet burst onto the scene in 2006, electrifying audiences with its radical exploration of the extremes of the human body. With a powerful original score by Joby Talbot and Jack White III, Chroma and its success led to McGregor’s appointment in his current role and earned him his first of four Olivier awards.

This landmark moment anchors an extraordinary mixed programme, Disruptors, in May 2027, when audiences are invited to experience ballet anew through four genre‑defying works from today’s most compelling contemporary voices. Pam Tanowitz brings her unmistakable blend of wit, playfulness and emotional depth in Or Forevermore, joined by Never Known, the atmospheric 2024 creation by Royal Ballet Soloist and choreographer Joshua Junker.

Completing the Disruptors programme is Hunting a Whisper in the Wind, a poetic pas de deux from Akram Khan, the internationally acclaimed choreographer celebrated for his bold and imaginative approach to storytelling through movement.

The celebration of McGregor’s two decades with the Company continues with the return of his multi‑sensory epic MADDADDAM, following its exhilarating sold‑out UK premiere in 2024. Inspired by Margaret Atwood’s monumental trilogy of novels and with an original score by Max Richter, the work reaffirms its place as one of McGregor’s most visionary and ambitiouscreations – a defining milestone in a partnership that has reshaped the landscape of contemporary ballet.

The Season also welcomes the return of compelling works that form the bedrock of the Company’s heritage. We open with Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon, a dramatic masterpiece of passion and betrayal. In this signature work of The Royal Ballet, MacMillan’s nuanced understanding of human psychology makes for an unflinching look into the moral degradation of Manon’s Paris, while all its decadence and decay are brought to life through Jules Massenet’s score and Nicholas Georgiadis’s designs.

This is followed by Visionaries: Robbins and MacMillan, bringing together two 20th‑century masterpieces: MacMillan’s elegiac Song of the Earth and Jerome Robbins’s much‑loved Dances at a Gathering. Seen side by side, these works highlight the expressive depth and remarkable versatility of our dancers.

In January 2027, The Royal Ballet honours its Founder Choreographer Frederick Ashton with Landmarks: Unmissable Ashton – a chance to experience three of his milestone creations across three decades: Les Rendezvous, Symphonic Variations and Daphnis and Chloë.

Together, they illuminate the imaginative sweep and exquisite craftsmanship of the choreographer who helped define the very essence of English ballet. The programme is also a rare opportunity in ballet to hear the Royal Opera Chorus combine forces with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House in Daphnis and Chloë’s immense orchestration by Maurice Ravel.

Christmas brings the return of Peter Wright’s beloved The Nutcracker, revived in his centenary year and continuing its cherished tradition as a festive favourite for audiences of all ages.

Liam Scarlett’s acclaimed production of Swan Lake for The Royal Ballet also returns, uniting Tchaikovsky’s sweeping score with John Macfarlane’s sumptuous designs in an enduring tale of love, treachery and redemption.

To mark The Royal Ballet School’s centenary, the Company brings together dancers from The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and The Royal Ballet School in a vibrant showcase of past, present and future talent. A suite from Ninette de Valois’s Checkmate opens the programme, followed by unique performances of Ashton’s Birthday Offering combining dancers from both companies. Completing the evening will be an exciting array of works from other choreographers associated with the School and companies.

For ballets on the Main Stage, Royal Ballet Music Director Koen Kessels leads the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, alongside staff conductor Martin Georgiev and returning conductors Charlotte Politi, Jonathan Lo and Geoffrey Paterson.

Beyond the Main Stage, the Linbury Theatre comes alive with a dynamic mix of Royal Ballet creativity and exceptional visiting companies. The programme opens with The McRae/Vassilev Project, an exciting new venture bringing together the acclaimed charismatic qualities of Principal dancer Steven McRae and Principal Guest Concert Master Vasko Vassilev in a new fusion of music and movement directed by Natalie Abrahami (Rusalka, TheTurn of the Screw). The piece features a new creation choreographed by Loughlan Prior inspired by the music of the prodigious violinist Niccolo Paganini.

