Dance

Timothy van Poucke in <i>Le Corsaire</i> at the Teatro Romano, Festival dei Due Mondi di Spoleto © Damiano Mongelli

Timothy van Poucke in Le Corsaire at the Teatro Romano, Festival dei Due Mondi di Spoleto

Mauro Bigonzetti’s <i>Caravaggio</i> at Teatro Massimo, Palermo © Rosellina Garbo

Mauro Bigonzetti’s Caravaggio at Teatro Massimo, Palermo

Zakhele (Bboy Swazi) Grabowski and company in Jessee Leigh Robinson’s <i>For Whom the Bell Tolls</i> © Steven Pisano

Zakhele (Bboy Swazi) Grabowski and company in Jessee Leigh Robinson’s For Whom the Bell Tolls

BalletBoyz in <i>Fiction</i> by Javier de Frutos © Amber Hunt

BalletBoyz in Fiction by Javier de Frutos

ENB’s Jose María Lorca Menchón in Kameron N. Saunders’ <i>Proper Conduct</i> © Photography by ASH

ENB’s Jose María Lorca Menchón in Kameron N. Saunders’ Proper Conduct

Paris Opera Ballet in Crystal Pite’s <i>The Seasons’ Canon</i> © Julien Benhamou

Paris Opera Ballet in Crystal Pite’s The Seasons’ Canon

Madeline Squire as Catherine de’ Medici and Roseanna Leney as Mary in <i>Mary, Queen of Scots</i> © Andy Ross

Madeline Squire as Catherine de’ Medici and Roseanna Leney as Mary in Mary, Queen of Scots

Gemma Coutts in <i>Gentleman Jack</i> for Northern Ballet © Emily Nuttall

Gemma Coutts in Gentleman Jack for Northern Ballet

PTDC’s Emmy Wildermuth in <i>Esplanade</i> © Grace Copeland

PTDC’s Emmy Wildermuth in Esplanade

Jenson Blight in Mthuthuzeli November’s <i>In Your Footsteps</i> © Altin Kaftira

Jenson Blight in Mthuthuzeli November’s In Your Footsteps

Sergio Bernal in <i>La sagra della primavera</i> at Teatro Romano, Festival dei Duo Mondi di Spoleto © Damiano Mongelli

Sergio Bernal in La sagra della primavera at Teatro Romano, Festival dei Duo Mondi di Spoleto

Joseph Sissens in Wayne McGregor's <i>Untitled, 2023</i> © 2026 RBO. Photographed by Andrej Uspenski

Joseph Sissens in Wayne McGregor's Untitled, 2023

Daniel Proietto in Russell Maliphant’s <i>Afterlight</i> © Johan Persson

Daniel Proietto in Russell Maliphant’s Afterlight

Compagnie Hervé Koubi in <i>What The Day Owes To The Night</i> © Steven Pisano

Compagnie Hervé Koubi in What The Day Owes To The Night

Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo in Jean-Christophe Maillot's <i>Ma Bayadère</i> © Alice Blangero

Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo in Jean-Christophe Maillot's Ma Bayadère

English National Ballet in Crystal Pite’s <i>Body and Soul (Part 1)</i> © Photography by ASH

English National Ballet in Crystal Pite’s Body and Soul (Part 1)

Wei Wang and San Francisco Ballet in Aszure Barton’s <i>Mere Mortals</i> © Andrew Perry/Edinburgh International Festival

Wei Wang and San Francisco Ballet in Aszure Barton’s Mere Mortals

Towa Iwase and Opera Ballet Vlaanderen in Pina Bausch's <i>Le Sacre du printemps</i> © PhileDeprez

Towa Iwase and Opera Ballet Vlaanderen in Pina Bausch's Le Sacre du printemps

Ballet Black in Mthuthuzeli November's <i>Ingoma</i> © Photography by ASH

Ballet Black in Mthuthuzeli November's Ingoma

Czech National Ballet in Marco Goecke’s <i>Lovebirds</i> © Serghei Gherciu

Czech National Ballet in Marco Goecke’s Lovebirds

Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo in Jean-Christophe Maillot’s <i>Cendrillon</i> © Alice Blangero

Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo in Jean-Christophe Maillot’s Cendrillon

Paul Taylor Dance Company in his <i>Speaking in Tongues</i> © Steven Pisano

Paul Taylor Dance Company in his Speaking in Tongues

La compagnie Hervé Koubi in <i>Les nuits barbares</i> © Gyorgy Jokuti

La compagnie Hervé Koubi in Les nuits barbares

The Australian Ballet and Bangarra Dance Theatre in <i>Flora</i> © Daniel Boud

The Australian Ballet and Bangarra Dance Theatre in Flora

Aaron Choate from Hubbard Street Dance Chicago in Bob Fosse's <i>Percussion IV</i> © Michelle Reid

Aaron Choate from Hubbard Street Dance Chicago in Bob Fosse's Percussion IV

The Royal Ballet in <i>Salle de danse</i> by Sol León and Paul Lightfoot © Johan Persson

