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75-702: The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden , London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded in 1931 by Dame Ninette de Valois . It became the resident ballet company of the Royal Opera House in 1946, and has purpose-built facilities within these premises. It

150-436: A unitard — a one-piece garment that combines tights and a leotard — to enhance the visibility of artistic lines. All dancers wear soft ballet shoes (sometimes called flats ). Typically, female dancers wear pink or beige shoes and men wear black or white shoes. Leg warmers are sometimes worn during the early part of a class to protect leg muscles until they become warm. Females are usually required to restrain their hair in

225-402: A bun or some other hair style that exposes the neck that is not a ponytail. The customary attire and hair style are intended to promote freedom of movement and to reveal body form so that the teacher can evaluate dancers' alignment and technique. After warming up, advanced female students may wear pointe shoes whereas advanced male students continue to wear soft shoes. Pointe shoes are worn after

300-435: A dance teacher and a dance musician is vital to the success of a ballet class. Female attire typically includes pink or flesh colored tights , a leotard , and sometimes a short wrap- skirt , or a skirted leotard . Males typically wear black or dark tights, a form-fitting white, or black, shirt or leotard worn under the tights, and a dance belt beneath the outer dancewear to provide support. In some cases, students may wear

375-717: A few months before the marriage in 1892, Victoria Mary married his brother, Prince George, Duke of York, the future George V in 1893. In 1894, the Duchess of York gave birth to her first child, the future Edward VIII , at White Lodge. Queen Victoria visited the Lodge to see the Prince shortly afterwards. He was baptised Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David in the Green Drawing Room of White Lodge on 16 July 1894 by Edward White Benson , Archbishop of Canterbury . Three years later,

450-737: A focus on fast, intricate footwork. Many of the stylistic variations are associated with specific training methods that have been named after their originators. Despite these variations, the performance and vocabulary of classical ballet are largely consistent throughout the world. Ballet originated in the Italian Renaissance courts and was brought to France by Catherine de' Medici in the 16th century. During ballet's infancy, court ballets were performed by aristocratic amateurs rather than professional dancers. Most of ballet's early movements evolved from social court dances and prominently featured stage patterns rather than formal ballet technique. In

525-590: A lifelong relationship both on and offstage and were close friends until Fonteyn's death in 1991. Nureyev is quoted as saying of the partnership that they danced with "one body, one soul". Born in Canberra , Australia, in 1952, Ross Stretton trained at the Australian Ballet School , later becoming a principal dancer with the Australian Ballet company. He then moved to America, where he danced with

600-523: A member of the Ballets Russes , one of the most renowned and influential ballet companies of the 20th century. The company disbanded in 1929 following the death of its founder Serge Diaghilev . When de Valois formed the Vic-Wells Ballet, she employed some of the company's former stars, including Alicia Markova and Anton Dolin , who joined as Principal dancers, and Tamara Karsavina , who worked with

675-427: A musical improvisation to support the dancers in the exercise. The dancers are affected by the musician's choices, and they integrate both the ballet teacher's steps and the ballet musician's music into their performance. Ultimately, the ballet teacher has little control over the musical portion of their lesson unless they ask the musician to play a specific piece of music. For this reason, the working relationship between

750-551: A specific rôle, to designers for their work on a specific production and to other members of the Royal Ballet staff for achievements in dance. [REDACTED] Media related to Royal Ballet at Wikimedia Commons Classical ballet There are stylistic variations related to an area or origin, which are denoted by classifications such as Russian ballet , French ballet , British ballet and Italian ballet . For example, Russian ballet features high extensions and dynamic turns, whereas Italian ballet tends to be more grounded, with

825-494: A suitable secluded location for his son, the Prince of Wales, the future Edward VII , during his minority and education. Although the Prince of Wales favoured stimulating company to hard study, Prince Albert kept him here in seclusion, with only five companions, two of whom were tutors, the Reverend Charles Feral Tarver, his Latin tutor and chaplain and Frederick Waymouth Gibbs. As a result, the Prince of Wales found

