Following the success earlier in the year of its sponsorship of the School’s performances of Antony Tudor’s Jardin aux Lilas, IDS has now confirmed its support of The Royal Ballet School’s heritage ballet programme over the next four years.

Each year, The Royal Ballet School’s Summer Season features ‘heritage ballet’ as part of the programme presented to the general public at both the Linbury Studio Theatre and The Royal Opera House. In 2011, to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the death of the School’s Founder Dame Ninette de Valois, ‘heritage’ will be the overall theme of the 2011 Season. De Valois’ 1937 masterpiece Checkmate will be the key work presented, sponsored by IDS.

Director of The Royal Ballet School Gailene Stock AM comments:

‘We are grateful to IDS for its pledge of continued generosity. By supporting the heritage ballet programme, we are able to engage our students in the choreography and style of some of the most important ballets that have shaped the development of the art form in this country. Longer term sponsorship like this is a particularly far-sighted way of supporting our work as it enables us to plan our work well into the future’

The UK’s largest wholesale supplier of dance wear, IDS was founded 30 years ago by Anne Walker MBE:

‘We are delighted to be able support a prestigious and important project such as the heritage ballet programme. This directly benefits the students and provides the general public with the opportunity of seeing masterpieces of British choreography performed live. The IDS motto is ‘more than just a dancewear company’ and this is beautifully reflected in this exciting new partnership’


For further information, images please contact:
Jim Fletcher
Development Manager, The Royal Ballet School
Tel: +44 20 7846 7074; Mob: +7768 455667
Email: jimf@royalballetschool.co.uk