Our latest episode is a conversation with the dancer Lucette Aldous who was born in New Zealand in 1939, but lived in Sydney, Australia, from the age of 3months. After studying in Sydney, she won a scholarship to study at The Royal Ballet School in 1955. voicesofbritishballet.com/podcast/luce...

In the latest epsiode of Voices of British Ballet, Kenneth Olumuyiwa Tharp speaks movingly about his experiences of working with Robin Howard and Robert Cohan. In this lovely interview Kenneth is talking to Alastair Macaulay. Image: Bill Cooper / ArenaPAL

In this week's podcast episode, Donald MacLeary, is in conversation with the dance writer Alastair Macaulay.

In our latest podcast episode Barbara Fewster talks to Patricia Linton about her time as Ballet Principal and Associate Director of The Royal Ballet School. voicesofbritishballet.com/podcast/barb...

In our latest episode we talk about Pineapple Poll - the exuberant comic ballet John Cranko made for Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet in 1951.

A lovely interview with our founder, fount of all knowledge and powerhouse, Patricia Linton www.royalballetschool.org.uk/2025/08/13/s...

Julia Farron was born in London in 1922. She was part of the vanguard of extraordinary talent that helped shape ballet in 20th Century Britain. In 1931 she was the first scholarship pupil to join the Vic-Wells Ballet School. voicesofbritishballet.com/podcast/juli...

Our latest episode features an interview with Rowena Fayre who danced with Sadler's Wells in the 1930's. voicesofbritishballet.com/podcast/rowe...

In our latest episode the impresario Lilian Hochauser talks about the moment in 1961 when Rudolf Nureyev defected to the West from the Soviet Union whilst on tour with the Kirov Ballet. Lilian and her husband Victor Hochauser, had organised the tour.

In the latest episode of Voices of British Ballet Lynn Seymour talk about being inspired by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers as well as being "blown away" by the Bolshoi's London performances in 1956 when she appeared with them onstage as an "extra". voicesofbritishballet.com/podcast/lynn...

In the latest episode we hear the artist Jock McFadyen talk about his part, as designer, in making Kenneth MacMillan's controversial ballet The Judas Tree. voicesofbritishballet.com/podcast/jock...

The latest Voices of British Ballet episode features the dancer, choreographer and directorm Gillian Lynne. voicesofbritishballet.com/podcast/gill...

Our latest episode features a jewel from our archive - an inteview with the dancer and choreographer, Siobhan Davies, from 2019. She's in conversation with the dance critic Alastair Macaulay. In this little clip she's talking about the differences,between the Graham and Cunningham techniques.

In our latest podcast we hear from Clement Crisp, perhaps one of the most distinctive voices in British ballet. Widely regarded as the doyen of British ballet criticism, Crisp was an imposing figure in the ballet world, both in person and in print, and was so for nearly half a century.

In his interview for Voices of British Ballet Dudley Simpson, probably best known as a prolific composer of music for Doctor Who, talks about the first time he set foot on the podium at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

This week's episode features an absolutely lovely conversation with Dudley Simpson, the composer of much Doctor Who music but who began his career playing piano for ballet classes and conducting the orchestra of th Royal Opera House voicesofbritishballet.com/podcast/dudl...

This weeks episode is a conversation wit hthe dancer Beryl Grey. Born 1927 in she began her ballet training at the age of four. voicesofbritishballet.com/podcast/bery...

In our latest podcast episode Jane Pritchard, Curator of Dance at the V&A introduces an interview with the dancer Brenda Hamlyn. Brenda danced with Ballet Rambert, the companies at the Arts Theatre Club in the early 1940's and then toured with ENSA after the war.

Joan Seaman's extraordinary VE Day: "A lot of people have said, ‘Oh, we were laughing, we were talking, we had dancing in Trafalgar Square.’ No, not me! I was watching the ballet, then afterwards I do what I have done all my life, I was playing the piano!"

"She and I laughed a great deal together. All of the memories I have with Margot is when she was laughing." David Wall danced for the first time with Margot Fonteyn when he was just 19 years old and partnered her in Les Sylphides...

"His whole life is present in his voice, no sophistry and every inch a prince." David Wall was one of the greatest male dancers of his era, with an extraordinary stage charisma, range, theatricality and honesty. He's the subject of our latest podcast episode.

We're releasing a special episode to mark VE Day on 8th May. On VE Day, 1945 a young Joan Seaman remembered that she a had a ticket to see Sadler's Wells Ballet. She thought she may as well go. The company celebrated with Margot Fonteyn and Robert Helpmann in Coppélia.

Our latest episode is an interview with David Wall introduced by his classmate and founder of Voices of British Ballet, Patricia Linton. It's a wonderful episode, both the main interview and Patricia's memories of David. voicesofbritishballet.com/podcast/davi...

OTD in early British television: On Monday 3 May 1937, members of the Vic-Wells ballet company travelled to the studio to perform, at 3.47pm and 9.47pm, Frederick Ashton‘s one-act ballet Les Patineurs. www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/otd-in-early...

Anita Landa was a founding member of London's Festival Ballet in 1949 (later became English National Ballet). She has strong views about respecting the original choreography of ballets and in our latest special episode she's with other company members to talk about Festival Ballet's history.