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900-559: A teacher and consultant until his death from cancer in 2005. A number of controversial issues and allegations as well as resistance to organisational change lead to Stretton's departure from the Royal Ballet: Former Birmingham Royal Ballet Principal dancer and Royal Ballet Administrative Director Kevin O'Hare succeeded Monica Mason as Director of The Royal Ballet in August 2012. Administrative Director of

975-564: A unique training system. Some classical ballet training systems employ standardized layouts to define reference locations at the corners, and edges of stages, and dance studio rooms. In the latter case, there is no audience and a mirror typically spans the downstage wall of the room (e.g., points 1-2 of the Cecchetti layout). White Lodge, Richmond Park White Lodge is a Grade I listed Georgian house situated in Richmond Park , in

1050-471: Is considered to be one of the greatest choreographers of all time) took Romantic ballet and combined it with different aspects of Russian ballet technique (as Petipa was once a choreographer and ballet master at Mariinsky Ballet ). Elements pulled from these things include the storytelling found in Romantic ballet, and the athleticism of Russian technique. Therefore, a new era of ballet, which later became known as

1125-601: Is placed on developing flexibility and strengthening the legs, feet, and body core (the center , or abdominals) as a strong core is essential for turns and many other ballet movements. Dancers also learn to use their spot which teaches them to focus on something while turning so as not to become dizzy and lose their balance. Early ballet training for all dancers involves basic technique and develops strength and flexibility. As they progress, female dancers begin to learn pointe technique and both male and female dancers begin to learn partnering and more advanced jumps and turns. As

1200-480: Is shown below. The company also has an Executive, Artistic and Music staff, including the following: Sir Frederick Ashton was the founder choreographer of the Royal Ballet. Previously a dancer with the Ballet Rambert , Ashton started his career as a choreographer under the direction of Dame Marie Rambert , before joining the Royal Ballet as its associate choreographer when the company was founded in 1931. He created

1275-604: Is the Royal Ballet School , and it also has a sister company, the Birmingham Royal Ballet , which operates independently. The Prima ballerina assoluta of the Royal Ballet is the late Dame Margot Fonteyn . Ninette de Valois , an Irish-born dancer founded the Academy of Choreographic Art, in 1926, a dance school for girls. Her intention was to form a repertory ballet company and school, leading her to collaborate with

1350-473: The Battle of Trafalgar , Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson , visited Lord Sidmouth at White Lodge and is said to have explained his battle plan to him there. After Viscount Sidmouth died in 1844, Queen Victoria gave the house to her aunt – the last surviving daughter of George III – Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh . After her death in 1857, Prince Albert decided on White Lodge as

1425-472: The Joffrey Ballet and as a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre before retiring as a dancer in 1990. He was appointed regisseur of American Ballet Theatre, becoming assistant director of the company in 1993. After returning to Australia, he was artistic director of the Australian Ballet from 1997 to 2001. Following Sir Anthony Dowell 's retirement as artistic director of the Royal Ballet in 2001,

1500-599: The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames . Formerly a royal residence, it now houses the Royal Ballet Lower School , instructing students aged 11–16. The house was built as a hunting lodge for George II , by the architect Roger Morris , and construction began shortly after his accession to the throne in 1727. Completed in 1730 and originally called Stone Lodge, the house was renamed New Lodge shortly afterwards to distinguish itself from nearby Old Lodge, which

1575-699: The Vaganova method (created by Agrippina Vaganova ) and the Legat Method (by Nikolai Legat ). The Cecchetti method is named after Italian dancer Enrico Cecchetti . Another training system was developed by and named after August Bournonville ; this is taught primarily in Denmark. The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) method was not created by an individual, but by a group of notable ballet professionals. Despite their associations with geographically named ballet styles, many of these training methods are used worldwide. For example,

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1650-399: The prime minister . After his death, it passed to Queen Caroline's daughter, Princess Amelia , in 1751. Amelia also became the ranger of Richmond Park and closed the entire park to the public, except to distinguished friends and those with permits, sparking public outrage. In 1758, a court case made by a local brewer against a park gatekeeper eventually overturned Princess Amelia's order, and