The Royal Ballet in Salle de danse by Sol León and Paul Lightfoot

National Ballet of Japan in Sir Peter Wright’s <i>Swan Lake</i> © Takashi Shikama

National Ballet of Japan in Sir Peter Wright’s Swan Lake

Timothy van Poucke in Le Corsaire at the Teatro Romano, Festival dei Due Mondi di Spoleto

Mauro Bigonzetti’s Caravaggio at Teatro Massimo, Palermo

Zakhele (Bboy Swazi) Grabowski and company in Jessee Leigh Robinson’s For Whom the Bell Tolls

BalletBoyz in Fiction by Javier de Frutos

ENB’s Jose María Lorca Menchón in Kameron N. Saunders’ Proper Conduct

Paris Opera Ballet in Crystal Pite’s The Seasons’ Canon

Madeline Squire as Catherine de’ Medici and Roseanna Leney as Mary in Mary, Queen of Scots

Gemma Coutts in Gentleman Jack for Northern Ballet

PTDC’s Emmy Wildermuth in Esplanade

Jenson Blight in Mthuthuzeli November’s In Your Footsteps

Sergio Bernal in La sagra della primavera at Teatro Romano, Festival dei Duo Mondi di Spoleto

Joseph Sissens in Wayne McGregor's Untitled, 2023

Daniel Proietto in Russell Maliphant’s Afterlight

Compagnie Hervé Koubi in What The Day Owes To The Night

Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo in Jean-Christophe Maillot's Ma Bayadère

English National Ballet in Crystal Pite’s Body and Soul (Part 1)

Wei Wang and San Francisco Ballet in Aszure Barton’s Mere Mortals

Towa Iwase and Opera Ballet Vlaanderen in Pina Bausch's Le Sacre du printemps

Ballet Black in Mthuthuzeli November's Ingoma

Czech National Ballet in Marco Goecke’s Lovebirds

Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo in Jean-Christophe Maillot’s Cendrillon

Paul Taylor Dance Company in his Speaking in Tongues

La compagnie Hervé Koubi in Les nuits barbares

The Australian Ballet and Bangarra Dance Theatre in Flora

Aaron Choate from Hubbard Street Dance Chicago in Bob Fosse's Percussion IV

The Royal Ballet in Salle de danse by Sol León and Paul Lightfoot

National Ballet of Japan in Sir Peter Wright’s Swan Lake

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Features & Interviews

Jakob Wheway Hughes in Ashley Coupal’s <i>Liminal</i> for Emerging Dancer 2026 © English National Ballet, Isabella Turolla

Unmissable young dancers and choreographers to watch in 2026-27

As ever, the opening of a new season this autumn is a moment to look forward to performances from many young talents across the world of dance and ballet – I find myself overwhelmed with choice! But there are a handful of artists who more than merit a mention.

Liam Francis in Kim Brandstrup’s <i>Life is a Dream</i> for Rambert © Johan Persson

Breaking free: Liam Francis makes a new company

Liam Francis has had an unconventional journey to success. Over video call we’re about to discuss his newly formed Liam Francis Dance Company, his most recent works (A Body of Rumours, Lyre Liar) which will be touring internationally and a new project for 2027. His warm personality belies a self-deprecating sense of humour, and a fiercely self-critical attitude towards his work.

Malpaso Dance Company in rehearsal in Havana © Christopher Duggan

Survival and resistance: Cuba’s Malpaso Dance

In a sweltering Havana studio, the dancers of Malpaso – one of Cuba’s premier contemporary dance companies – have been without electricity for three days. Yet, as they rehearse choreographer Pedro Ruiz’s new piece, The Essence of Us, they are smiling. Dripping with sweat, they remain alert and eager to create.

English National Ballet rehearse Micaela Taylor’s <i>Bow Out</i> for Rhythm Riot © Isabella Turolla

Re-imaginings and new creations: Dance world premieres for 2026–27

The past season brought some fascinating dance creations to audiences across the world, as well as a number of co-productions, with new and established choreographers making waves in different territories. There are plenty of exciting new works to pique your interest during the upcoming season too – here are some that caught our eye.

Sabrina Lenzi and Kevin O’Hare in Sir Frederick Ashton’s <i>Birthday Offering</i> © Bill Cooper, 1995

Backwards bourrées: reviving Sir Frederick Ashton’s Birthday Offering

Birthday Offering was created in 1956 to celebrate The Royal Ballet’s 25th anniversary. To music by Alexander Glazunov, the choreography by Sir Frederick Ashton is revived on special occasions. Birmingham Royal Ballet is performing it in June to celebrate Sir Peter Wright’s centenary year.

Marion Tait as the Mother, Joseph Cipolla as Death, Karen Waldie as the Woman in <i>The Green Table</i> © Leslie E Spatt 1992

Before the war came: Jonathan Payn on why The Green Table is urgent today

The Green Table is a one-act ballet created in 1932 by German choreographer Kurt Jooss for his own company. A pioneering work of Tanztheater, it was created amid the collapse of the Weimar Republic and the rise of Nazism. This season it returns to Birmingham Royal Ballet, where it has not been performed since 1992.

Dance Reviews

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