Tara-Brigitte Bhavnani

Canadian-Indian dancer Tara-Brigitte Bhavnani was a member of The Royal Ballet for over 20 years and became a Guest Character Artist in 2023. She studied at the Paris Opera Ballet School and Canada’s National Ballet School receiving numerous awards including the Peter Dwyer scholarship for excellence in dance and the Erik Bruhn Memorial Award, before joining The Royal Ballet in 2002. 

Bhavnani’s repertory as a dancer includes the Fairy of the Crystal Fountain (The Sleeping Beauty), Fairy Spring and Fairy Godmother (Cinderella), 2nd Movement Soloist (Symphony in C), Pavlova’s Dragonfly solo, Arabian Dance (The Nutcracker), Soloist Swan (Swan Lake), Principal White Couple (Les Patineurs), Lead courtesan (Manon), Katia (A Month in the Country) and the Principal Couple (La Valse). She created roles in Titian: Metamorphosis 2012), Sensorium, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and The Tsarina’s Slippers (The Royal Opera). Her Principal Character roles include Empress Elisabeth (Mayerling), Bathilde (Giselle), Rosaline (Romeo and Juliet), Anna Vyrubova (Anastasia), Beautiful Tsarevna (The Firebird), the Queen (Swan Lake).

Bhavnani is a fully qualified ballet teacher, graduating with honours from The Royal Ballet School’s Professional Dancers Teachers’ Course and the ISTD (RBS DipPDTC, AISTD). In 2017, she created and presented Royal Ballet Fit, a series of online exercise videos designed to teach the basics of ballet as well as improve fitness through dance. Bhavnani is a Guest Teacher as well as private coach to vocational students and ballet enthusiasts, passing on her wealth of knowledge, experience and passion for the art form. 

Bhavnani also continues to work with the Royal Opera House’s Learning and Participation team, regularly teaching for ‘Dance with The Royal Ballet’ as well as other events such as Dots Day (Baby-wearing ballet), Create Day.

Bhavnani is an Ambassador for the Little Princess Trust and since 2023, she regularly performs at Great Ormond Street Hospital for patients and visitors.