Biography

Spanish dancer Ricardo Cervera was Ballet Master of The Royal Ballet. He trained at The Royal Ballet Upper School and joined the Company in 1993, promoted to First Artist in 1996, Soloist in 1999 and First Soloist in 2002. He was appointed Assistant Ballet Master in 2014 and Ballet Master in 2016, and retired as a dancer in 2015. His repertory with the Company included Mercutio (Romeo and Juliet), Lescaut (Manon), Bratfisch (Mayerling), Hans-Peter/Nutcracker (The Nutcracker), Arthur Troyte Griffith (Enigma Variations), Colas and Alain (La Fille mal gardée), Jester (Cinderella), Hilarion and Pas de six (Giselle), Antigonus (The Winter’s Tale) and Monkey (‘Still Life’ at the Penguin Café).
Cervera was born in Malaga and grew up in Torremolinos. He started ballet lessons aged seven with his elder sister, after seeing a television broadcast of Romeo and Juliet starring Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev. After a summer school at the Royal Opera House he was invited to join the School, and entered the Company on graduation. He created a number of roles for the Company, including Miles (The Turn of the Screw) and roles in Mr Worldly Wise, Room of Cooks, Tryst, Three Songs – Two Voices, Electric Counterpoint, Infra, Live Fire Exercise and 24 Preludes.
Cervera trained as a répétiteur on the Frederick Ashton Foundation’s mentoring scheme, and has worked as assistant choreographer with Liam Scarlett on works including Hansel and Gretel. He has taught ballet in Japan, Spain and around the world. He joined the teaching staff of The Royal Ballet School in September 2019.
News and features
Ricardo Cervera to retire as a dancer from The Royal Ballet
The First Soloist will continue in his work as Assistant Ballet Master.
Recommended Recordings: The Nutcracker
With so many DVD, Blu-Ray and CD recordings of the Christmas classic on offer, how do you choose between them?
Listen: Laura Morera and Ricardo Cervera on their remarkable partnership
The Royal Ballet dancers look back on two decades with the Company.
Photos
Meaghan Grace Hinkis as Clara and Ricardo Cervera as Hans-Peter/The Nutcracker in The Nutcracker, The Royal Ballet

Ricardo Cervera as Lescaut, Marianela Núñez as Manon and Christopher Saunders as Monsieur G.M. in Manon

Ricardo Cervera and Sarah Lamb in Infra

Eric Underwood and Ricardo Cervera in Live Fire Exercise

Ricardo Cervera in The Royal Ballet's Live Fire Exercise

Monica Mason, Laura Morera and Ricardo Cervera backstage during The Turn of the Screw, The Royal Ballet

Meaghan Grace Hinkis as Clara and Ricardo Cervera as Hans-Peter/The Nutcracker in The Nutcracker, The Royal Ballet

Ricardo Cervera and Laura Morera in Manon

Ricardo Cervera in Electric Counterpoint, The Royal Ballet

Ricardo Cervera as the Nephew in The Nutcracker,

Ricardo Cervera

Ricardo Cervera as Hans-Peter/The Nutcracker in The Nutcracker, The Royal Ballet

Beatriz Stix-Brunell as Alice, Ricardo Cervera as The March Hare, Alexander Campbell as The Mad Hatter and James Wilkie as The Dormouse in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Royal Ballet

Christopher Saunders as Monsieur G.M., Marianela Nuñez as Manon and Ricardo Cervera as Lescaut in Manon

Sander Blommaert, Ricardo Cervera, Donald Thom, Sarah Lamb, Solomon Golding, Alexander Campbell and Nicol Edmonds in Connectome, The Royal Ballet

Ricardo Cervera in The Nutcracker, The Royal Ballet

Ricardo Cervera and Akane Takada in The Royal Ballet's Live Fire Exercise

Akane Takada and Ricardo Cervera in The Royal Ballet's Live Fire Exercise
