Frederick Ashton Foundation

Ashton Rediscovered, 31 May – leap at the chance to get a ticket while you still can 🐾 @samaradowns coaches Royal Ballet Soloist @violabella_ in Ashton’s witty, feline ‘La Chatte métamorphosée en femme’, alongside special guest Merle Park, who gave the premiere of the solo in 1985 📍 The Royal Ballet School 🗓️ 31 May | 2.30–5.30pm 🎟️ Limited tickets, link in bio . . . 📸 Viola Pantuso in rehearsal for ‘The Winter’s Tale’ ©2024 ROH. Ph Andrej Uspenski @dancersdiary

Ashton Rediscovered: La Chatte métamorphosée en femme | 31 May, London | Booking now open 🎟️ Join us for our next masterclass as @samaradowns coaches @violabella_ in this witty Ashton solo about a woman who was formerly a cat, and can’t quite abandon her feline habits 🐾 We will be joined for the masterclass by Merle Park, who gave the premiere of the ballet in 1985. A drinks reception will follow. 📍 Where: The Royal Ballet School, Covent Garden 🕰️ When: 31 May, 2.30–5.30pm 🎟️ Limited tickets available—book now via the link in our bio . . . 📸 Merle Park in Frederick Ashton’s La Chatte métamorphosée en femme (1985). Ph Joseph Düport.

We're announcing an exciting new collaboration with The Frederick Ashton Foundation! This year, as part of The Fonteyn ballet competition, the RAD and The Frederick Ashton Foundation will immerse young dancers and audiences in the legacy of one of the world’s most renowned ballet choreographers —Founder Choreographer of The Royal Ballet, Sir Frederick Ashton. The collaboration will integrate Ashton's choreography into the global competition, allowing candidates from across the world to engage directly with his distinctive style, characterised by elegance, lyricism and expressive musicality. The Fonteyn 2026 will be held in London from 31st October until 8 November, with the final at London Coliseum. Interested in competing? Candidate and bursary applications open on 13 April! Click the link in our bio and fill out the form to express your interest. 📸 Margot Fonteyn, Michael Somes and Sir Frederick Ashton during rehearsals for Ondine, © GBL Wilson collection on ArenaPAL 📸 Rudolf Nureyev, Margot Fonteyn, John Hart and Frederick Ashton, photo by G.B.L. Wilson, 1970 📸 Members of the Aud Jebsen Young Dancers Programme with The Royal Ballet, © Andrej Uspenski

Six of today’s leading choreographers on the genius of Frederick Ashton—watch now at 🔗 in bio. Go behind the scenes, with candid discussion and unique insights revealing how Ashton’s ballets continue to influence and inspire ✨ 🎥 produced and directed by Lynne Wake. Footage of The Royal Ballet courtesy of The Royal Ballet and Opera #AshtonInspiredChoreographers #FrederickAshton #BritishBallet #BalletLegacy

🦢 “A group of friends, a sense of community”—dance historian Jane Pritchard introduces Ashton’s 𝘚𝘸𝘢𝘯 𝘓𝘢𝘬𝘦 pas de quatre (1963) at last Sunday’s 𝘈𝘴𝘩𝘵𝘰𝘯 𝘙𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 masterclass... That spirit came to life as Katie Robertson, Emile Gooding and Alejandro Muñoz (The Royal Ballet) were coached in excerpts from this joyful and virtuosic Ashton quartet by international ballet stars Leanne Benjamin and Patrick Armand Enjoy these pics from an illuminating afternoon, and keep an eye out for more on the pas de quatre and the masterclass, coming soon.... 📸 © @frederickashtonfoundation #ashtonrediscovered #frederickashton #swanlake #frederickashtonfoundation #masterclass

Now streaming on YouTube 🎬🎊… 𝘈𝘴𝘩𝘵𝘰𝘯 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥: 𝘊𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 is live on our channel Go behind the scenes with leading contemporary choreographers as they explore the works of Frederick Ashton, tracing the enduring influence of his distinctive movement language and creative vision on today’s dance-makers Discover the series now via the 🔗 in our bio . . . 📸 1) Ashley Page; 2) Christopher Wheeldon in rehearsal for 𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘺𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘎𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘴, The Royal Ballet, © 2018 ROH. Ph Andrej Uspenski; 3) Valentino Zucchetti ©2023 ROH. Ph Andrej Uspenski; 4) David Bintley; 5) Wayne McGregor, Fumi Kaneko, Joseph Sissens and William Bracewell in Wayne McGregor’s 𝘔𝘈𝘋𝘋𝘈𝘋𝘋𝘈𝘔, The Royal Ballet ©2024 ROH. Ph Andrej Uspenski; 6) Richard Alston. #FrederickAshton #AshtonInspiredChoreographers #BritishBallet #BalletLegacy

