Choreographed by BRB director Carlos Acosta after the original 19th century production by Marius Petipa, the show is based on Miguel Cervantes’ classic novel which tells of the adventures of the hapless knight Don Quixote and his squire Sancho Panza.

Set in Spain, it is a glorious comedic romp filled with colourful characters and technically complex dancing.

“Winter is the perfect time for Don Quixote,” says Carlos. “You go and see Don Quixote and you see the sun – it’s happy, it’s colourful, it’s funny, it’s a parody and it makes you laugh.

“You have this wonderful funny quirky duo in Don Quixote and Sancho Panza but then you also have so many other characters – gypsies, fishermen, dryads and all different kinds of dance.

“It is unusual in ballet because it has a happy ending, nobody dies at the end of the ballet like normal ballet tragedies. And it’s great for family, if you want to bring your kids, this is the ballet to go and watch.”

Carlos, who was a principal with the Royal Ballet, danced Don Quixote many times and created a version for the Royal Ballet in 2013 and so, when he took over as director at BRB in 2020, he was determined to create a new stage version.

With beautiful sets and costumes by Tim Hatley and video projection by Nina Dunn, the show premiered at Birmingham Hippodrome in 2022 before touring and was a huge hit with audiences and critics.

For Carlos, new work is part of the evolution of Birmingham Royal Ballet. In the past five years since taking the helm he has overseen the premieres of a host of new productions including the sell-out Black Sabbath – The Ballet, Luna, City of a Thousand Trades and Lazuli Sky.

“My aim is to bring new work to the company,” Carlos says. “It keeps people engaged and gives the dancers opportunities to perform works they otherwise wouldn’t have the chance to dance.

“Even with the classics like Don Quixote, I am always thinking outside the box, always trying to bridge the gap between the 19th century and today.

“We should be able to do more when we are creating a work, so I’m bringing projections or I’m delivering it in a completely different way with aesthetics so that it feels like we are doing it now instead of just a reproduction of Petipa.”

Don Quixote may be joyous to watch but, says Carlos, it is technically a very difficult ballet to perfect. And its challenge is part of the reason he was keen to introduce it to the company.

“The dancing is very hard in Don Quixote,” he explains. “It pushes the dancers and that helps them to improve.

“To me, what I am putting on stage is sacred and it is clear to everyone in the company by the way that I cast that I am pushing for excellence. I pushed and I worked so hard myself as a dancer and it’s the only way I know to get you there. I try to transfer that into the dancers.”

Carlos is eager for the BRB dancers to reach the highest levels of performance.
“It’s important to recognise that being a professional dancer means being consumed by what you do. It’s a lifestyle, it’s not something that you do occasionally.

“Maybe it’s not for everybody because it’s a very stressful environment, it’s the touring, the loneliness, the injuries. But it’s always going to be a battle of the mind over the body.

“By breathing it, by living it – that is the only way towards improvement. And for those who are willing to put up with the work and show results, I will be there to promote them. And there is a lot of great talent coming up through the company.”

Among that talent is principal Beatrice Parma who won the Outstanding Female Classic Performance at the National Dance Awards in June for her role as Lise in La Fille mal gardée and also won Dance Europe’s Dancer of the Year Award 2025.

“Beatrice is a very versatile ballerina,” Carlos says. “In Fille she is pure Ashton with great technical ability and then in Luna, that is very hard contemporary language so to have a ballerina who mastered those two spectrums of dance is incredible and people took notice of that.

“It is great to see how some people just rise to the challenge and she is a ballerina that doesn’t rest. She wants more, she is 100% committed and if you have that attitude you see the results.”

Carlos has also received accolades in the past year being awarded an honorary degree by University of Birmingham in July and winning the UK Theatre Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre in October.

“The theatre award was amazing and unexpected,” he says. “It was for the productions I’ve put on, all the things I am programming. It was fantastic not just for me but also for the ballet sector to be recognised in the world of theatre.”

Looking ahead, Carlos hopes to continue to develop the company, encourage improvements in its dancers, expand its touring and create or commission new work for audiences.

“If you ask me, I want more, I want everything for this company – but only one step at a time,” he says.

“I think so far I’m very happy that I have contributed in a big way to this company’s history by taking them to places where the company had never been – Luxembourg, the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury or the Kennedy Center in Washington. And then in the future I’m also looking for other opportunities to travel to other places and give them the experience of what it is to dance in some of these places.