1725-571: The 17th century, as ballet's popularity in France increased, ballet began to gradually transform into a professional art. It was no longer performed by amateurs, but instead ballet performances started to incorporate challenging acrobatic movements that could only be performed by highly skilled street entertainers. In response, the world's first ballet school, the Académie Royale de Danse , was established by King Louis XIV in 1661. The Academie's purpose

1800-425: The 21st century to collaborate on the same stage – world class dancers, choreographers, designers, and musicians. I will aim to use all the traditional and new platforms now available to engage our audiences in our classic repertoire, and The Royal Ballet's unique heritage. I want to continue to invigorate audiences with new work and emerging talents and I am thrilled that Wayne McGregor and Christopher Wheeldon – two of

1875-615: The Duchess of Teck died at White Lodge, followed by the Duke of Teck in 1900. After Queen Victoria's death in 1901, the Lodge was occupied by Eliza Emma Hartmann, a wealthy widow prominent in London society, who was declared bankrupt in 1909. The house returned to royal use in 1923, during the honeymoon of Prince Albert, Duke of York , the future George VI, and the Duchess of York . Queen Mary , who had lived at White Lodge with her mother, Princess Mary Adelaide , insisted that they make their home at

1950-605: The English theatrical producer and theatre owner Lilian Baylis . Baylis owned the Old Vic and Sadler's Wells theatres and in 1925 she engaged de Valois to stage dance performances at both venues. Sadler's Wells reopened in 1931 and the Vic-Wells Ballet and Vic-Wells Ballet School were established in premises at the theatre. These would become the predecessors of today's Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and Royal Ballet School . Prior to her return to Britain, Ninette de Valois had been

2025-601: The Lodge. In 1924, Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia , son of the Yorks' friends Prince Paul of Yugoslavia and Princess Olga of Greece and Denmark , was born at the house during the stay of his mother there. The duke and the duchess remained in the house until late in 1925 after which the building was leased out by the Crown Estate . From then on, the house was occupied by various private residents including, from 1927, Arthur Lee, 1st Viscount Lee of Fareham . The last private resident

2100-550: The RAD teaching method is used in more than 70 countries. American-style ballet ( Balanchine ) is not taught by means of a standardized, widespread training system. Similarly, French ballet has no standard training system; each of the major French-style ballet schools, such as the Paris Opera Ballet School , Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse , and Académie de Danse Classique Princesse Grace (Monaco) employs

2175-540: The Royal Ballet School. The Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet returned to Sadler's Wells Theatre in 1970, while continuing to tour the country. In 1987, however, the company was invited to become the resident ballet company at the Birmingham Hippodrome . It relocated to Birmingham in 1990, being renamed Birmingham Royal Ballet and it ceased to be part of the Royal Ballet in 1997 when it was made independent of

2250-426: The Royal Ballet School. The first was Alicia Markova who, having been mentored by Ninette de Valois as a member of Serge Diaghilev 's Ballets Russes , was invited to become one of the founder dancers of the Royal Ballet. She was designated the company's first Prima ballerina, and was later recognised as a Prima ballerina assoluta. Margot Fonteyn trained at the Royal Ballet School and spent her entire career with

2325-688: The Royal Ballet Upper School and began her career with the Royal Ballet. After dancing with the company for four years, she was later appointed prima ballerina assoluta of La Scala Theatre Ballet in Milan . Other prima ballerina assoluta have also appeared with the Royal Ballet as guest dancers, including: the French ballerina Yvette Chauvire and the Georgian ballerina Nina Ananiashvili . The Royal Ballet has six ranks of dancers: The Royal Ballet also has

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2400-600: The Royal Ballet and Royal Opera. The proposals would have established the Palace Theatre as a designated base for the Royal Opera House companies in the North of England. The proposals were approved by the then Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport , Andy Burnham MP , and was accepted by a number of public bodies. An independent report suggested that the cost of the project would be £100 million with another £16 million needed annually for running costs of