Sitting alongside the RBS centenary celebrations is Madam, a tribute to Royal Ballet Founder Ninette de Valois, co-curated by Director Kevin O’Hare and Principal Guest Artist Lauren Cuthbertson. Weaving excerpts from Madam’s ballets with conversation, discussion and film, the programme delves into the enduring impact of this seminal figure of British ballet.

Innovative Danish company Kammerballetten makes its Linbury Theatre debut with Stay Tuned, a poetic full‑length chamber ballet created by the acclaimed choreographic duo Sol León and Paul Lightfoot. Known internationally for their distinctive movement language and celebrated works for companies around the world, including The Royal Ballet’s Main Stage works in June this year, León and Lightfoot bring together nine exceptional dancers and live musicians for a rich, seven‑movement odyssey set to music by Baroque and contemporary composers. With Stay Tuned, the company invites Linbury audiences into an intimate and contemplative fusion of dance and music, demonstrating the artistry that has positioned Kammerballetten at the forefront of contemporary ballet.

Choreographer Pam Tanowitz and Royal Ballet Principal William Bracewell come together for an exciting collaboration in the Linbury Theatre. Once more to this star is set to the piano arrangement of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring and an original score by Ted Hearne. Known for her singularly witty deconstruction of balletic vocabulary, Tanowitz shares a special relationship with the Company. She has created four works for The Royal Ballet comprising Everyone Keeps Me and Secret Things in the Linbury Theatre, and Dispatch Duet and Or Forevermore on the Main Stage, for which she also worked with Bracewell. This project will see Bracewell push himself creatively, extending beyond classical ballet as choreographer and dancer continue their unique partnership.

The Company continues to welcome a remarkable roster of guest companies — including Fallen Angels Dance Theatre, Ballet Black, London City Ballet, Introdans and Northern Ballet – each enriching the Season with fresh perspectives and inspiring storytelling. Rounding off the Season, groundbreaking storytellers ZooNation, led by Kate Prince, return next Summer with the acclaimed, hip hop inspired, The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.

Championing future talent remains central to The Royal Ballet’s mission. The Next Generation Festival and International Draft Works return, offering audiences a compelling first encounter with the choreographers and performers who will shape the art form in the years to come.

Kevin O’Hare, Director of The Royal Ballet, said: “At this time in The Royal Ballet School’s centenary year when we reflect on the incredible legacy of ‘Madam’, our founder Dame Ninette de Valois, it’s wonderful to usher in a new Season filled with masterworks that have shaped and defined the Company over the years. We are delighted to demonstrate the significant aesthetic voices of Frederick Ashton and Kenneth MacMillan in some of their most elegant andpowerfully atmospheric works, including Symphonic Variations and Song of the Earth, alongside the magical 19th-century classics Swan Lake and The Nutcracker that never cease to exert enduring appeal on audiences. From strong foundations to renewal, we continue to celebrate our pioneering Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor, recalling that staggering moment when Chroma first premiered, and look to how the possibilities of dance continue to be expanded by other distinctive choreographers across both stages in modern classics and new works. We are excited to share this Season with audiences around the globe.”

THE ROYAL BALLET AND OPERA 2026/27 SEASON OVERVIEW

New Creation
The Royal Ballet
THE MCRAE/ VASSILEV PROJECT
Linbury Theatre
11 – 19 September 2026
Director Natalie Abrahami
Choreographer Loughlan Prior
Set and Costume Designer Anisha Fields
Video Designer Tal Rosner
Lighting Designer Prema Mehta
Generous philanthropic support from Dame Tina Taylor DBE
Two performers famed for their mastery of their craft meet Paganini’s compositions in a showcase of exceptional music and dance. Steven McRae, Vasko Vassilev and director Natalie Abrahami join forces in this new creation inspired by Paganini. Royal Ballet Principal dancer Steven McRae and Principal Guest Concert Master Vasko Vassilev have thrilled audiences over the years with their onstage vitality, charisma and theatricality. Acclaimed as a ‘modern-day Fred Astaire’ and ‘Super-Paganini’ respectively, McRae and Vasko have earned numerous plaudits for their mastery of ballet and tap dancing and violin musicianship. Their distinctive qualities come together in this new venture, their versatile artistry shaped for the intimate space of the Linbury Theatre by another acclaimed artist, the theatre, film and opera director Natalie Abrahami. The McRae/ Vassilev Project is directed by Natalie Abrahami (Rusalka,The Turn of the Screw) and features a new creation inspired by the music of the prodigious violinist Niccolo Paganini. The project will also bring together a host of creatives including choreographer Loughlan Prior, set and costume designer Anisha Fields, lighting designer Prema Mehta and video and projection designer Tal Rosner.

