I arrived in Covent Garden at lunchtime and was treated to a personal tour around The Royal Ballet School’s Upper School facilities, taking in the beautiful expansive studios, with high ceilings and historical photos. There is a gym for students, a Pilates studio and a mental wellbeing meeting room to name a few highlights, not forgetting the iconic Bridge of Aspiration that links the School and the Royal Opera House. It was refreshing to see and hear students relaxing and laughing together on their lunchbreak.
The Royal Ballet School celebrates its centenary this year with multiple events and tributes, including a very specially prepared 100th anniversary edition of The Royal Ballet School’s Summer Performances at Opera Holland Park from 8 – 11 July, and the Matinee on the main stage at the Royal Opera House on 18 July 2026. Artistic Director Iain Mackay has curated a programme that embraces the School’s renowned classical heritage as well as new works by alumni choreographers.
This afternoon, I am looking forward to watching a rehearsal of one of these new works, created on Upper School 1st Year and Pre-professional Year students, by Sir David Bintley. Royal Ballet alumni, former ballet dancer and Artistic Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet for 24 years, David Bintley has brought his inspirational Beauchamp’s Garden to life over the last few months on the students, who noted how fortunate they were to have had the opportunity to work with him, and other notable teachers and choreographers because of the emphasis on the School’s centenary celebrations. The piece has been choreographed as an homage to Dame Ninette de Valois, reflecting her influence on Bintley’s career as both a dancer and a choreographer. When he entered The Royal Ballet School in the mid-1970s, Ninette de Valois singled Bintley out to coach him, and he built a reputation as a great character artist, performing de Valois’ latest works, eventually moving on to become resident choreographer of The Royal Ballet himself. How exciting for the youngest generation today to be in receipt of Bintley’s vast amount of knowledge and experience, and it seems fitting that we are in the studio named in tribute to Ninette de Valois, for the practice of this special new piece.
First year student Taylor recalled Bintley attending their classes early on in the school year, to view their dancing before he worked with them. “It was an intense but good experience,” Taylor said, with fellow dancer Daisy, also in 1st Year, adding that the choreography was created over time in small sections and only put altogether recently where it became clear how it all fitted together. “It was exciting to be involved in the creative process from the beginning,” she said, stressing the importance of listening to and really getting to know the intricate score. Daisy recalled watching the Summer Performance from the audience last year, and how exciting it felt this year, to be in it!
Alecsia, in her Pre-professional Year, is excited to be looking ahead to graduation and future professional work. Today, she spoke of the busyness of the summer term in general and all the different ballets they had been rehearsing, in particular the special opportunity to have had Beauchamp’s Garden set on them. “If we got stuck on a section, we would go over and over it. He (David Bintley) knows exactly what he wants,” she said. Alecsia described the physically challenging work they had been learning in Beauchamp’s Garden and said it had taken them a while to build it up, to be able to get through from beginning to end.
This afternoon’s rehearsal began with students fresh from lunch break, gathered in the De Valois studio, chatting and stretching before being called to attention by Upper School 1st Year teacher Sarah Kundi who has rehearsed the work along with fellow Upper School Teacher Paul Lewis. Kundi kept notebook and pen in hand for reference for the duration of the practice. There are two teams set to dance Beauchamp’s Garden, and the first team prepared their opening positions for their first run-through. Both teachers called out alignment corrections, building students’ precise awareness of their positioning to one another.
Bintley, dressed casually today, and wearing jazz sneakers, spoke with a soft tone, and watched his choreography intently. Very clear, particular and precise on detail, he was deeply immersed in getting those details across to dancers. It showed in the work, and in the students, too, who offered feedback on how they felt during the fast-paced patterning, ironing out discrepancies between them. Students were encouraged to use their ‘ballet eyes’, to look down the line, and use their peripheral vision for awareness, consistent lines and spacing as well as looking straight ahead.
The choreography is fast, exciting. “Traffic flow” was mentioned at one point, which offers an idea of the energy! There’s the odd trip, or slip – that’s what rehearsals are for – and every dancer carried on seamlessly as expected.
There’s lots of atmosphere built through the piece which naturally takes on different flavours as it progresses due to the diverse score. From lively allegro sections to an expressive dreamlike quality and back again, it’s a very busy piece. Being so close to the dancing in today’s rehearsal is such a privilege, to be enveloped into the respectful air of concentration. I enjoyed watching students standing at the sides, as much as those dancing. The way their eyes followed those dancing, and not just their eyes, but chins, upper backs and sometimes arms too.
After the first run though, when individuals were called forward for correction, their earnest expressions and readiness to improve revealed how important both ballet and getting it right is to them. While they strived for perfection in the centre, at the sides of the studio teacher Paul Lewis gave guidance to others. So much attention, alertness and commitment. Pre-professional Year students are working in male/female partnerships for this dance, with some flourishing extended duet sections in amongst the flurry of activity that the 1st Year students bring to the stage. and it’s so pleasing to see the lovely sense of rapport and concentration between them – it’s clear how much rehearsal has gone in up to this point.
It’s been a busy summer term overall for students. Millán, in his Pre-professional year, revealed the intensity felt when the choreography work began for all their performance pieces. “There were a lot of rehearsals and there was a lot of choreography. It was quite mentally draining to begin with, but now we can relax into the dancing more.” Millán also talked about the narrative behind Beauchamp’s Garden, referencing Pierre Beauchamp who is credited with devising the five positions of the feet which forms classical ballet’s foundations. During the dance, there is reference to Beauchamp teaching Louis XIV, who is learning ballet for the first time. The ballet begins academically, performed by the 1st Years, which then builds into more expressive work by the Pre-professional Year group, illustrating the development of ballet technique and artistry.
Today’s rehearsal continued with the same level of meticulous attention to detail, and alert concentration from all, with the knowledge that they would do it all over again shortly as they moved into the second group places.
Later, I asked students what summer would bring for them after the burst of performances they were working so hard towards. Taylor mentioned sadness at leaving friends but acknowledged that the essential break would help them to realise how hard they had all been working and how tired they were. Home was mentioned several times. Home, relaxation and family time, beach time, and for those graduating from their Pre-professional Year, a time to look forward to professional life!
I’ve only seen one number today, but the Summer Performances featuring dancers from ages 11-19 will also include Sir Peter Wright’s Swan Lake Act III, Founder Dame Ninette de Valois’ Checkmate Suite and Christopher Wheeldon’s Christening Suite, closing as always with the spectacular Grand Défilé which unites all 228 students on stage together. Watching the next generation of ballet artists in one celebratory extravaganza; it’s not one to be missed!
By Louise Ryrie of Dance Informa.