“And I am proud of works like Black Sabbath and Don Quixote. I would say to people who don’t know Don Quixote to give it a chance because it’s packed with all the ingredients of a popular show. It’s a show which is going to give the audience a great feeling and great escapism.”

Birmingham Royal Ballet Carlos Acosta’s Don Quixote is at Lowry, Salford from 5-7 March 2026.

Feature image: Matador Scene featuring Brandon Lawrence as Espada Photo with Artists of Birmingham Royal Ballet; photo: Emma Kauldhar

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Of course, the origins of this much-loved ballet are older still, having premiered at Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg in 1890 with choreography by Marius Petipa. It has stood the test of time because of its ability to enchant both those experiencing their first ballet and ballet enthusiasts alike. And, even if you’ve only heard the music ‘Once upon a Dream’ thanks to Disney, you will instantly recognise Tchiakovsky’s uplifting, romantic score, here played live by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia conducted by Paul Murphy.

As the curtain lifts, we are immediately transported into a grand royal court, decorated with rich gold drapes that stretch the full width of the Lowry’s huge Lyric stage. The costumes, many of which have been restored for this production, are equally striking with a palate of gold, black, peach, and blue, made from luscious fabrics of velvet, taffeta, layered lace and sequins. It makes for a fairytale vision, with the Sleeping Beauty, Aurora wearing a sparkling lace and sequinned tutu, spinning on-pointe like the perfect, music-box ballerina.

This simple tale of good versus evil, makes for effective contrasts of light and dark in the characters, the music, the costumes, and the lighting, none more so than between Daria Stanciulescu’s scheming, Fairy Carabosse, carried villainously high on a sedan chair, and Ellis Small’s gentle, almost floating, Lilac Fairy.

Taking on the challenging principal role of Princess Aurora, Momoko Hirata strikes a balance of being both delicate and strong. She is well-matched with Max Maslen, a commanding Prince Florimund, whose stage presence provides an emotional depth to the technical brilliance of their partner dances.

All the dancers are wonderfully light of foot, and there is much to admire in their technical detail and strength. However, focus on the dancers’ skill is never at the expense of the narrative, which draws us in to this world of deep forests, spells, and glittering balls.

The grand finale is joyously danced by the whole assembly with gold confetti adding a final touch of magic to the evening.

BRB The Sleeping Beauty is at The Lowry, Salford from 7 -9 March 2024.

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What’s striking about Peter Wright and Galina Samsova’s production is the attention to detail in storytelling. Opening with the death of Siegfried’s father justifies both the Prince’s melancholy at the beginning of the ballet and the need for him to marry and produce an heir to the throne. Introducing flirtatious courtesans in the Act I pas de trois gives Siegfried the opportunity to spurn their attentions, proving that his love for Odette is more than just a knee-jerk reaction to grief.

The often extraneous national dances of Act III are given purpose as performances by entourages of the visiting Princesses, whose solos tie into these dances choreographically. A particular highlight of this act is the swirling, vibrant, tambourine-accompanied Neapolitan dance.

Philip Prowse’s design effectively supports the storytelling. The sombre mood set by the funereal tableau at the initial rise of the curtain is continued visually in the muted greys and blacks of the costumes and the shadowy set in Act I; it sets up a contrast with the pearly luminescence of the flocking swans, and the rich gold, bronze and red palette of Act III. The only element of the design that’s lacking is the swan costumes – the tutus aren’t really birdlike enough, with their glittery bodices and lack of feathers, while their kokoshnik tiaras mask the traditional white head-dresses.

Mathias Dingman and Momoko Hirata’s interpretations of the lead roles may be more emotionally understated, but their dancing speaks for itself. Dingman’s leaps appear effortless and his stage presence is undeniable; Hirata’s Odette is all serene, exquisite control, dancing in a world of her own, while her mischievously grinning, Odile is dagger sharp and hyper-aware of her audience.

Hearing Tchaikovsky’s iconic, gloriously dramatic music played live by the brilliant Royal Ballet Sinfonia completes the performance.

All elements of this production work together in service of the narrative, maintaining classical tradition and creating a magical, doomed world that still has an enthralling power.

Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Swan Lake is at The Lowry, Salford from 2-4 March 2023.

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Céline Gittens made history in 2012 in Birmingham when she became the first black ballerina in the UK to take the starring dual role of Odette and Odile in Swan Lake.