The Royal Ballet School
A CENTENARY CELEBRATION
Main Stage
8 – 10 October 2026
Conductors Martin Georgiev, Charlotte Politi
Exceptional philanthropic support from Royal Ballet and Opera Principal Julia Rausing Trust
Generous philanthropic support from Doug and Ceri King
The 2026/27 Royal Ballet Season is generously supported by Aud Jebsen
In celebration of The Royal Ballet School’s centenary, The Royal Ballet revives gems from the Company archives. Bringing together dancers from The Royal Ballet, the School and Birmingham Royal Ballet, these special performances honour an illustrious history, a
luminous present and a vibrant future. From the School’s roots under the guiding hand of Founder Ninette de Valois in 1931 and
the creative genius of Founder Choreographer Frederick Ashton, a century of inspired artistic vision has established an exceptional training tradition. The celebrations will feature a selection of works from choreographers past and present who have shaped the Royal Ballet Companies.

The Royal Ballet
MANON
Main Stage
13 October – 25 November 2026
Choreography Kenneth Macmillan
Music Jules Massenet
Orchestrated by Martin Yates
Designer Nicholas Georgiadis
Lighting Designer Jacopo Pantani
Conductors Koen Kessels, Martin Georgiev
Exceptional philanthropic support from Royal Ballet and Opera Principal Julia Rausing Trust
Generous philanthropic support from Kenneth and Susan Green, Lindsay and Sarah Tomlinson, Sir Lloyd and Lady Dorfman OBE, John and Susan Burns, Royal Ballet and Opera International Council, The American Friends of Covent Garden and Royal Ballet and Opera Friends. In memory of George Simon
The 2026/27 Royal Ballet Season is generously supported by Aud Jebsen Young RBO is generously made possible by Sir Lloyd and Lady Dorfman OBE, Tim and Sarah Bunting, Sir Simon and Lady Robey and The John Browne Foundation
In the seedy underbelly of 18th-century Paris, money is king. Nothing is sacred – even love itself can be bought for the right price. A native of this hedonistic underworld, Manon is caught between twin desires when she falls in love with the student Des Grieux. Steadfast and devoted, he offers the possibility of an honourable life. Yet, the riches promised by the world of Parisian society remain tempting… Manon’s inner turmoil and struggle for survival lie at the devastating heart of Kenneth MacMillan’s 1974 adaptation of Abbé Prévost’s novel. In this signature work of The Royal Ballet, MacMillan’s nuanced understanding of human psychology makes for an unflinching look into the moral degradation of Manon’s Paris, while all its decadence and decay are
brought to life through Jules Massenet’s score and Nicholas Georgiadis’ designs.

The Royal Ballet
MADAM
Linbury Theatre
3 – 4 November 2026
Co-curated by Director Kevin O’Hare and Principal Guest Artist Lauren Cuthbertson
Celebrate the pioneering woman who set the standard for British ballet.
The Royal Ballet honours its founder Dame Ninette de Valois, who was known within the Company as ‘Madam’. This enriching event includes excerpts from signature De Valois ballets including The Rake’s Progress, Checkmate and Job as well as conversation, discussion and film delving into the enduring impact of this seminal figure on The Royal Ballet and the art form.

