In 1926, the Irish-born dancer
Ninette de Valois founded the
Academy of Choreographic Art, a dance school for girls. Her intention was to form a repertory ballet company and school, leading her to collaborate with the English theatrical producer and theatre owner
Lilian Baylis. Baylis owned the
Old Vic and
Sadler's Wells theatres, and in 1925, she engaged de Valois to stage dance performances at both venues. Sadler's Wells reopened in 1931, and the
Vic-Wells Ballet and
Vic-Wells Ballet School were established in premises at the theatre. These would become the predecessors of today's
Royal Ballet,
Birmingham Royal Ballet and
Royal Ballet School. In 1939, the company lost its link with the Old Vic theatre, and in 1940, Sadler's Wells theatre was bombed during World War II. These events forced the company to begin touring the country, becoming known as the Sadler's Wells Ballet. The company did return to Sadler's Wells theatre, where it stayed until 1946, when the company was invited to become the resident ballet company of the newly re-opened Royal Opera House in
Covent Garden. The company relocated to the opera house the same year in 1946, with their first production at the venue being Ninette de Valois' staging of
The Sleeping Beauty. Following the relocation of the company, the school was relocated to its own premises in 1947, and a sister company was established to continue performances at Sadler's Wells, called ''Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet''. This sister company would become the predecessor of today's Birmingham Royal Ballet. The first Artistic Director of the Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet was
John Field, who was later made co-director of the Royal Ballet and also worked as artistic director of
La Scala Theatre Ballet and
English National Ballet. In 1955, ''Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet'' temporarily lost its link with Sadler's Wells theatre and relocated to the Royal Opera House as a touring unit of the main company. In 1956, a royal charter was granted for both companies and the school, and they were subsequently renamed the
Royal Ballet, ''Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet
and the Royal Ballet School''. The ''Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet'' returned to Sadler's Wells theatre in 1970, whilst continuing to tour the country. The first indication that the company would leave London came in 1987, when the company was invited to become the resident ballet company at the Birmingham Hippodrome theatre. Consequently, the company relocated to
Birmingham in 1990, being given its current name
Birmingham Royal Ballet.
Sir Peter Wright was the company's Artistic Director from 1977 until his retirement in 1995, when
David Bintley was appointed Artistic Director. In 1997, Birmingham Royal Ballet was made independent of the Royal Ballet and ceased to be managed by the Royal Opera House. In January 2019 it was announced that acclaimed Cuban dancer
Carlos Acosta would succeed Bintley as artistic director in January 2020. ==Works performed==