“That was exciting but I’m glad it has become more common now,” says Céline. “I think we are quite far ahead in terms of diversity in ballet in the UK compared with other countries, and especially in Birmingham. It’s the most diverse city I’ve lived in or visited on tour.

“I’ve been treated the same as other people, I’ve been given opportunities and I’ve got here because of talent, which is the most important thing. It’s great to be a role model for future dancers from different ethnicities who didn’t know that dance is available to them.”

Birmingham Royal Ballet is reflecting Birmingham’s diversity with the recent appointment of Cuban dancer, Carlos Acosta as its director.

“There’s a real buzz about the building since he arrived,” reports Céline. “I’m very positive about the future with Carlos, he has so much drive and ambition for the company. He just wants the best out of us. His passion is so inspiring and it will lift us so much higher.”

Since Céline’s debut as the white and black swans, the 31-year-old has taken the role a handful of times, in Birmingham, Japan, and at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

She has been praised for her beautifully fluent technique and strong dramatic presence. The Times said her Swan Lake performance was “frail and beautiful” and “completely alluring”.

It’s a highly challenging role, famously involving 32 fouettés in Act Three – that’s 32 turns on one leg.

“That is tough, but you get used to it,” says Céline who started ballet at the age of three in her mother’s dance school. “It is my favourite role. Apart from the technical side, the most challenging part is the emotional side and making it believable. You have to make the audience understand the anguish and pain of Odette and then completely transform into an evil seductress as Odile.”

Céline practises her steps at least once a day to build muscle memory and makes sure Pilates sessions, ice baths, physiotherapy and massages keep her supple and relieve tight muscles.

When she has to stop dancing eventually, Céline might turn to choreography, but thinks teaching is where her future lies.

“I have a passion for that,” she says. “I’ve taught at the Elmhurst School in Birmingham and I go back to Canada to teach masterclasses and summer schools. I think it’s really important to pass on your knowledge and passion.”

Céline was born in Trinidad. Her family moved to Canada when she 9 and she has since spent time in Melbourne as a guest dancer with the Australian Ballet.

The link between all these countries is that they’re all in the Commonwealth, so Céline says she was “very proud” to take part in the fantastic dance performance in Birmingham in 2018, during the handover at the closing ceremony of the last Commonwealth Games. And she’s excited about the Games coming to her home in two years’ time.

“I really hope that BRB can be part of the opening ceremony,” she says. “I can’t wait to show the world what a brilliantly talented and thriving city Birmingham is!”

Birmingham Royal Ballet‘s Swan Lake plays The Lowry from Wednesday 4 – Saturday 7 March 2020.

“The good thing about the British people is that they embrace difference” – read our interview with Carlos Acosta.

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After 24-years leading Birmingham Royal Ballet, it feels fitting for David Bintley to close his final tour with a revival of Beauty and the Beast. As a choreographer, he’s famous for narrative works and in this majestic full-length ballet, the importance he places on story couldn’t be clearer.

The curtain raises to reveal a magical set, opening like a giant book at the heart of the stage. The ballet, first seen in 2003, is among his proudest works. But David’s story with BRB and his heart for the Company stretches far beyond what we see on stage.

Their history together goes back 42 years when he joined BRB, then Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet, as a dancer. Almost 20 years later, aged 38, he succeeded Sir Peter Wright at the head of the organisation and was keen to continue the supportive ethos inspired by his predecessor.

“I never wanted to be a director, but everything suddenly came together,” he remembers. “I wanted to be in a place where my work would be of use; where it would become part of the Company’s history – that it would mean something. The best way to do that was to be the director of a company.”

Since then, David has choreographed more than 22 ballets and commissioned a further 21. However, it’s clear his roots with BRB run deeper than personal artistic achievements.

“The works mean more to me than just the work itself,” David explains. “They are part of a period of my life. When I revive a work it’s not just the work but what one has memories of. Like one of the pas de deux in Carmina Burana. I know the date I choreographed that because it was the day my son was born.”

Carmina Burana was David’s first piece as newly appointed director in 1995. He took the show to South Africa shortly after, making BRB the first major ballet company to visit following the country’s first free elections. Ten years later he revived the show for his debut with National Ballet of Japan. The collaboration led to him becoming its director, a role he held for four-years, in addition to his role at BRB.

While these are the recorded moments, David’s strongest memories are often outside the lights of the stage.

“The things that really stand out to me are not the ballets or the performances, but what the company can do and what it can mean outside of the show,” he says.