VISIONARY Song of the Earth, The Royal Ballet

The Royal Ballet
VISIONARIES: ROBBINS AND MACMILLAN
Main Stage
9 – 28 November 2026
Dances at a Gathering
Choreography Jerome Robbins
Music Fryderyk Chopin
Costume Designer Joe Eula
Lighting Designer Jennifer Tipton
Song of the Earth
Choreography Kenneth Macmillan
Music Gustav Mahler
Text from Hans Bethge’s The Chinese Flute
Designer Nicholas Georgiadis
Lighting Designer Jacopo Pantani
Conductor Koen Kessels
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Exceptional philanthropic support from Royal Ballet and Opera Principal Julia Rausing Trust
Generous philanthropic support from John McGinn and Cary Davis, Ida Levine, John and Susan Burns and The Fonteyn Circle.
The 2026/27 Royal Ballet Season is generously supported by Aud Jebsen Bask in the beauty of two 20th-century masterpieces – two profound meditations on humanity, community and connection. Jerome Robbins’s 1969 work Dances at a Gathering opens the mixed programme. Set to some of Fryderyk Chopin’s most familiar piano melodies, Robbins’ buoyant choreography
underpins a series of plotless dances, each a portrait of human connection and together a kaleidoscope of shifting moods.
Created four years earlier, Kenneth MacMillan’s otherworldly Song of the Earth offers a starkly contrasting yet equally exquisite vision of humanity. In this work of sculptural beauty, MacMillan’s elegiac and earthbound choreography expresses metaphysical themes in Gustav Mahler’s score, such as the transience of life and the imminence of death, drawing on 8th-century Chinese poems that inspired both composer and choreographer.

The Royal Ballet
THE NUTCRACKER
Main Stage
3 December 2026 – 16 January 2027
Choreography Peter Wright after Lev Ivanov
Music Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Original Scenario Marius Petipa after E.T.A. Hoffmann
Production and Scenario Peter Wright
Designer Julia Trevelyan Oman
Lighting Designer Mark Henderson
Production Consultant Roland John Wiley
Conductors Jonathan Lo, Charlotte Politi
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Exceptional philanthropic support from Royal Ballet and Opera Principal Julia Rausing Trust
Generous philanthropic support from Kenneth and Susan Green, Huo Family Foundation and Sir Lloyd and Lady Dorfman OBE
The 2026/27 Royal Ballet Season is generously supported by Aud Jebsen
Production generously sponsored by Van Cleef & Arpels
Schools’ Matinees are generously supported by The Taylor Family Foundation, The Gerald and Gail Ronson Family Foundation and David and Molly Lowell Borthwick
At a cosy Christmas party, young Clara meets the mysterious magician Drosselmeyer, who gives her a nutcracker doll. When the guests have departed and the house is asleep, Clara sneaks downstairs in search of the doll. Instead, she finds Drosselmeyer, who whisks her away on a journey into a whole world of enchantment: fantastical landscapes of flurried snow and glittering confection where toys come alive and the magic never stops. Peter Wright’s production of this festive family favourite sparkles to the wondrous swell of Tchaikovsky’s orchestral score, alongside the glow and grandeur of Julia Trevelyan Oman’s period designs.

LANDMARKS_Frederick Ashton Celebrated Les Rendezvous-Royal Ballet

The Royal Ballet
LANDMARKS: UNMISSABLE ASHTON
Main Stage
25 January 2027 – 19 March 2027
Choreography Frederick Ashton
Les Rendezvous
Music Daniel Auber
Musical Arrangement Constant Lambert
Designer (Set and Costume) Jasper Conran
Original Set Design Concept William Chappell
A Co-Production Between The Royal Ballet and The Frederick Ashton Foundation
Symphonic Variations
Music César Franck
Designer Sophie Fedorovitch
Daphnis And Chloë
Music Maurice Ravel
Designer John Craxton
Part of The Frederick Ashton Foundation’s international festival
Conductors Koen Kessels, Jonathan Lo, Charlotte Politi
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Exceptional philanthropic support from Royal Ballet and Opera Principal Julia Rausing Trust
Generous philanthropic support from Lindsay and Sarah Tomlinson, Sir Lloyd and Lady Dorfman OBE and Royal Ballet and Opera Patrons
The 2026/27 Royal Ballet Season is generously supported by Aud Jebsen
Three milestone works created over three decades – experience the choreographic imagination of Frederick Ashton, the master craftsman who defined British ballet in the 20th century. Les Rendezvous is a delightful succession of dances following a group of friends who meet in the park. Created in 1933, this was Ashton’s first major ballet for the Vic-Wells company. The post-war Symphonic Variations (1946) is Ashton’s radiant celebration of ‘pure dance’. Serene in quality and demonstrating an elegant purity in the marriage between movement and music, the ballet remains an indisputable tour de force to this day. Inspired by the sublime sensuality of Maurice Ravel’s orchestral work of the same name, Ashton turned to narrative in Daphnis and Chloë. This 1951 ballet abounding in pastoral charm recounts the mythical Greek romance between a goatherd and a shepherdess.

