Our latest episode, featuring Rowena Jackson and Philip Chatfield is out now. Find it on any podcast platform or at our website - search for Voices of British Ballet.
Voices of British Ballet
@ballet-voices.bsky.social
A website and podcast celebrating the history of dance in Britain through the voices of the people who made it happen. www.voicesofbritishballet.com
In this week's episode Dame Monica Mason introduces a conversation with the dancer and former director of the Royal Ballet Touring Company, Anne Heaton. Anne describes working with the choreographer Andrée Howard who created more than 30 ballets in her career. Almost none are performed today.
Alastair Macaulay talks to Dame Darcey Bussell in this week's extended episode. Darcey talks about her graduation performance @royalballetschool.bsky.social and the creation in 1989 of the role of Princess Rose in Kenneth MacMillan’s The Prince of the Pagodas.
In our latest episode the dancer Dianne Richards tells some wonderful stories about her time dancing with Festival Ballet including this beautiful account of the last time Dianne saw Alicia Markova dance Giselle.
Our latest episode is a conversation between Richard Alston and Alastair Macaulay. Alston explains how, as a teenager, he was entranced by watching ballet. After studying fine art, he began working on the Martha Graham technique with what became the London Contemporary Dance Theatre.
Our latest podcast episode is a conversation with Violetta Elvin, one of Frederick Aston’s favourite ballerinas.
Romayne Grigorova had a long, distinguished career in ballet and the theatre. In our latest podcast episode she tells a lovely story about Lotte Reiniger, the pioneering German filmmaker.
Our latest podcast episode is with the beloved dancer and teacher Romayne Grigorova [nee Austin] who died earlier this year, 2025. Dame Monica Mason introduces this episode and speaks about the first time she met Romayne who was to coach her for a performance, that very evening in Aida.
Voices of British Ballet spoke to Cassa Pancho in 2010 about what led her to set up Ballet Black. Her interview is this week's podcast episode and is introduced by @kenneththarp.bsky.social
The opera singer Yvonne Minton speaks about her experience of singing in Kenneth MacMillan's ballet Song of the Earth in the latest episode of Voices of British Ballet.
Leo Kersley was born into poverty and moved to London with his family in 1929. When Lilian Baylis opened Sadler's Wells in 1931 his family regularly attended the opera and ballet. "I became an opera maniac" he says.
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...
Lucette Aldous » Voices of British Ballet
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. With comments as swift as an arrow, wat...
voicesofbritishballet.com
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...
Barbara Fewster » Voices of British Ballet
Here Barbara Fewster tells us about working at The Royal Ballet School. Her voice has a mixture of authority and kindness which will be remembered by literally thousands of students over the 40-odd ye...
voicesofbritishballet.com
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...
School Alumna And Former Teacher Patricia Linton Launches Voices Of British Ballet Podcast - The Royal Ballet School
We are thrilled to celebrate the launch of Voices of British Ballet, an oral history project founded by Royal Ballet School alumna and former teacher,
royalballetschool.org.uk
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...
Julia Farron » Voices of British Ballet
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 ...
voicesofbritishballet.com
Our latest episode features an interview with Rowena Fayre who danced with Sadler's Wells in the 1930's. voicesofbritishballet.com/podcast/rowe...
Rowena Fayre » Voices of British Ballet
Born in 1921 Rowena Fayre combined a career in ballet with a very different sort of life. After boarding school in Hertfordshire, and daily lessons at Sadler’s Wells School with Ninette de Valois, she...
voicesofbritishballet.com
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...
Lynn Seymour » Voices of British Ballet
In any history of The Royal Ballet, a special place must be reserved for Lynn Seymour, as the dance actress par excellence. Here she tells Alastair Macaulay about her initial inspiration in her native...
voicesofbritishballet.com
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...
Jock McFadyen » Voices of British Ballet
Patricia Linton talks to the artist Jock McFadyen about his work on the designs for Kenneth MacMillan’s The Judas Tree. We hear about Jock’s own rebellious days as a student and about how, as a comple...
voicesofbritishballet.com
The latest Voices of British Ballet episode features the dancer, choreographer and directorm Gillian Lynne. voicesofbritishballet.com/podcast/gill...
Gillian Lynne » Voices of British Ballet
The great choreographer and director Gillian Lynne tells Lynn Wallis how it was a giant, but ultimately rewarding step, to leave Sadler’s Wells Ballet in 1951. We have a ten-minute trip from the brigh...
voicesofbritishballet.com
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...
Dudley Simpson » Voices of British Ballet
This self-effacing, straightforward man with a twinkle in his eye is known for his compositions for many TV dramas in the 1960s and 70s, including Doctor Who. Perhaps surprisingly, this career started...
voicesofbritishballet.com
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...
Beryl Grey » Voices of British Ballet
Beryl Grey talks to Frank Freeman about her early training, first with Madeleine Sharp and then with Phyllis Bedells before going to the Sadler’s Wells School at the age of 10 in 1937. She joined the ...
voicesofbritishballet.com
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!"