The Royal Ballet School

☀️ One week until our PTA Summer Fair at White Lodge - the only day of the year our Richmond Park location is open for tours ☀️

Enjoy:
☀️ Exclusive performances
☀️ Stalls from independent sellers
☀️ Street food and drink
☀️ Crafts and games
☀️ A raffle with incredible prizes
☀️ The opportunity to meet alum of the School, Matthew Ball and Mayara Magri, Principal dancers with The Royal Ballet.

We look forward to welcoming you on Saturday 13 June from 11.00-17.00!

Find out more and get tickets in advance via the link or get your tickets on the gate: https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/100-years/summer-fair/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=2026_JUN_ALL_EVENT&utm_term=summer-fair&utm_content=image

Dance teachers, explore the choreography of Sir Frederick Ashton and Sir Richard Alston with us this summer!

Delivered in partnership with The Frederick Ashton Foundation and The Richard Alston Foundation, the two insight days will combine repertory exploration with contextual and pedagogical insight, giving teachers the opportunity to experience iconic movement material.

Find out more and book now to join us on 25 July and/or 22 August: https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/100-years/ashton-and-alston-teacher-insight-days/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=2026_MAY_ALL_TEACHER_TRAINING&utm_term=AA-teacher-training&utm_content=image

🚨 Last chance to get discounts in our May flash sale 🚨

Enjoy 30% off selected dancewear, clothing and accessories by the end-of-day on 31 May.

If you place an order by the end of Sunday 31 May, you’ll be in with a chance to win back your order. We’ll randomly select one lucky customer who shops online with us and refund the cost of their items.

Shop now: https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/product-tag/may-offers/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=2026_MAY_ALL_STORE_SALE&utm_term=shop-may-offers&utm_content=image

We are deeply saddened to learn that Susan Lucas, alum of the School and former Birmingham Associate Teacher has died.

Susan attended the School from aged 16. She joined the Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet following her graduation and was promoted to First Soloist after five years in the Company. Susan retired from the stage after 21 years to pursue a career in teaching. She returned to the School to complete the Diploma of Dance Teaching and held Fellowship status with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing.

Susan was the Principal ballet tutor at Elmhurst Ballet School for fourteen years. As a freelance teacher, she hosted workshops in British Ballet Heritage, linking the pedagogical threads between Enrico Cecchetti, Dame Ninette de Valois and Sir Frederick Ashton’s choreography, ensuring that the next generation of dancers learned about their history. She also taught students on our Birmingham Senior Associate Programme.

Former Associate student, Anne Wall, said of Susan: 'Miss Lucas was such a kind and thoughtful teacher. She went beyond in every sense in her care for students. I remember how she nurtured and encouraged me. She taught with so much intelligence, and her classes had meaning from start to finish. Her choreography was always so expressive and musical, and she instilled the importance of artistry in every single lesson.'

Read more about Susan's life and career here: https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/2026/05/22/remembering-susan-lucas/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=2026_MAY_ALL_LATEST_NEWS&utm_term=SL&utm_content=image

Photographs courtesy of Birmingham Royal Ballet.

🇮🇹 Two days left to apply for our Special Training Programme in Livorno, Italy! 🇮🇹

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to experience the School’s unique System of Training with our esteemed teachers over four weekends in Livorno. Applications close on Friday 29 May.

For young dancers aged 10-15. Apply now and elevate your technique and artistry with us: https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/train/dancer-training/intensive-courses/livorno-special-training-programme/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=2026_MAY_ALL_IC&utm_term=Livorno-prog&utm_content=image

✨ 100 stories for 100 years: Nandita Shankardass ✨

Today, we share the story of alum, Nandita Shankardass, dance artist, choreographer, teacher, multidisciplinary facilitator and the Founder of Welcome Movement®.

Nandita was a Junior Associate before training at the School for eight years. Whilst at the School, she won Dame Ninette de Valois and James Monahan Awards for her choreography.

‘It is here that I began to learn and understand the value and true nature of friendship – those who are with you when you have no family around. Life happens, and through circumstances, challenges and wins, you find yourself in each other’s corners instinctively, and solidarity is formed. Going through these experiences together, discovering who you are, builds these bonds of unspoken trust and care.’

Nandita has danced with world-renowned companies, including Zürcher Ballet, Victor Ullate Ballet, Ballet Black, Scottish Ballet and Compañia Nacional de Danza. She has performed in a wide range of repertoire, dancing in works by Jiří Kylián, William Forsythe, George Balanchine, Uwe Scholz and Ohad Naharin. She continued choreographing throughout her performing career and still creates today.

Nandita recently created her first outdoor piece, Roots to Rise, commissioned by Without Walls to tour the UK and founded Welcome Movement® centered around wellbeing, creativity and freedom of expression.

Read our interview with Nandita here: https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/2026/05/05/100-stories-nandita-shankardass/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=2026_MAY_ALL_LATEST_NEWS&utm_term=100-stories-NS&utm_content=image

🖼️ You can now view part one of the School’s centenary exhibition at the Royal Opera House 🖼️

Designed by the Royal Ballet and Opera’s Exhibitions Curator Robin Footitt, this display marks the first of three exhibition sections featuring the School’s history, notable alumni and student costumes.

‘Across these two cases, we have a bit of history with White Lodge uniform then the Swan Lake and Irish dancing costumes telling the first part of the story. Then, for the second case, I found costumes that are used today by students performing Cinderella.'

Read more from our interview with Robin here: https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/2026/05/20/the-royal-opera-house-opens-part-one-of-the-royal-ballet-schools-centenary-exhibition-designed-by-exhibitions-curator-robin-footitt/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=2026_MAY_ALL_LATEST_NEWS&utm_term=Exhibition-at-RBO&utm_content=image