The LBC was founded in 1946 with Dame Ninette de Valois as our first President and Patron. We are proud to state that she was also our inaugural speaker. The late Dame Alicia Markova succeeded Dame Ninette as President and was our beloved Patron until her death in 2004, while Sir Peter Wright is our President today. Our Vice Presidents include Dame Beryl Grey DBE, Dame Merle Park DBE, Dame Monica Mason DBE, David Nixon OBE and Wayne Eagling. These very distinguished personalities are not just names on the letterhead, but show a keen interest in the London Ballet Circle and have participated, and continue to participate, in our events.

 

Honorary Members include many famous names in the world of dance.

We organise approximately twenty events each year, ranging from talks by dancers, choreographers and company directors to coach outings and demonstrations. We have organised tours abroad to see companies in their home theatres, including the New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theatre in New York, the Royal Danish Ballet in Copenhagen, Karlsruhe Ballet in Karlsruhe, and a weekend trip by Eurostar to see Paris Opera Ballet at the Opera Bastille. We have also visited Birmingham Royal Ballet at the Birmingham Hippodrome and visited The Royal Ballet and Elmhurst Schools.

Our functions are held in convenient central London venues, usually starting at 7.30 pm and finishing at about 9.00 pm.

The LBC has a long association with the Yorkshire Ballet Seminars and each year a group of members attend for a week when we have the privilege of watching classes given by famous dancers and teachers, as well as enjoying social events and sight-seeing and shopping in York.

 

During recent seasons we have welcomed a number of fascinating speakers including Sarah Lamb, Monica Mason, Frederic Franklin, Violette Verdy, Tony Hall, Anya Linden, Cathy Marston, Derek Deane and many more. Please visit our past events pages to see the wide variety of guests who have very kindly spoken to us in recent years, our forthcoming events page which shows the enthralling speakers who have already agreed to come and talk to us and our tours and visits page to see the exciting trips that have been arranged.

We hope this outline of our aims and purposes, and how we go about realising them, is of interest and will encourage you to become a member.

The London Ballet Circle looks forward to welcoming you as a member.