2475-485: The Royal Ballet in 1979, aged 60. In 1970 after Frederick Ashton retired as artistic director of the Royal Ballet, there were many calls for Nureyev to be announced as his successor. However, Kenneth MacMillan was given the position, and Nureyev left the Royal Ballet as a Principal soon after to be a guest dancer internationally, later becoming artistic director of the Paris Opera Ballet in 1983. Fonteyn and Nureyev had

2550-416: The Royal Ballet, was Fleur de Peux , a solo work created in 2000 on Viviana Durante. This led to further commissions by the Royal Ballet, including Symbiont(s) in 2001, Qualia in 2003 and Engram in 2005. He also created the ballet brainstate in 2001, as a collaboration between the Royal Ballet and his own company, Random Dance . McGregor was appointed Resident Choreographer of the Royal Ballet in 2006,

2625-504: The Royal Opera House established its schools' matinee programme. Today the Royal Ballet remains the resident ballet company at the Royal Opera House, conducting its own tours internationally, and it continues to be the parent company of the Royal Ballet School, which is now based at White Lodge, Richmond Park and premises in Floral Street , which are adjacent to and have direct access to the Royal Opera House. During its formative years,

2700-405: The Royal Opera House in 1986. His numerous ballets have since been staged by leading dance companies worldwide and feature strongly in the programming of the Royal Ballet today. Ashton created over 100 original ballet works and numerous other productions, some of the most notable including: Sir Kenneth MacMillan (11 December 1929 – 29 October 1992) was a British ballet dancer and choreographer. He

2775-483: The Royal Opera House, with Sir Peter Wright as artistic director. Birmingham Royal Ballet retains close relationships with both the Royal Ballet and The Royal Ballet School, which is the official school of the company. In 1964 the Royal Ballet established "Ballet for All" under the direction of Peter Brinson. Between 1964 and 1979 "Ballet for All" toured throughout the country, presenting around 150 performances per annum and reaching around 70,000 people each year. In 1976

2850-798: The Sadler's Wells Ballet would become one of the first ballet companies outside the Soviet Union to stage full productions of ballets by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov , which were central to the repertory of the Imperial Russian Ballet . To stage these ballets with her newly formed company, de Valois employed Nicholas Sergeyev , a former régisseur of the Imperial. He staged productions of Petipa's The Sleeping Beauty ; Petipa and Ivanov's Swan Lake and The Nutcracker ; Petipa and Cecchetti 's production of Coppélia ; and Petipa's Giselle . Created with

2925-516: The aid of choreographic notation written in St Petersburg at the turn of the 20th century, these works have been included in the repertoire of the Royal Ballet ever since. The company now uses Peter Wright's 1984 production of The Nutcracker , which uses some of Sergeyev's notation. Sergeyev's revivals of these ballets in London are regarded as the foundation point of the traditional classical ballet repertoire, and led to their being restaged throughout

3000-462: The air. Pointe technique is the part of ballet technique that concerns pointe work , in which a ballet dancer supports all body weight on the tips of fully extended feet on specially designed and handcrafted pointe shoes . In professional companies, the shoes are made to fit the dancers' feet perfectly. Students typically learn ballet terminology and the pronunciation, meaning, and precise body form and movement associated with each term. Emphasis

3075-514: The board of the Royal Opera House announced Stretton as his successor, with a three-year contract; however, he resigned the post after 13 months, in September 2002. Stretton's appointment and subsequent departure from the Royal Ballet generated an unprecedented level of media attention for the Royal Ballet in recent years, due to controversy caused by his management of the company. Following his resignation, Stretton returned to Australia where he worked as

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3150-445: The classical era, began. Even though he was responsible for bringing in the classical ballet era, Petipa was also responsible for choreographing well-known romantic ballets such as Giselle . During the classical era, Marius Petipa was largely responsible for creating choreographic structures that are still used in ballets today. For one, Petipa was the first to use the grand pas de deux in his choreography. Additionally, he cemented

