World-class programme for dance company.

Birmingham Royal Ballet has announced a 2016-17 Birmingham Hippodrome season, the 27th at its home theatre in the Midlands. The season will celebrate the Company’s varied repertory, from the spectacular new The Tempest in the autumn through to the return of The Nutcracker for Christmas and Coppélia in the summer of 2017. Over the course of the season, the Company will perform four full-length classic ballets and a programme of shorter works to include the return of Michael Corder’s Le Baiser de la fée, John Cranko’s Pineapple Poll and a brand new ballet from Company member Ruth Brill called Arcadia.

During the season Birmingham Royal Ballet will continue to focus on creating new works and presenting quality productions at affordable ticket prices. The Company has held most of its prices for the last few seasons and from October 2016 a flexible range of prices will enable the Company to offer tickets from as little as £10 with a generous range of concessionary rates available to many. This is designed to open up the work of Birmingham Royal Ballet to a greater audience and make productions such as the Company’s highly acclaimed mixed bills accessible to all.

Birmingham Royal Ballet are also opening their doors for audiences to see what goes on in preparation for a show through a host of extremely popular pre-performance talks and open Company classes. Pre-performance talks take place at 6.30pm prior to each Friday evening show at Birmingham Hippodrome; these special introductory talks with members of the Company last approximately 30 minutes and are free to ticket holders and BRB Friends. Each Saturday morning during the performance season Birmingham Royal Ballet offers a rare glimpse into the Company’s daily class. This exciting opportunity to find out what a ballet dancer does to prepare for a performance is not to be missed. The open classes are free to BRB Friends and £10 for members of the public and last 75 minutes.

Throughout the season, Birmingham Royal Ballet’s 60 full-time dancers from across the world will be accompanied by Britain’s busiest ballet orchestra, the Royal Ballet Sinfonia. The Sinfonia, under the musical directorship of Koen Kessels, with Principal Conductor Paul Murphy and Conductor Philip Ellis, plays for Birmingham Royal Ballet’s wide-ranging programme in the UK and abroad.

Book tickets online at www.birminghamhippodrome.com or phone Birmingham Hippodrome ticket office 0844 338 5000