The Royal Ballet (Outdoor)
At outdoor Henry J. Leir Stage: Jul 3 - Jul 7
Event Dates
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About
The Royal Ballet of the United Kingdom
This performance took place on July 3-7, 2024.
From England | Pillow Debut | World Premiere | U.S. Premiere | Live Music | Only U.S. Appearance in 2024
One of the most famous and celebrated companies in the world, The Royal Ballet appeared at Jacob’s Pillow for the first time, as the company’s sole stop in the U.S. in 2024. To celebrate this milestone, the festival featured daily back-to-back performances from The Royal Ballet in multiple venues.
The program featured a series of solos and duets from classical repertoire and works by Frederick Ashton, Wayne McGregor, and Christopher Wheeldon. Principal dancer Natalia Osipova performed on opening night (Wednesday, July 3). Other select Royal Ballet Principals performed in this engagement along with a vibrant array of the company’s dancers. See below for the full program.
Based in London, England, The Royal Ballet has been in residence at The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden since 1946. The company was founded by Dame Ninette de Valois in 1931. The company’s celebrated repertory is drawn from 19th-century ballet classics as well as the distinctive English works of its Founder Choreographer Frederick Ashton and Principal Choreographer Kenneth MacMillan, and continues to resonate with audiences strongly today through the striking contemporary sensibility of Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor and Artistic Associate Christopher Wheeldon.
*NOTE: The School at Jacob’s Pillow Contemporary Performance Ensemble opened the outdoor evening program on Saturday, July 6 with a performance beginning at 5:15pm. Ticket holders were invited to arrive early to enjoy this additional performance as part of their ticket purchase.
Read a recent feature on our Royal Ballet engagement in The Boston Globe:
- From Covent Garden to the Berkshires: London’s Royal Ballet visits Jacob’s Pillow for the first time
“One of the supreme treasures of the international dance world … The company’s five days of performances at Jacob’s Pillow, its only US engagement this year, are selling out fast.”
The Royal Ballet of the United Kingdom – Outdoor Program
Les Rendezvous – solo
Choreography Frederick Ashton
Music Daniel François Esprit Auber
Musical arrangement Constant Lambert
Les Biches – solo
Choreography Bronislava Nijinska
Music Francis Poulenc
After the Rain – pas de deux
Choreography Christopher Wheeldon
Music Arvo Pärt
Swan Lake – pas de deux from Act II
Choreography Lev Ivanov
Music Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Dance of the Blessed Spirits
Choreography Frederick Ashton
Music Christoph Willibald Gluck
Us – duet
Choreography Christopher Wheeldon
Music Keaton Henson
Carbon Life – I Love You So
Choreography Wayne McGregor
Music Marik Ronson and Andrew Wyatt
Orchestration Jay Wadley
The Dying Swan*
Choreography Mikhail Fokine
Music Camille Saint-Saëns
Le Corsaire – pas de deux
Choreography after Marius Petipa
Music Riccardo Drigo
*The Dying Swan will only be performed on Wednesday, July 3.
Lead underwriting support is provided by Len and Emily Blavatnik.
Major underwriting support is provided by Jeff Davis and Michael Miller and the Deborah Loeb Brice Foundation.
Underwriting support provided by Charles and Deborah Adelman, Carole and Dan Burack, Wendy McCain, Naoimi Seligman and Erni von Simson, and Denise Sobel.
Additional support provided by Ed Grossman.
This program is supported in part by the Neil Chrisman Fund for International Dance.