World premiere
The Royal Ballet
ONCE MORE TO THIS STAR
Linbury Theatre
6 – 13 February 2027
Choreographer Pam Tanowitz
Music Ted Hearne
Expect the unexpected as choreographer Pam Tanowitz and Royal Ballet Principal William Bracewell come together for an exciting collaboration in the Linbury Theatre. Once more to this star is a dance set to the piano arrangement of Stravinsky’s The Rite of
Spring and an original score by Ted Hearne. This collaboration between Tanowitz and Bracewell is an investigation of the virtuosic and dramatic possibilities of performance in an intimate and bare setting, examining what lies between historical and personal and the emotion within. Known for her singularly witty deconstruction of balletic vocabulary, Tanowitz shares a special relationship with The Royal Ballet. She has created four works including Everybody Keeps Me and Secret Things in the Linbury Theatre, and Dispatch Duet and Or Forevermore on the Main Stage, for which she also worked with Bracewell. This project will see Bracewell push himself creatively, extending beyond classical ballet as choreographer and dancer continue their unique partnership.

The Royal Ballet
MADDADDAM
Main Stage
22 February – 13 March 2027
Inspired by Margaret Atwood’s MaddAddam trilogy
A Co-Production Between The Royal Ballet and The National Ballet of Canada
Direction and Choreography Wayne McGregor
Music Max Richter
Creative Consultant Margaret Atwood
Set Designer We Not I
Costume Designer Gareth Pugh
Lighting Designer Lucy Carter
Film Designer Ravi Deepres
Dramaturgy Uzma Hameed
Sound System Designer Chris Ekers
Conductor Martin Georgiev
Exceptional philanthropic support from Royal Ballet and Opera Principal Julia Rausing Trust
Generous philanthropic support from Tim and Sarah Bunting, Sir Lloyd and Lady Dorfman OBE and John and Susan Burns
Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor generously supported by Dame Tina Taylor DBE
The 2026/27 Royal Ballet Season is generously supported by Aud Jebsen
In an imagined future not far from our own, a bio-engineered apocalypse has changed the Earth as we know it. An incongruous group of survivors must navigate a dangerous present – and make sense of the past. The dystopian future of Margaret Atwood’s trilogy of novels comes alive in this multi-sensory three-act epic by Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor. Featuring an original score by Max Richter, MADDADDAM sold out its UK premiere run in 2024. Themes of extinction, invention, hubris and humanity combine with the resolute moral voice of Atwood’s feminist and environmentalist writings in this electrifying exploration of life
beyond societal collapse. Urgent, prophetic and visceral, the ballet holds up a mirror to our own world and asks: ‘Where does our humanity lie?’

The Royal Ballet
SWAN LAKE
Main Stage
27 March – 31 May 2027
Choreography Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov
Additional Choreography Liam Scarlett and Frederick Ashton
Music Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Production Liam Scarlett
Designer John Macfarlane
Lighting Designer David Finn
Conductors Koen Kessels, Martin Georgiev
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Royal Ballet Sinfonia
Exceptional philanthropic support from Royal Ballet and Opera Principal Julia Rausing Trust
Generous philanthropic support from Alex and Elena Gerko, Kenneth and Susan Green, Philipp Freise, Lindsay and Sarah Tomlinson, Doug and Ceri King, Stephen and Dina Lucas and Royal Ballet and Opera Patrons
The 2026/27 Royal Ballet Season is generously supported by Aud Jebsen Schools’ Matinees are generously supported by The Taylor Family Foundation, The Gerald and Gail Ronson Family Foundation and David and Molly Lowell Borthwick
Production generously supported by Veuve Clicquot
Princess Odette is bound by a curse, turned into a swan by the evil sorcerer Von Rothbart. The spell can only be broken by a pledge of eternal love. When she meets Prince Siegfried, he is immediately enamoured by her fragile beauty and pledges to free her. but freedom is not promised for Odette as Von Rothbart conspires to thwart the lovers’ plans. Liam Scarlett’s production for The Royal Ballet brings together Tchaikovsky’s towering score and John Macfarlane’s picturesque designs to create an enduring ballet spectacle of love, treachery and forgiveness.

