Our Artistic Vision
With a welcoming culture of generosity and an inclusive space, we break down barriers and open up the possibilities of ballet to connect with you, whoever and wherever you are.
Since our inception in 1950, our founders Alicia Markova and Anton Dolin have been working with an unwavering commitment to excellence and a mission to bring world class ballet to life across our country.
Over the past century, English National Ballet has showcased a unique, diverse repertoire, inspiring audiences with masterpieces created by visionaries including Natalia Makarova, Rudolf Nureyev, Mary Skeaping, Ronald Hynd, Peter Schaufuss, Derek Deane, Christopher Bruce, Pina Bausch, William Forsythe and Akram Khan.
Our vision is to supercharge English National Ballet’s rich legacy of creativity by preserving the great narratives of classical ballet – works that capture profound emotions with unmatched beauty – alongside championing exciting cutting-edge innovation.
We will ‘open up ballet’ by reviving signature full-length classics that were instrumental in defining our Company, and commissioning fresh interpretations, both classical and contemporary, of these timeless stories to resonate with today’s audience.
At the same time, we are committed to fostering new boundary-pushing choreographic voices and introducing the works of contemporary masters, both from today and from past eras when they were revolutionary. These visionary new works are essential to infuse our art form with vitality and allow it to evolve and forge a bold future.
Fuelled by our courageous spirit and curiosity and working alongside our exceptional artists in both traditional and unexpected spaces and partnerships, we broaden dance’s reach and sustain its relevance.
It is with this dynamic blend of tradition and innovation that we open up ballet to wider audiences both in person, and online.
We ensure access for children and families to dance through our My First Ballet series and nurture a new generation of diversity in our artform through our Ballet Futures programme.
Together with our extensive and ambitious engagement platforms for schools, children and young people and elders, including ENBYouthCo and our industry leading Dance for Parkinson’s, we continue to connect more people to dance, realising its incredible power to inspire, heal and deepen the emotional connections between us all as human beings.
It is here, in our space, in whatever way you experience us, that we will open up ballet for everyone to ‘feel more’ with ENB.