3225-465: The company as an advisor. The Founder Musical Director was the conductor and composer Constant Lambert who had considerable artistic as well as musical influence over the early years of the company. After losing the link with the Old Vic theatre, in 1939 the company was renamed Sadler's Wells Ballet and the school became Sadler's Wells Ballet School. Both continued at Sadler's Wells Theatre until 1946, when

3300-521: The company since 2009, O'Hare retired from dancing in 2000 and subsequently worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company and as Company Manager of Birmingham Royal Ballet. This is a great honour for me. Under Monica Mason's inspired leadership The Royal Ballet has had a great ten years. I am equally ambitious for the Company and dance in general. I plan to bring together the most talented artists of

3375-458: The company was invited to become the resident ballet company of the newly re-opened Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, under the direction of David Webster . The company relocated to the opera house the same year in 1946, with their first production at the venue being The Sleeping Beauty . Following the relocation of the company, the school moved to its own premises in 1947. A sister company

3450-466: The company. As a gift for her 60th birthday, she was appointed Prima ballerina assoluta by Queen Elizabeth II . Phyllis Spira joined the Royal Ballet School in 1959, graduating into the Royal Ballet touring company. She later returned to her native South Africa, where she was appointed Prima ballerina assoluta by the President in 1984. The most recent is Alessandra Ferri , who completed her training at

3525-429: The conflicting demands of creating ballets with administration. He continued as Principal Choreographer to the Royal Ballet until his death in 1992. His full-length works include: MacMillan's one-act ballets include: Prior to his appointment as Resident Choreographer of the Royal Ballet, Wayne McGregor has already established himself as an award-winning dancer, choreographer and director. His first choreography for

3600-443: The dancers to make subtle physical shifts of expression that a live dance accompanist will watch and match as they play. The live musician in a ballet class plays a crucial role in the creative process. As the ballet teacher sets an exercise - moving, counting, vocalising - the musician observes and imagines the music that will best support the exercise. The musician then plays either an existing piece of musical repertoire or creates

3675-407: The few years at White Lodge boring. After the Prince of Wales was sent to Ireland to continue his training, Queen Victoria came to White Lodge with Prince Albert in the early months of 1861, after the death of her mother, the Duchess of Kent . The next occupants of the Lodge were Prince Francis, Duke of Teck and his wife, the former Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge , who were given use of

3750-479: The first person to hold the post in sixteen years, and the first to be selected from the world of contemporary dance . McGregor's works for the Royal Ballet include: First performing together with the Royal Ballet in Giselle on 21 February 1962, Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev would form what has been called the greatest ballet partnership of all time. The partnership would lead to both dancers being noted amongst

3825-416: The five positions (first, second, third, fourth and fifth) of ballet, which to this day remain the foundation of all formal classical ballet technique. Before classical ballet developed, ballet was in a period referred to as the Romantic era. Romantic ballet was known for its storytelling, and often held a softer aesthetic. Classical ballet came to be when a ballet master by the name of Marius Petipa (who

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3900-590: The house by the mourning Queen Victoria in 1869. Princess Mary Adelaide, a granddaughter of George III and therefore first cousin to the queen, was famous for her extravagance. Requests for a higher income from the Queen were unsuccessful. Debts increased, and the family fled abroad during the 1880s to escape their creditors. In 1891, the aged Queen, anxious to find a bride for her grandson, Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence , settled on Princess Mary Adelaide's daughter, Victoria Mary . Following Prince Albert Victor's death

3975-410: The house following disrepair at the close of the 18th century, George III gave the house to another prime minister, Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth , who enclosed the lodge's first private gardens in 1805. The King (affectionately called Farmer George for his enthusiasm for farming and gardening) made himself ranger, and Lord Sidmouth was made deputy ranger. On 10 September 1805, six weeks before

4050-472: The majority of the company's early works and staged their first performance at the Royal Opera House, a production of The Sleeping Beauty in 1946. Ashton was appointed artistic director of the Royal Ballet from 1963 to 1970, when he retired from the post. He continued to work as a choreographer internationally, with his final work being the Nursery Suite , for a gala performance by the Royal Ballet School at

