Force of passion: the origins of Ballet Rambert

Dame Marie Rambert rehearsing Maggie Lorraine with Cecilia Barrett behind her

Flemming Flindt leads the Ballet Rambert in La Sylphide

Dame Marie Rambert, Elsa Marianne von Rosen and Flemming Flindt after a performance of La Sylphide

A souvenir brochure of the 20th anniversary of the Ballet Rambert

Ballet Rambert on tour, Alan Cunliffe, John O'Brien, Shirley Dixon, Rachel Holland, Sandra Heritage

The Ballet Rambert in Giselle with Lucette Aldous in the title role

Front row: Gillian Martlew, Lucette Aldous, John O'Brien and Thelma Litster in Gala Performance

By Alexander Simpkins, 12 December 2025

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“there was something wonderfully endearing about the sheer force of her passion”

Deborah Weiss, 2nd March

We sit down with Ballet Black’s artistic director Cassa Pancho and dancers Isabela Coracy and Ebony Thomas, to discover the challenges and achievements of the company’s first 25 years.

Former ENB Artistic Director Matz Skoog has died aged 69

Bachtrack, 9th February

The Swedish-born ballet star shaped generations of dancers and left a lasting imprint on British and international ballet.

Ukrainian ballerina Katja Khaniukova honoured

Bachtrack, 22nd January

The Order of Princess Olha was bestowed on her on Ukraine's Day of Unity by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Inventing the diva: ballet stars of the 19th century

Elsa Giovanna Simonetti, 3rd December

The great ballerinas of the 19th century were perhaps the first modern celebrities. Rather than bare all, their images cultivated a mysterious, supernatural aura that made them seem unattainable.

BRB’s Sofia Liñares on Sir Peter Wright’s The Nutcracker

Bachtrack, 17th November

Birmingham Royal Ballet soloist Sofia Liñares talks about the joys and fears of dancing multiple roles and performances of Sir Peter Wright’s The Nutcracker.

Rhythmical kinship: Kim Brandstrup on Breaking Bach

Jonathan Gray, 31st October

Choreographer Kim Brandstrup talks about his remarkable collaboration with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and a group of professional hip-hop dancers and students from Camden’s Acland Burghley School.

Alexander Simpkins

Alex is a London-based ballet teacher. He began training at the Suzanna Raymond School of Dance and graduated from Central School of Ballet. For 15 years, he danced for companies in Austria, Spain and Germany, including Ballet de Zaragoza. Since 2015, Alex has taught in the UK at London Studio Centre, Gielgud Academy of Performing Arts, CityLit and the RAD Dance School. He contributed articles to the Dancing Times between 2018 – 2020. Recently, he initiated an award which enables dance students to see live ballet performances, in memory of his teacher, John O’Brien (former Rambert dancer and Dance Books founder.)