Voices of British Ballet
Voices of British Ballet
82 episodes
Voices of British Ballet tells the story of dance in Britain through conversations with the people that built its history. Choreographers, dancers, designers, producers and composers describe their part in the development of the artform from the beginning of the twentieth century. We publish every two weeks.
More about the show
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Episodes page 1 of 2
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Alexander Grant
From the vagaries of casting to revealing how Bottom in Frederick Ashton’s The Dream came to dance on pointe, Alexander Grant bounds through 12 minutes of reminiscence at the whistle-stop speed he could move on stage –…
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Tom Pye
In this 2023 extended interview British theatre designer Tom Pye talks about his career in dance with Jonathan Gray, dance writer and former editor of Dancing Times magazine, who was also a fellow student with him at…
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Brenda Last
Brenda Last achieved distinction as a ballerina with The Royal Ballet, but this was after a successful and multi-facetted career in many theatrical disciplines. Here, she tells Patricia Linton, founder and director of…
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Bryony Brind
During the 1980s Bryony Brind was a distinctive and glittering presence in The Royal Ballet, famed for her long limbs and beautiful lines, combined with a deeply sensitive artistry. Here, she tells Patricia Linton,…
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Ballet for All
A special episode of Voices of British Ballet with some of the people involved in Ballet For All. Jeanetta Laurence, formerly a dancer with and Associate Director of the Royal Ballet, hosts a conversation with Oliver…
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Reflections: Serafina Astafieva
As part of Voices of British Ballet’s Reflections series Jane Pritchard, former curator of Dance at the Victoria and Albert Museum, talks to Patricia Linton, founder and director of Voices of British Ballet, about the…
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Federico Bonelli
It is a wonderful ability to make the most of the present situation whilst not letting the dream fade, in this case the dream to dance with The Royal Ballet. However, this is just what Federico Bonelli managed to do.…
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Patricia Clover
Patricia Clover gives the merest hint of the thinking behind Les Ballets Nègres, the company that lasted from 1946 until 1952. Her excellent memory and matter of fact style almost make you forget what a feat was…
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Celebrating Ninette de Valois: Clement Crisp and Richard Glasstone
In 2026 Voices of British Ballet is celebrating the life of Ninette de Valois, to mark the centenary of the Royal Ballet School, with a series of interviews and special episodes that illuminate her life and artistic…
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Reflections: Anna Pavlova
As part of Voices of British Ballet’s Reflections series Jane Pritchard, curator of Dance at the Victoria and Albert Museum, talks to Patricia Linton, founder and director of Voices of British Ballet, about the Russian…
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Rick Guest
In this 2023 interview with Jonathan Gray, dance writer and former editor of Dancing Times magazine, photographer Rick Guest talks about the inspiration and surprise he found when working with dancers for the first…
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Christopher Bruce
Christopher Bruce is one of the great names in British dance. Here, in a conversation with the dance critic Mark Monahan in 2017, he describes his early days in Ballet Rambert, and his relationship with Marie Rambert…
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Janette Mulligan
The energy in Janette Mulligan’s voice reveals what a vibrant dancer she was. Her enthusiasm for the whole gamut of performing shines through, from correct hair styles and clean shoes right through to an irrepressible…
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Celebrating Ninette de Valois: an interview with Gailene Stock
In 2026 Voices of British Ballet is celebrating the life of Ninette de Valois, to mark the centenary of the Royal Ballet School, with a series of interviews and special episodes that illuminate her life and artistic…
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Alan Cunliffe
Here is Alan Cunliffe talking to Patricia Linton, founder and director of Voices of British Ballet. Inspired by watching pantomimes with his mother at the Harrow Coliseum in the 1950s, Cunliffe broke with the family…
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Felicity Sands Widdrington
The fate of many a dancer is discussed at the end of the interview featured in this episode. Adventures are recounted with unaffected humour and a deliciously 1930s delivery. In this interview with Patricia Linton,…
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Barbara Vernon
In this interview with Patricia Linton, founder and director of Voices of British Ballet, Barbara Vernon illustrates that it is not all plain sailing out of the mainstream of the ballet world and gives a glimpse of a…
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Celebrating Ninette de Valois - a conversation with Giannadrea Poesio
In 2026 Voices of British Ballet is celebrating the life of Ninette de Valois, to mark the centenary of the Royal Ballet School, with a series of interviews and special episodes that illuminate her life and artistic…
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Robert Harrold
It really does seem true that dancers in the difficult years of World War Two were happy to exist on the bare minimum. The common bond was that they all loved dancing and that appeared to keep them going. In this…
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Roger Tully
There is so much in this short interview to love and revere. Roger Tully was a legendary teacher, who was an inspiration to many dancers over many years. He had strong and very definite ideas about dancing and…
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Kevin Richmond
This interview is a reminder of how lucky we in Britain have been with our great choreographers – in this case Christopher Bruce. Talking to Deborah Weiss, dance writer, editor and former first soloist with London…
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Celebrating Ninette de Valois: Checkmate
The second in our series of special episodes to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of Ninette de Valois’ Academy for Choregraphic Art in March 1926, and to mark 25 years since de Valois' death. Patricia…
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Jill Tookey
Jill Tookey, the founder of National Youth Ballet of Great Britain (NYB), in conversation here with Frank Freeman, explains how she set about it, and what her vision was. She gives a breathtaking insight into how all…
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Patricia Thorburn
Here, Patricia Thorburn throws a little light on finding jobs with Patricia Linton, founder and director of Voices of British Ballet. The interview, which was recorded in 2003, is introduced by dance historian Jane…
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Irina Baronova