4125-409: The men get stronger, lifts are added to the partnering. Depending on the teacher and training system, students may progress through various stages or levels of training as their skills advance. The traditional ballet masters of the eighteenth century played the violin for their own ballet classes. They also provided their ballet students with instruction in the relationship between the dance steps and

4200-432: The most famous ballet dancers of all time and came at the peak of what is now widely regarded as the most successful period in the Royal Ballet's history. On 12 March 1963, the couple premiered Sir Frederick Ashton 's Marguerite and Armand , the first ballet created for them and one that become their signature piece. Performed to a piece of piano music by Franz Liszt , the ballet starts with Marguerite on her deathbed, and

4275-418: The music. By the end of the nineteenth century this had fallen out of fashion, and specialisation in the performing arts meant that the role of the ballet teacher and the ballet musician had become separate professions. By the twentieth century, the violin had given way to the piano as the standard accompaniment for ballet class. When recorded music is substituted for a live musician, there is no opportunity for

4350-446: The new site. In 2010 it was announced that the project was being shelved as part of larger arts-funding cuts. The Royal Ballet company is a multiple Laurence Olivier Award winning company. The following is a complete list of awards won by the company and its staff since the awards were established in 1978. These include awards presented to the company for a production of a particular ballet, to individual dancers for their performance in

4425-550: The park was once again opened to the public. Amelia is remembered for adding the two white wings to the main lodge, which remain to this day. They were designed by Stephen Wright. The prime minister, John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute , became ranger of Richmond Park after Princess Amelia's resignation in 1760. The British Magazine for January 1761 lists Lord Bute as the Ranger with his Deputy Ranger being Sir Sidney Meadows . Although White Lodge remained Lord Bute's official address, he

4500-403: The special ranks of " guest artist " and " principal guest artist ". The title of guest artist is given to a visiting dancer who has been cast in a role for a specific ballet or limited season. The title of principal guest artist is sometimes given to guest artists who perform with the company on a longer-term basis. The Royal Ballet employs approximately 100 dancers and a complete list as of 2013

4575-402: The story is told in flashback until the moment Armand arrives to hold her for the last time before she dies. Ashton had planned the piece specifically for Fonteyn, and it was critically acclaimed as Fonteyn's dramatic peak, with fifty photographers attending the dress rehearsal and twenty-one curtain calls at the premiere performance. The final performance of the ballet starring Fonteyn and Nureyev

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4650-569: The student is deemed strong enough in the ankles and can execute the routine to a high standard, usually around or after the age of 12, or after the dancers' feet have stopped developing, so as to protect the dancers' feet from injury common with premature wearing. There are several standardized, widespread, classical ballet training systems , each designed to produce a unique aesthetic quality from its students. Some systems are named after their creators; these are typically called methods or schools . For example, two prevailing systems from Russia are

4725-403: The usage of the corps de ballet as a standard part of a ballet. Despite his ushering in of the classical era, these elements can be seen in his romantic ballets as well. Ballet technique is the foundational principles of body movement and form used in ballet. A distinctive feature of ballet technique is turnout ; which is the outward rotation of the legs and feet emanating from the hip. This

4800-609: The world. Sergeyev is considered to have made one of the most significant contributions to the popularity of ballet worldwide. His choreographic notation and other materials relating to it have been preserved in the Sergeyev Collection , part of the theatre collection of the Harvard University Library . The Royal Ballet is one of the few ballet companies in the world to have employed four dancers considered to be prima ballerina assoluta , including three who studied at

4875-630: The world’s leading choreographers – have agreed to join me and Jeanetta Laurence, Associate Director to become part of the senior artistic team. Both Wayne and Christopher share my exciting ambitions for the Company." In 2008 the Royal Opera House and Manchester City Council began the planning stages of a new development known as Royal Opera House, Manchester . The proposal would have seen the Palace Theatre in Manchester receiving an £80 million refurbishment, to allow it to receive productions by both

