Biggest-ever global celebration of dance #WorldBalletDay

Today, The Royal Ballet and The Australian Ballet are delighted to announce that #WorldBalletDay 2022 will be the biggest yet.  Over 60 companies, from 6 continents, will come together online onWednesday 2 November 2022 to celebrate the power of dance.

Join over the course of the day to watch rehearsals, classes and behind-the-scenes exclusives – all streamed for free, and offering glimpses of ballet’s biggest stars and up-and-coming performers. Following on from the success of last year – which saw over 50 companies take part – the celebration will showcase the very best of the art form, both in terms of its long history and its vibrant future.

The line-up of participating companies includes 14 companies taking part for the very first time, including Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, Joffrey Ballet and The Washington Ballet. They will join a list of returning favourites: American Ballet Theatre, Paris Opera Ballet, National Ballet of Japan, Cape Town City Ballet and over 50 others. A full list is available on the #WorldBalletDay website.

Fans young and old are invited to join in online by sharing a video of themselves performing a piece of choreography inspired by The Sleeping Beauty, as demonstrated by Royal Ballet Principal Anna Rose O’Sullivan. No ballet experience is necessary, and choreography can be adapted. Content should be shared using #WorldBalletDay for a chance to be featured on the day.

Kevin O’Hare, Director of The Royal Ballet, said:  

‘We’ve had a wonderful start to our 2022/23 Season, and are really looking forward to another World Ballet Day this November. We are delighted to be sharing the day with so many fantastic companies around the world, and to be offering more fascinating glimpses into life backstage. We hope our international community of ballet lovers will be able to gather online with us all to celebrate the rich artistry and repertory that make the arts such a positive force worldwide.’

David Hallberg, Director of The Australian Ballet, said:   

‘World Ballet Day is a moment to open the studio doors of The Australian Ballet and share the intimate work our dancers exert on a daily basis. Before any show, there are hours of rehearsal, and World Ballet Day is the chance to see the beauty of ballet, expressed right before you in the most close up way.’

Opening with morning class, The Royal Ballet’s four-hour live stream will commence at 11am (GMT) and offer sneak previews of rehearsals for some of this Season’s productions: Kenneth MacMillan’s Mayerling and the hotly-anticipated A Diamond Celebration. Students at The Royal Ballet School will make an appearance, and new work will also feature, celebrating the breadth of choreographic talent working today. Audiences can expect to hear about some of the Company’s astonishing outreach work across the country later in the day.

From The Australian Ballet, audiences can expect a full class, complete with commentary by Artistic Director David Hallberg, followed by rehearsals for DanceX – a three-part festival that showcases the depth, range and diversity of the nation’s dance community. The 4-hour segment, streamed from Melbourne, will also include rehearsals for Romeo and Juliet, and for two new works: Annealing, choreographed for the Company’s Instruments of Dance triple bill by Resident Choreographer Alice Topp, and Justin Peck’s Everywhere we go. It will run from 11am-3pm (Australian Eastern Daylight Time, UCT+11).

Exclusive content from The Royal Ballet and The Australian Ballet will be made available on TikTok, in addition to full-length streams on Facebook and YouTube.

The line-up of participating companies and their respective streaming schedules is being continually updated. Both The Royal Ballet and The Australian Ballet’s schedules are subject to change. Visit www.worldballetday.com for more.

PARTICIPATING COMPANIES

Africa

Joburg Ballet

Cape Town City Ballet

Asia

Bangkok City Ballet

Cloud Gate Dance Theater of Taiwan

Universal Ballet

Singapore Dance Theatre

The National Ballet of Japan

Korean National Ballet

Hong Kong Ballet

Ballet Indonesia Foundation

Europe

Finnish National Ballet

The Royal Danish Ballet

La Scala Theatre Ballet

Polish National Ballet

Stuttgart Ballet

Ballet de l’Opera de Paris

Wiener Staatsballett

Opera Sofia

Staatsballet Berlin

Dutch National Ballet

Bayerisches Staatsballett

Estonian National Ballet

Ballet de Barcelona

The Norwegian National Opera & Ballet

Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo*

The Royal Ballet

English National Ballet

Royal Academy of Dance

Birmingham Royal Ballet

Northern Ballet

Scottish Ballet

ISTD

Oceania

The Australian Ballet

West Australian Ballet

Queensland Ballet

Royal New Zealand Ballet

North America

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

American Ballet Theatre

Boston Ballet

The National Ballet of Canada

Miami City Ballet*

San Francisco Ballet

Houston Ballet

The Joffrey Ballet*

Pacific Northwest Ballet

Oregon Ballet Theatre*

BalletX

Smiun Ballet*

Texas Ballet Theatre*

Kansas City Ballet*

The Sarasota Ballet*

Ballet West*

Ballet West Academy*

Ballet Arkansas*

Philadelphia Ballet*

The Washington Ballet*

Ballet Idaho*

 

Central and South America

Ballet Concierto de Puerto Rico

Acosta Danza

Ballet Nacional de Cuba

São Paulo Dance Company

*Joining for the first time

This list is subject to change

About The Royal Ballet 

Under the directorship of Kevin O’Hare, The Royal Ballet unites tradition and innovation in world-class performances and is a driving force in the development of ballet as an art form. Based at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, it brings together today’s most dynamic and versatile dancers with a world-class orchestra and leading choreographers, composers, conductors, directors and creative teams to share awe-inspiring theatrical experiences with diverse audiences worldwide. The Company’s extensive repertory embraces 19th-century classics, the singular legacy of works by Founder Choreographer Frederick Ashton and Principal Choreographer Kenneth MacMillan, a compelling new canon of work by choreographers today including Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor and Artistic Associate Christopher Wheeldon, and the bold and complementary programming in the Linbury Theatre. Guest choreographers Kyle Abraham, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Cathy Marston, Arthur Pita, Crystal Pite, Hofesh Shechter, Pam Tanowitz and Twyla Tharp have also created work for the Company.

About The Australian Ballet  

The Australian Ballet is one of the world’s premiere ballet companies and has delivered extraordinary performances for more than sixty years. A commitment to artistic excellence, a spirited style and a willingness to take risks have defined the company from its earliest days, both on stage and off.

The company regularly represents Australia on the world stage and has performed to critical acclaim in 87 cities worldwide – including New York, Shanghai, Tokyo, London and Paris. Caring for tradition yet daring to be different, The Australian Ballet performs beloved classical ballets and commissions new work annually. The Australian Ballet presents upwards of 250 shows and 1,700 education and audience engagement events each year.

In addition to 80 exceptional dancers, The Australian Ballet employs master craftspeople and leaders in injury prevention, dance education, marketing and philanthropy, as well as an orchestra of 62 musicians (Orchestra Victoria).

Moving effortlessly between the great classical ballets and new contemporary commissions, the company has a uniquely Australian style, powered by artistry and athleticism.

To find out more about the Royal Ballet School, visit here…

To find out more about The Australian Ballet, visit here…

Written by Theatrefullstop