Lydia Sokolova (1896-1974) as the Ballerina in Fokine's Petrushka c1920. Born Hilda Munnings, she was the first English principal with Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. Her 1960 memoir 'Dancing for Diaghilev' records memories of her childhood in Leyton. 📷 is.gd/I5ubZ6 Extract from 1974 obituary. #DanceDay

Anita Landa and Pamela Hart recall being young dancers on the very first tour with Alicia Markova as part of the new London's Festival Ballet Company. They loved being in the company with Markova who they describe setting the very glamorous tone.

You can read more about Graham and her work at www.infinite-women.com/women/martha...

Noel Bronley danced with Mona Inglesby's International Ballet and is this week's interviewee on our podcast. She is introduced by Jane Pritchard from the V&A who talks about the company's history. voicesofbritishballet.com/podcast/noel...

In our latest podcast episode - available on April 22nd - Noel Bronley talks about her time in International Ballet. Subscribe at any podcast platform or explore our website to find our growing archive of episodes and a timeline of British Ballet,

The art of negotioting your fee! John Craxton took tips from the cultural behemoth Kenneth Clark when negotiating his fee for designing Daphnis and Chloë in 1951. The question of the fee didn't come up until well into the production process.

In our new Voices of British Ballet podcast episode we hear a conversation with the British artist John Craxton. He describes an early enchantment with ballet.

From the late 1940s on, the artist John Craxton's main source of inspiration had been the landscape and people of Greece. He brought that influence to bear on his designs for Ashton's Daphnis and Chlöe in 1951. voicesofbritishballet.com/podcast/john...

In our latest podcast episode, the painter John Craxton talks about a problem with the lighting that scuppered his vision for dressing Margot Fonteyn in yellow in Frederick Ashton's 1951 production of Daphnis and Chlöe. Find us on any podcast platform or at our webite www.voicesofbritishballet.com

When she was invited onto the BBC’s Desert Island Discs in 1965 Margot Fonteyn chose only one piece of music from the ballet repertory, Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloë. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p...

In our latest podcast episode, John Tooley, the former General Director of the Royal Opera House, who died in 2020, talks about the aftermath of a terrible meeting in 1969.

In our latest podcast episode, John Tooley, the former General Director of the Royal Opera House, who died in 2020, talks about the aftermath of a terrible meeting in 1969.

Overseeing the first visit of the Bolshoi Ballet to London in 1956 was John Tooley's first task at the Royal Opera House. He talks about it in his interview with Voices of British Ballet.

Antoinette Sibley talks about the perfection of Margot Fonteyn in Episode 6 of our podcast. Find us on any podcast platform or at our website where each episode has more information and photographs and where you can see a timeline of British ballet. www.voicesofbritishballet.com

Monica Mason describes how The Sleeping Beauty became a touchstone ballet for Ninette de Valois and The Royal Ballet in Episode 5 of our podcast. A new production of the ballet was chosen to open Sadler's Wells Ballet's first season at the Royal Opera House in 1946.

An absolutely lovely review of our podcast in @thespectator1828.bsky.social from Daisy Dunn. We're "utterly delightful" she says. Well, we're utterly delighted by her very kind words and thrilled to hear she enjoyed it so much. www.voicesofbritishballet.com

Christopher Wheeldon recalls one of his earliest performances on the @theroyalballet.bsky.social stage - determined that the dance would go on.

Balanchine's London music-hall outings in 1929 - 1931 sound extraordinary. Here's a poster which includes his Liebestraum, included, said Betty Scorer, one of the dancers, because it was one of the few pieces Sir Oswald Stoll's orchestra (conducted by his son, Dennis) could manage.

Thrilling, glorious 'Balanchine: Three Signature Works' at Royal Ballet, Covent Garden last night. Incredible dancing all round. Climax was the exquisitely classical 'Symphony in C' to Bizet, which flooded the stage with dancers... www.rbo.org.uk/tickets-and-...

A jewel-box of an episode: the former @nycballet.bsky.social principal dancer, Violette Verdy, in conversation with the critic Clement Crisp in 2006, introduced by @alastairmacaulay.bsky.social voicesofbritishballet.com/podcast/viol...

A jewel-box of an episode: the former @nycballet.bsky.social principal dancer, Violette Verdy, in conversation with the critic Clement Crisp in 2006, introduced by @alastairmacaulay.bsky.social voicesofbritishballet.com/podcast/viol...

OTD in early British television: In mid-March 1939, Alexandra Palace rolled out a metaphorical red carpet for the state visit of France’s President Lebrun. Alongside an outside broadcast of the King and Queen at Victoria Station, www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/otd-in-early...

Each podcast featuring an archive interview begins with a new conversation for context. We've been lucky to have some wonderful contributors so far: Alastair Macaulay, Adam Cooper, Patricia Linton, our founder, and, here, Darcey Bussell on Christopher Wheeldon. shorturl.at/9gEnV

Balanchine's London music-hall outings in 1929 - 1931 sound extraordinary. Here's a poster which includes his Liebestraum, included, said Betty Scorer, one of the dancers, because it was one of the few pieces Sir Oswald Stoll's orchestra (conducted by his son, Dennis) could manage.

In epsiode 2 of our new podcast, the American choreographer, Mark Morris talks about a common question he's asked about the relationship between choreography and improvisation in dance. Is it all strictly planned, or do dancers have the freedom to express themselves?