Ballet Central 2025

A revitalising programme of classical ballet and contemporary dance.

Ballet Central is delighted to announce the 2025 summer programme will include Frederick Ashton’s miniature masterpiece Foyer de danse (1932). Animating Edgar Degas’ iconic paintings and pastels of Paris Opera Ballet dancers in class and rehearsal, this will be the first staging of the ballet in over 90 years, following its recreation by Ursula Hageli for The Frederick Ashton Foundation.

In contrast, Ballet Central presents contemporary works by Dickson Mbi and Thick & Tight. Thick & Tight’s theatrical work Keeping Up with the Apocalypse will combine dance, theatre and mime. Years ahead in the future of planet Earth, only one species remains, thriving in a desolate post-apocalyptic landscape. The Kardashians!

Dickson Mbi’s innovative creation for Ballet Central depicts the energetic ambition and perseverance required to pave new pathways in dance theatre and performance. Drawing from the Earth’s vibrations and warmth, Rise explores the practices of ritual and shared human experience, striving to shine a light on what is next to come.

The fourth piece in this vibrant new programme is a modern ballet choreographed by Kristen McNally, Principal Character Artist of The Royal Ballet. FEAST allows the audience to catch a glimpse of a colourful community where conversation is punctuated and interactions explode with character.