Ballet with attitude
Celebrating its 30th birthday is THE Swan Lake that created a stir and changed ballet history, Matthew Bourne’s rule breaking reinvention with a corps de ballet of male swans.
When our Swan Lake was premiered it created a sensation that none of us could have predicted. I think we knew that we had a good idea but could never have dreamt of the impact it would have on all of us, our audiences and the wider dance world.
As our swans take flight once more, I’m full of anticipation for the challenges it will bring for our next generation of dancers and the wonder that it will bring to audiences who will experience it for the very first time.
Matthew Bourne
After 30 years London City Ballet make their long-awaited return to the stage featuring one of the best in the business, Alina Cojocaru. English National Ballet brings Akram Khan’s masterpiece Giselle, a show that took the critics by storm five years ago.
The sunniest and funniest of ballets La Fille mal gardée from Birmingham Royal Ballet will be sure to entertain the whole family. New work Luna, featuring an all-female creative team and a live children’s choir tells the stories of trailblazing women from Birmingham. The final part of Carlos Acosta’s trilogy of works inspired by Birmingham.
From across the pond, Canada’s finest dance exports take to the London stage with works from three choreographic powerhouses performed by The National Ballet of Canada.
Our ballet performances are big, bold and beautiful.
Your guide to the ballet. See here for more information about what its like to attend a ballet at Sadler’s Wells.
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Hear from our audience…
1. One tutu takes about 90 hours to make – that’s almost 4 days!
2. The first ballet dancers were all men!
3. A male dancer can lift over one to one a half tonnes’ worth of ballerinas during a single performance. That’s the weight of an average car!
4. The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and English National Opera all started life here at Sadler’s Wells.
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What’s on
Ballet on Sadler’s Wells Digital Stage
Taster dance workshops - Ballet
Leave the tutus and pointe shoes at the door. This introduction to ballet is ideal for anyone who wants to enjoy the sensation and combination of soft, gentle and empowering movements in their body.
Confessions of a Ballet Star
Unrivalled talent, magnetic presence and incredible athleticism. In this series featuring Tiler Peck, Natalia Osipova, Carlos Acosta and Alina Cojocaru, discover what it means to be a ballet dancer at the peak of perfection.