Today we celebrate half a century of Ashton’s late masterpiece 𝘈 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺 🍂🌾🏡 Given its premiere by The Royal Ballet in 1976, the ballet distils Turgenev’s play into a single act of quiet intensity—with fleeting touch, suspended motion and spatial proximity (or often its absence) powerfully evoking the characters’ inner emotional worlds . . . 📸 The Royal Ballet in 𝘈 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺: 1) Lauren Cuthbertson and Vadim Muntagirov ©2019 ROH. Ph Tristram Kenton. 2) Francesca Hayward ©ROH/Tristram Kenton, 2014. 3) Gary Avis and Marianela Nuñez ©2019 ROH. Ph Tristram Kenton. 4) Zenaida Yanowsky and Rupert Pennefather ©Dee Conway/ROH, 2008. 5) Frederick Ashton in rehearsal with Lynn Seymour and Anthony Dowell. Ph Anthony Crickmay, 1976. #FrederickAshton #AMonthInTheCountry #TheRoyalBallet #BalletHistory

⚜️✨ More from last month’s 𝘈𝘴𝘩𝘵𝘰𝘯 𝘙𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥: 𝘚𝘤è𝘯𝘦 𝘥’𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘳 masterclass, in collaboration with @bhamroyalballet ... 🎥 Watch the full masterclass film, now on YouTube 📖 Read Jane Pritchard’s (Curator of Dance, @vamuseum ) introduction to the ballet on our website 🔗 Links for both in bio 🎥 @yaoqianshang and @riku__ito in Ashton’s 𝘚𝘤è𝘯𝘦 𝘥’𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘳, captured during the masterclass by @bhamroyalballet 🎹 @wongjcc

Celebrating 66 years of La Fille mal gardée, first performed #otd in 1960 🎀 🐓✨ “One of Ashton’s greatest, funniest works—his joyous choreography is like a constantly flowing cascade of champagne, its fizzing invention and boundless musicality and humour unsurpassed.” – @gramilano , in his review of last year’s run of the ballet @royalballetandopera ➡️ Swipe for some highlights from those performances, and book now for the company’s next run, beginning in May 🗓️ .   .   .   📸 Dancers of The Royal Ballet in Ashton’s La Fille mal gardee ©2025 Alice Pennefather.   #LaFilleMalGardée #FrederickAshton #BalletHistory #ChoreographicHeritage

Ashton Rediscovered: Scène d’amour (1959) ⚜️❤️ Moments from Tuesday's masterclass with @bhamroyalballet , in which we were incredibly privileged to rediscover Ashton’s gorgeous 𝘙𝘢𝘺𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘢-inspired pas de deux 𝘚𝘤è𝘯𝘦 𝘥’𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘳, which has been reconstructed by @samaradowns for @frederickashtonfoundation . For those who couldn’t make it, a write-up of the introduction to the masterclass given by Jane Pritchard (Curator of Dance @vamuseum ), along with a film of the evening, will follow soon... .   .   .   📸 © @frederickashtonfoundation   #ashtonrediscovered #frederickashton #frederickashtonfoundation #scènedamour #masterclass

🎷🎶 Ashton’s 𝘑𝘢𝘻𝘻 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳 is 58 years old today! Inspired by Richard Rodney Bennett’s work of the same name – which was based on the children’s poem ‘Monday’s Child’ – Ashton saw the sequence of poetry and music as the basis for a ballet offering opportunities to a wide range of dancers. The work was given its premiere by The Royal Ballet in 1968. . . . 📸 Juan Gil of @sarasotaballet performing the role of Thursday’s Child in 𝘑𝘢𝘻𝘻 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳 ©Frank Atura #FrederickAshton #JazzCalendar #BalletAnniversary #OnThisDay

As 2025 draws to a close, we @frederickashtonfoundation are reflecting on another wonderful year of Ashton’s thriving legacy—not only through the 2025 Foundation events pictured here, but at Ashton performances, events and workshops across every continent 🌎✨ We look forward to continuing our work with companies, dancers and you, our audiences, to promote, protect and celebrate Ashton’s ballets in the year ahead. As our 𝘈𝘴𝘩𝘵𝘰𝘯 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥𝘸𝘪𝘥𝘦 festival continues in 2026, please check back here for news of forthcoming performances and initiatives and, in the meantime, wishing you all a very Happy New Year 💫 . . . 📸 Frederick Ashton Foundation 𝘈𝘴𝘩𝘵𝘰𝘯 𝘙𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 masterclasses and events, 2025. © @frederickashtonfoundation #FrederickAshton #AshtonWorldwide #AshtonLegacy #BalletHeritage #NewYearReflections