What agony to hear this gorgeous, beguiling woman lament the lack of interest she feels was shown to her generation in passing on their knowledge and experience to the next. Irina Baronova’s no nonsense approach is…
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Rowena Jackson and Philip Chatfield
This gorgeous couple, infectiously happy and loving and warm, not surprisingly became special “voices” for British ballet. They were stars of The Royal Ballet at a remarkable point of that company’s history and…
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Celebrating Ninette de Valois: the founding of The Academy of Choregraphic Art
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of Ninette de Valois’ Academy for Choregraphic Art in March 1926, and to mark 25 years since her death, Patricia Linton talks to Dr Anna Meadmore, archivist at The…
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Anne Heaton
Anne Heaton’s career coincided with an upsurge in creative talent at the Sadler’s Wells Ballet. Observant and wide ranging she reflects on many things, not least the enigmatic choreographer, Andrée Howard. In this…
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Darcey Bussell
Darcey Bussell talks to the dance critic Alastair Macaulay about her graduation performance at The Royal Ballet School, her early career with both Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet and The Royal Ballet, and the creation in…
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Henry Danton
In this extract, poor Henry Danton always seems to be running behind his talent – that is until he met the wonderful ballet teacher, Vera Volkova. However, before this and often against the odds, he managed to do quite…
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Jean Bedells
Jean Bedells talks about the 1930s as if it was yesterday. Full of detail and feats of memory, we are given an idea of the sense of foreboding that descended when their artistic home, Sadler’s Wells, was taken over as…
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Dianne Richards
Dianne Richards talks about skipping her dancing life, especially the start of London Festival (now English National) Ballet. Names from the world of Serge Diaghilev and his Ballets Russes, such as Alexandra Danilova,…
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Richard Alston
The distinguished choreographer and director Richard Alston explains to Alastair Macaulay, how, as a teenager, he was entranced by watching ballet. After studying fine art, he began working on the Martha Graham…
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Edward Watson
Over a long career, Edward Watson became one of The Royal Ballet’s greatest male principals, in the footsteps of Anthony Dowell and David Wall. He is particularly noted for his work in the ballets of Frederick Ashton…
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Violetta Elvin
This episode is introduced by Dame Monica Mason. Violetta Elvin was one of Frederick Ashton’s favourite ballerinas. She was born Violetta Prokhorova in Russia. Here, in this interview with Patricia Linton, founder and…
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David Vaughan
David Vaughan – unparalleled writer on the choreography of Frederick Ashton – catches moments and movements from The Royal Ballet’s history. In this interview for Voices of British Ballet, which was recorded in New…
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Ernest Tomlinson
In this no-nonsense, down-to-earth account of writing music for Northern Ballet Theatre’s production of Aladdin, choreographed by Laverne Meyer in 1974, composer Ernest Tomlinson talks to Patricia Linton, founder and…
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Patrick Harding-Irmer
Here is Patrick Harding-Irmer proving that it is never too late to start dancing. He says, in this interview with Patricia Linton, founder and director of Voices of British Ballet, he only began to take dance classes…
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Marcia Haydée
In April 2017, Marcia Haydée was in Stuttgart for a week to celebrate her 80th birthday. Patricia Linton, founder and director of Voices of British Ballet, knew this was her only opportunity to see Haydée in Europe, so…
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Deborah Macmillan
Deborah MacMillan, who talks to former Royal Ballet principal Bruce Sansom, is not afraid to speak her mind. Here she variously both endorses and explodes myths. Apart from anything else, these ten minutes should give…
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Romayne Grigorova
Romayne Grigorova has had a long, distinguished career in ballet and the theatre. Here, in conversation with Patricia Linton, founder and director of Voices of British Ballet, she focuses on her early years, much of…
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Cassa Pancho
When Cassa Pancho decided to interview Black female ballet dancers in the UK for her degree dissertation in 1999, she could not find any. So she seized the moment, setting out on the path that was to lead, in 2001, to…
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Yvonne Minton
Stephen Johnson and Patricia Linton spoke to Yvonne Minton in 2017 about her role as a young member of The Royal Opera, singing Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde for The Royal Ballet in 1966. Her memories about that, and…
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Thea Musgrave
In 1969, Peter Darrell choreographed Beauty and the Beast for Scottish Theatre Ballet. Here Thea Musgrave discusses with Stephen Johnson the challenges and idiosyncrasies she found when creating the music. She was…
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Pamela May
This ‘voice’ of British Ballet is that of Pamela May. She was born in 1917 and after retiring as a ballerina with The Royal Ballet became the teacher par excellence for generations of Royal Ballet School dancers. May,…
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Mary Clarke
A conversation Mary Clarke, former editor of Dancing Times. It is thanks to her godson, Jerome Monahan, that we have this evocative and informative interview with Mary Clarke. Writer extraordinaire on all aspects of…
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Leo Kersley
In this podcast, the dancer and teacher Leo Kersley discusses his formative years in London in the 1930s and the many different companies he eventually worked with during the Second World War, including a stint at the…
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Lucette Aldous
You can hear in her voice how much Lucette Aldous appreciated and revelled in every step of her way from Ballet Rambert to Festival Ballet and The Royal Ballet. There’s a fascinating glimpse of the young Kenneth…
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Kenneth Olumuyiwa Tharp
In conversation with Alastair Macaulay in 2019, Kenneth Tharp conveys a multitude of observations, along with historical content, and both personal and professional insights. He paints a picture of a vibrant moment in…
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Keith Money
Keith Money is a pioneering photographer of ballet. He moved from loving and photographing horses to loving and photographing dancers. He decided he wanted to see the nuts and bolts of a dancer’s life, so he developed…
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