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Marcelino Sambé in The Royal Ballet in Class, World Ballet Day 2022 ©2022 ROH. Photographed by Andrej Uspenski
Marcelino Sambé in The Royal Ballet in Class, World Ballet Day 2022 ©2022 ROH. Photographed by Andrej Uspenski

Celebrate the 10th anniversary of World Ballet Day

On Wednesday 1 November, The Royal Ballet, The Australian Ballet and San Francisco Ballet celebrate a decade of #WorldBalletDay. 

By Lily Curle (Press Officer)
Thursday 5 October 2023, 7am

This year World Ballet Day will include over 60 companies from across the globe for a 24-hour celebration of ballet and dance. The event will showcase the best of dance from around the world, as well as giving audiences the opportunity to go behind the scenes of the world’s top ballet companies. 

The 10-year anniversary programme promises to be the biggest ever. World Ballet Day will be streamed live across YouTube and Facebook, and over the course of the day, audiences can tune in to see classes, rehearsals, and exclusive footage offering glimpses of ballet’s biggest stars and upcoming performers. This year the global dance community will come together in a special social media moment where audiences can film their best pirouette, with a selection of the best clips shown as part of The Royal Ballet’s livestream. 

This year sees companies participating from across the globe include Cuba-based Acosta Danza, American Ballet Theatre, the National Ballet of Canada, Korean National Ballet, and Joburg Ballet, among many others.  

It’s incredible to think that World Ballet Day is celebrating its 10th anniversary. We can’t wait to reflect on the last decade in dance and look forward to its vibrant future with another fantastic international collaboration. We’re delighted to be partnering with David at The Australian Ballet and Tamara at San Francisco Ballet, together with so many brilliant dancers in companies around the world coming on board to demonstrate the transformative power of dance. We hope all lovers of ballet will join us online.

Kevin O’Hare, Director of The Royal Ballet 

For 10 years, World Ballet Day has provided the opportunity to see the beauty of the ballet, expressed through the intimate lens of a camera. It’s a thrill to virtually open our doors once again to share the fantastic work and dedication of our dancers.

David Hallberg, Director of The Australian Ballet

As the oldest professional ballet company in the United States, we’re honoured to partner with The Royal Ballet and The Australian Ballet in this global celebration and the tenth anniversary of World Ballet Day. We’re delighted to be able to give viewers glimpses of the creative processes in real time, and honour ballet as a living art and universal language.

Tamara Rojo, Artistic Director of San Francisco Ballet 

The line-up of participating companies and their respective streaming schedules are being continually updated. The Royal Ballet, The Australian Ballet and San Francisco Ballet’s schedules are subject to change. Visit www.worldballetday.com for more. 

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