4950-449: Was Colonel James Veitch, who lived at White Lodge until 1954. In 1955, the Sadler's Wells Ballet School was granted the use of White Lodge on a permanent basis. The school was later granted a Royal Charter and became the Royal Ballet School in 1956. It is now recognised as one of the leading ballet schools in the world. As part of its redevelopment programme, the Royal Ballet School relocated and enlarged its ballet museum to include

5025-754: Was also entitled to the use of White Lodge's neighbour, Old Lodge, which would house the Meadows family, who were of the Prime Minister's extended family: The Royal Collection holds an etching, dated 1780, by George Barret, Sr. entitled The Lodge in Richmond Park, the residence of Philip Meadows Esq. . Philip Meadows or Medows was the Richmond Park Deputy Ranger and the brother of Sir Sidney Meadows; their father being Sir Philip Meadowes . Deputy Ranger Philip's wife, Lady Frances Meadows, née Pierrepont ,

5100-547: Was artistic director of the Royal Ballet in London between 1970 and 1977. Although a talented dancer, MacMillan is best known for his choreography, and particularly for his work with the Royal Ballet. He also worked with the American Ballet Theatre (1956–7) and the Deutsche Oper, Berlin (1966–69). He succeeded Frederick Ashton as Director of the Royal Ballet in 1970 and resigned after seven years, frustrated at balancing

5175-434: Was demolished in 1841. Old Lodge itself had been built by George II for Britain's first prime minister, Sir Robert Walpole , who frequented it, particularly to hunt at the estate. Walpole said that he could "do more business there (Old Lodge) than he could in town". Caroline of Ansbach , wife of George II, stayed at the new lodge frequently and, on her death in 1737, White Lodge passed to her friend Sir Robert Walpole ,

5250-444: Was established to continue performances at Sadler's Wells, called the Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet, under the direction of John Field . In 1955, the sister company temporarily lost its link with Sadler's Wells and returned to the Royal Opera House as a touring unit of the main company. In 1956, a Royal Charter was granted for both companies and the school; they were subsequently renamed the Royal Ballet, Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet and

5325-421: Was first introduced into ballet by King Louis XIV because he loved to show off the shiny buckles on his shoes when he performed his own dances. There are five fundamental positions of the feet in ballet , all performed with turnout and named numerically as first through fifth positions. When performing jumps and leaps, classical ballet dancers strive to exhibit ballon , the appearance of briefly floating in

5400-404: Was granted a royal charter in 1956, becoming recognised as Britain's flagship ballet company. The Royal Ballet was one of the foremost ballet companies of the 20th century, and continues to be one of the world's most famous ballet companies to this day, generally noted for its artistic and creative values. The company employs approximately 100 dancers. The official associate school of the company

5475-492: Was staged at a gala at the London Coliseum in 1977 and it was not performed again until 2003. Against the wishes of Frederick Ashton that it not be performed by any other dancers than Fonteyn and Nureyev, it was revived as part of a Royal Ballet triple-bill, starring Nureyev's protegee Sylvie Guillem and the Royal Ballet star Jonathan Cope. The Fonteyn-Nureyev partnership lasted for many years until Fonteyn's retirement from

5550-530: Was the first cousin of the prime minister's wife, Mary Stuart Wortley . It was during the Bute-Meadows period that the name White Lodge first appeared, in the journal of Lady Mary Coke . In her entry for Sunday 24 July 1768 she says that she went to Richmond Park hoping to catch a glimpse of King George III and Queen Charlotte , " tho' they are always at the White Lodge on a Sunday ". After restoration of

5625-576: Was to improve the quality of dance training in France and to invent a technique or curriculum that could be used to transform ballet into a formal discipline. Shortly after the Academie was formed, in 1672, King Louis XIV established a performing company called the Academie Royal de Musique de Dance (today known as Paris Opera), and named Pierre Beauchamp the head dancing-master. While at the Academie Royal, Beauchamp revolutionized ballet technique by inventing

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