This June, Birmingham Royal Ballet will mark 100 years of Founding Director Laureate and one of ballet’s most influential directors and choreographers, Sir Peter Wright, with a special gala performance at their home, Birmingham Hippodrome, on Thursday 18 June 2026.
The internationally renowned touring ballet company was first established in Birmingham by Sir Peter Wright in 1990, transferring the Company to the city after formerly being known as Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet. Firmly establishing BRB’s global reputation, Sir Peter is responsible for some of the most beloved productions in the Company’s repertoire including The Nutcracker, Giselle, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and Coppélia.
The special gala performance on 18 June will begin with a défilé by members of Elmhurst Ballet School. The Birmingham Royal Ballet Company will then present highlights from some of Sir Peter’s most cherished productions including excerpts from The Sleeping Beauty including the Act III Polonaise and Grand Pas de Deux, Coppélia’s Pas de Deux and Franz solo from Act III, Giselle’s Act II Pas de Deux and grand highlights from Swan Lake including the Black Swan Pas de Deux.
At Sir Peter’s special request, the evening will conclude with one of his favourite pieces, Kurt Jooss’s 1932 ballet, The Green Table. Sir Peter credits Jooss with shaping his understanding of choreography, “learning that movement for its own sake has no importance, that one must have something to communicate when performing for an audience, and that choreography is as much about ideas as it is about steps.” For the gala performance only, Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Director, Carlos Acosta will dance the role of Death in The Green Table for the very first time in his career.
Acosta said, “There are no words to explain the scale of Sir Peter’s contribution to the heritage, history and legacy of not only Birmingham Royal Ballet, but the art form as a whole. We couldn’t let his 100th year pass us by without celebration, and this very special evening will feature a sample of some of his most cherished productions that have been enjoyed by audiences across the globe since BRB’s beginnings back in 1990.
On Friday 19 and Saturday 20 June, Birmingham Royal Ballet will present 20th-Century Masterpieces, a triple bill featuring some of ballet’s most important works from the last century. The programme includes Sir Frederick Ashton’s Birthday Offering, created by BRB’s founding choreographer in 1956 for the then Sadler’s Wells Ballet to mark its 25th anniversary. Additionally, George Balanchine’s Theme and Variations, choreographed in 1947, a glittering celebration of classical ballet set to the music of Tchaikovsky, will be on the programme. Additional performances of The Green Table complete the triple bill.
For more information and to book tickets visit brb.org.uk.