The Royal Ballet and Guest Companies
INTERNATIONAL DRAFT WORKS
Linbury Theatre
12 – 14 April 2027
New works. New choreographic voices.
International Draft Works is a showcase of new creations, gathering emerging choreographers from ballet companies around the world. Across a diverse mix of voices, ideas and inspirations, discover what choreographers of today are exploring creatively and
how the landscape of ballet is evolving in our ever-changing world.

The Royal Ballet
DISRUPTORS: TANOWITZ, JUNKER, KHAN, MCGREGOR
Main Stage
6 – 25 May 2027
Or Forevermore
Choreography Pam Tanowitz
Music Ted Hearne
Costume Designers Harriet Jung, Reid Bartelme
Lighting Designer Simon Bennison
Conductor Geoffrey Paterson
Never Known
Choreography Joshua Junker
Music Nils Frahm, Vikingur Ólafsson
Sound Designer Ángel Pérez Grandi
Costume Designer Noemi Daboczi
Hunting a Whisper in the Wind
Choreography Akram Khan
Music Aditya Prakash
Chroma
Choreography Wayne McGregor
Music Joby Talbot, Jack White III
Orchestration Christopher Austin
Set Designer John Pawson
Costume Designer Moritz Junge
Lighting Designer Lucy Carter
Conductor Geoffrey Paterson
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Exceptional philanthropic support from Royal Ballet and Opera Principal Julia Rausing Trust
Generous philanthropic support from Tim and Sarah Bunting, Dame Tina Taylor DBE, The American Friends of Covent Garden and Royal Ballet and Opera Friends Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor generously supported by Dame Tina Taylor DBE
The 2026/27 Royal Ballet Season is generously supported by Aud Jebsen
Experience ballet in a fresh light with three genre-defying works from three contemporary choreographers.
Pam Tanowitz intertwines wit, fun and pathos in Or Forevermore, where the unexpected awaits with every note of Ted Hearne’s multitextural score. Known for her deft subversion of balletic convention, the American choreographer created the work for The Royal Ballet in 2024. Another first revival, Never Known is a 2024 work by The Royal Ballet’s Joshua Junker that is by turns slickly hypnotic and deeply stirring. To the intricate electronic sounds of Nils Frahm and Vikingur Ólafsson, dancers move in a mesmeric maze of groups and duets. Disruptors will also feature Hunting a Whisper in the Wind, a poetic pas de deux from Akram Khan, the internationally acclaimed choreographer celebrated for his bold and imaginative approach to storytelling through movement.
In celebration of his 20th anniversary as Resident Choreographer, the Company revives Wayne McGregor’s Chroma. The ballet burst onto the scene in 2006, electrifying audiences with its radical exploration of the extremes of the human body. With a powerful original score by Joby Talbot and Jack White III, Chroma and its success led to McGregor’s appointment in his current role and earned him an Olivier award.

HERO, The Royal Ballet School

The Royal Ballet School
THE ROYAL BALLET SCHOOL SUMMER PERFORMANCE
Main Stage
18 July 2027
The 2026/27 Royal Ballet Season is generously supported by Aud Jebsen
Students of the world’s leading centre for classical ballet training return to the Royal Opera House Main Stage for their annual Summer Performance. With a mixed programme of heritage, classical, and contemporary works, the matinee features all years of the School, with dancers ranging in age from 12 to 19. This is a rare opportunity to see the rising ballet stars of the future as they step into the spotlight and showcase the artistry, technique and dedication they have been refining in their training.