Headline commission for Royal Docks Originals 2027

13 October 2026

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Home / Headline commission for Royal Docks Originals 2027

We’re thrilled to be creating a major new commission for Royal Docks Originals 2027 – the free, biennial arts and cultural festival taking place in East London in autumn 2027.

The commission will see us create a major new outdoor dance work celebrating the identity and diversity of communities in East London.

Bringing together Company dancers alongside over 500 local community and professional performers, this promenade performance will unfold across Royal Docks Victoria and culminate in a powerful moment of mass movement near City Hall.

Working with us to create this major new commission is the Project Artistic Director, Jeanefer Jean-Charles MBE, an internationally acclaimed creative director known for creating mass outdoor spectacles, and Lead Choreographer and former English National Ballet Soloist, Jenna Lee.

Dancers in a bent knee position, dancing together in a public space outside

We will recruit over 30 local dance groups to take part in the piece through a series of open callouts and workshops across the year. This truly collaborative performance will combine ballet, hip hop and contemporary dance with a vibrant range of other dance styles, creating a unique experience for East London audiences to enjoy.

Returning for its second edition, Royal Docks Originals is a free biennial festival for world-class arts, installations and performances created in London’s Royal Docks and presented over a month-long celebration on the waterfront.

This brilliant collaboration between Royal Docks Team and English National Ballet is not to be missed when the Royal Docks Originals biennial festival returns next year. It’s free to attend and will help bring communities together, open up access to the arts and celebrate local culture and diversity, as we continue to build a better London for everyone. – Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries, Justine Simons OBE

Large public crowd stood together in front of shopping centre with arms in the air

Anu Giri, Executive Director at English National Ballet, said:

“We’re thrilled to be creating this landmark production, in partnership with Royal Docks Team, in our local borough of Newham. This ambitious new work will see hundreds of people come together to reflect on the area’s history and look forward to a hopeful future.

At English National Ballet we believe in opening up the possibilities of ballet, creating new entry points to dance and making moving, meaningful experiences accessible to people wherever they are. This commission is an exciting opportunity to share the power of ballet with thousands of people and celebrate the vibrant creative communities in East London.”

Dancers in black and white suits running across stage

“I am thrilled to be working with English National Ballet and the Royal Docks team as Artistic Director for this major movement project. Having begun my career in Newham over 30 years ago, it feels particularly special to return for a project of this scale. Bringing communities together to create what I hope will be an unforgettable experience makes it all the more exciting.” – Jeanefer Jean-Charles MBE, Project Artistic Director

If you’re part of a local dance group and would like to find out more about how to get involved, please register your interest here.

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