There’s joy in his voice as he recalls the work of BRB’s education team in South African townships. Enthusiasm spilled into the rest of the Company and by the end of the tour everyone wanted to get involved. “On the final day we had 500 kids from all over Pretoria and Johannesburg doing a workshop with the Company. All 500 of them performed the leading girl’s solo from Carmina Burana. There wasn’t a dry eye.”

Another personal highlight was their 2011 Japanese tour. Falling two months after the Tōhoku earthquake and during the ongoing disaster in Fukushima, the Japanese National Ballet saw BRBs presence as a demonstration of solidarity with its people, strengthening an artistic partnership that continues today.

“It was a very emotional tour,” says David. “The Japanese greeted us little short of ecstatically. For us to be strong enough, brave enough and trusting enough when much of the world ran away was a fantastic thing.”

Closer to home, David encouraged life-changing projects such as Bally Hoo, working with 200 youngsters from deprived backgrounds to produce a full-length performance of Romeo and Juliet. The two-year project was filmed for a Channel 4 documentary, Ballet Hoo! – Ballet Changed My Life. It was a remarkable example of community outreach. More remarkable – BRB’s commitment didn’t end when the cameras stopped rolling.

“Bally Hoo was a massive project which caused a lot of disruption and a lot of patience and commitment from all the dancers,” David admits. “We are still in touch with some of those young people. We have a group that regularly gets together.

“I’ve always been pleased that our presence in Birmingham goes beyond simply being a performing arts company. We are part of the social structure – to me that is the true value of any kind of art.”

David understands the impact dance can have on a child’s life. Growing up in a village outside Huddersfield, at age 4 he fell in love with performing on the Sunday School stage. At 16, he trained at the Royal Ballet’s Upper School under Dame Ninette de Valois and Sir Frederick Ashton, before joining Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet at 19.

His role as Director of BRB has allowed him to spot and nurture new talent. He rarely hires dancers at a high level, preferring to bring them through first year corps de ballet so they have a depth of understanding and respect for what it’s like to be a dancer at all levels of the Company.

In addition to the 60 dancers under his guidance, David expresses genuine care and value for the 100 staff working for him across all areas of the Company. His stability in the role has maintained a family atmosphere while instilling confidence to push artistic boundaries.

“The public wants to see new things as well as old,” he says. “The great thing about classical ballet is it has absorbed every other dance influence of the day since 1600. I like to bring new trends from theatre into dance. It’s a question of what is a novelty and what is an innovation? Novelties are easy and true innovation is harder, but that’s what we chase.”

Throughout his career, David has shown great innovation in commissioning new music for ballet, including for Beauty and the Beast’s score from Canadian composer, Glenn Buhr.

“To me, working with a composer on a new piece is infinitely more satisfying than finding something on a record or online,” he explains. “I make dance because of music and, for me, the relationship between music and dance is fundamental.”

One of his greatest legacies is the hugely ambitious, Ballet Now – a ground-breaking initiative supporting choreographers, composers and designers to develop new work of world-class potential.

“It was an idea we never thought we’d attain,” he admits. “It was me and our previous development director and we just shot for the stars. For a couple of years nothing happened. We were very lucky to get a big sponsor in the Oak Foundation and suddenly it came together.”

David leaves BRB in July 2019, his place in the Company’s history firmly set as one of Britain’s most successful classical choreographers. His last piece takes the audience almost back to the beginning, with one of his first major successes, Hobson’s Choice from 1989.

“There’s a point where you have to go back to the beginning again and completely reassess everything that you’ve done and everything that has to be done,” David reflects. “I feel it’s just time for somebody else to look at it.”

Looking forward to more creative freedom as a freelance choreographer again, he already has commissions lined-up in China, Japan, Florida and Bordeaux. Not surprising for a choreographer who has transformed BRB into one of UK’s major cultural exports with tours and co-productions stretching every corner of the globe. And testament to David’s strong international legacy, the greatest dancer of our generation, Carlos Acosta has been attracted as his successor.

“Carlos is a world superstar as a dancer and will open a lot of doors internationally,” says David. “I hope he is as successful in his career as a director as he was as a dancer – that will be great for the Company”.

Beauty and the Beast is at  The Lowry, Salford Quays on 20 – 23 March 2019 and on national tour until May 2019. For details or to book tickets, visit brb.org.uk.

Find out what it takes to be a Principal Dancer with Birmingham Royal Ballet in our interview with Delia Mathews who appears as Belle in selected performances of Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Beauty and the Beast.

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