Royal Ballet School Students Share Company Performance Insights

Pre-professional Year students LilySophia Dashwood and Alberto Gil Vicente recently performed with The Royal Ballet in Onegin and Romeo and Juliet, sharing their experiences of balancing company rehearsals with school demands. Both students reflected on managing professional commitments alongside academic requirements.

Company rehearsals require coordination with Pre-professional Year studies. School staff accommodate rehearsal schedules whilst ensuring students fulfil their academic obligations. This balance proves challenging as both areas demand considerable time and energy.

Student Experiences and Roles

Dashwood performed multiple roles in Romeo and Juliet, dancing as a townsperson in acts one and two, a guest in the ballroom scene, and the bride in act two. Gil Vicente appeared as the Footman in the third act of Onegin and as a Capulet in the ballroom scene of Romeo and Juliet.

“Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet is such a beautiful ballet that is very well-known across the world,” Dashwood reflected. “It has been such a privilege to work closely with members of staff and dancers at The Royal Ballet who are incredibly familiar with MacMillan’s style and gave us such insight into the details of the ballet and its choreography.”

Gil Vicente emphasised his appreciation for both productions: “Being part of these ballets is such an incredible experience. The music, the costumes, the choreography and the story of both ballets are wonderful, and being in productions of this magnitude is a gift. Since I started ballet, both Onegin and Romeo and Juliet have always been two of my favourite ballets.”

Balancing School and Company Demands

“Balancing the school timetable as well as company rehearsals and shows is always a bit of a challenge,” Dashwood explained. “We usually have a regular, full day of school, and then go into the show in the evening so it’s a great learning curve of how to manage our workload and bodies to ensure peak performance every day and every show.”

Working alongside Royal Ballet dancers exposes students to professional standards that differ from classroom training. Rehearsal processes introduce them to company protocols, artistic expectations, and performance pressures they will encounter as former pupils.

The Bridge Between School and Company

The Royal Ballet School’s unique position adjacent to the Royal Opera House facilitates these collaborations through the Bridge of Aspiration, an award-winning architectural link that connects the school directly to the opera house. Designed by WilkinsonEyre Architects, the bridge twists high above Floral Street in Covent Garden, featuring a concertina of 23 square portals with glazed intervals that “evokes the fluidity and grace of dance.”

This physical connection reflects the institutional relationship between The Royal Ballet School and The Royal Ballet that dates back to 1931, when Dame Ninette de Valois founded both organisations. Students regularly have opportunities to work with The Royal Ballet, performing in productions and benefiting from coaching by company dancers.

Professional Learning Opportunities

Gil Vicente highlighted the inspirational aspect of working with established performers: “I’ve learnt so many things. Seeing my idols perform in ballets like these is breathtaking and a dream come true. It’s very inspiring to see how the company works as a team to make this production a reality on stage.”

Both students emphasised learning opportunities that extend beyond technical development. “I would highlight the professionalism, experience and confidence that the entire company transmits, and feeling all of these qualities live on stage,” Gil Vicente noted. “I am so grateful to share the stage with the biggest stars in the world of dance.”

Historical Context of the Productions

Romeo and Juliet holds particular significance for British ballet, with Kenneth MacMillan’s 1965 version becoming a cornerstone of The Royal Ballet’s repertoire. The production, set to Sergei Prokofiev’s score, has been performed by The Royal Ballet for nearly 60 years and features designs by Nicholas Georgiadis that create what critics describe as “a Renaissance painting come to life.”

Onegin, based on Alexander Pushkin’s verse novel, provides students with experience in a different choreographic style whilst working with the same professional company standards. Both ballets appear frequently in international company repertoires, making familiarity with these works valuable preparation for students’ future careers.

The Pre-professional Programme

Dashwood and Gil Vicente participate in the Pre-professional Year programme, designed to bridge student training with professional careers. This final year provides intensive preparation for company auditions and employment opportunities upon leaving. Students in this programme are typically 18-19 years old and have completed the school’s eight-year carefully structured dance course.

The programme represents the culmination of training that begins at age 11 at White Lodge in Richmond Park before progressing to the Upper School in Covent Garden at age 16. Full-time students receive world-class classical ballet training alongside academic education, with 90% of current students relying on financial support to attend the school.

Performance Impact and Career Preparation

Royal Opera House performances reach thousands of audience members, creating stage conditions students will encounter as professionals. Large-scale productions require different energy and projection than studio or school performances, providing essential experience for aspiring professional dancers.

“Working with the company on any production is always a lot of fun, but because Romeo and Juliet is such a quintessential ballet for the company it is super special to be a part of,” Dashwood observed. “It really feels like we are a part of the legacy of the company and it’s very exciting to see the work that goes on behind the scenes to put on such a big ballet.”

Working relationships formed during company work often continue as students transition to company posts. These connections prove valuable when leavers audition for companies or seek career guidance. The Royal Ballet employs approximately 100 dancers, from Artists forming the corps de ballet through to Principals, with school graduates typically entering at the Artist level.

Professional ballet requires individual preparation to serve collective artistic goals. Understanding this dynamic proves essential for dancers joining established companies with existing performance traditions and repertoire demands.

Institutional Excellence and Alumni Success

The Royal Ballet School has produced outstanding dancers and choreographers of international renown for generations, from Margot Fonteyn, Kenneth MacMillan, Darcey Bussell and Jonathan Cope, to a new generation currently making its mark on the world stage including Matthew Ball, William Bracewell, Lauren Cuthbertson, Francesca Hayward, Yasmine Naghdi, Marcelino Sambé and Christopher Wheeldon.

These performance opportunities reflect the School’s commitment to preparing students for contemporary ballet careers through practical experience alongside academic training, maintaining its position as one of the world’s most celebrated centres for classical ballet training.

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