Rambert Dance Company

Rambert Dance Company
Name	Rambert Dance Company
Founded	1926
Founders	Marie Rambert
Headquarters	London
Genre	Contemporary dance, ballet
Artistic director	Ben Duke (as of 2024)
Parent organisation	Rambert

Rambert Dance Company is a British contemporary dance company with roots in early 20th-century European ballet and modern dance traditions. Founded by Marie Rambert, the company evolved through collaborations with choreographers and institutions across Europe and North America, shaping repertory that links classical ballet lineage with avant-garde contemporary practice. Its activities intersect with major cultural institutions, touring networks, arts councils, and festivals throughout the United Kingdom and internationally.

History

Marie Rambert established the company in 1926 after engagement with Sergei Diaghilev and exposure to Ballets Russes touring and the Parisian avant-garde; early collaborators included Nijinska, Léonide Massine, and dancers trained under Enrico Cecchetti. In the 1930s the company engaged with figures from the London scene such as Frederick Ashton, Constant Lambert, and Siegfried Lehmbruck-influenced sculptural aesthetics, while maintaining ties to continental modernists like Mary Wigman and Rudolf Laban. Post-war decades saw intersections with institutions including the Royal Ballet, Sadler's Wells Theatre, and touring circuits organized by the Arts Council of Great Britain and later the Arts Council England. The company relocated and restructured during the late 20th century amid dialogues with venues such as The Place, Southbank Centre, and festivals including Edinburgh Festival and Cheltenham Festival. International tours and co-productions linked it to companies and programmers like Paris Opera Ballet, Staatsballett Berlin, New York City Ballet, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, and touring promoters in Europe, North America, and Asia.

Artistic Direction and Repertoire

Artistic leadership has included choreographers and directors with connections to Frederick Ashton, Kenneth MacMillan, and Pina Bausch-era modernism; recent artistic directors have curated programs that juxtapose canonical works and new commissions by artists from companies such as Batsheva Dance Company, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and Cunningham Dance. Repertoire spans neoclassical ballets, narrative works premiered in collaboration with designers tied to Royal Opera House productions, and contemporary pieces by choreographers affiliated with Trisha Brown, William Forsythe, Akram Khan, Wayne McGregor, and Crystal Pite. The company's commissioning strategy has engaged with composers and designers associated with London Sinfonietta, BBC Symphony Orchestra, National Theatre, and visual artists linked to Tate Modern and V&A Museum exhibitions. Co-productions have involved international presenters such as Lincoln Center, Teatro alla Scala, Sydney Opera House, and Hong Kong Cultural Centre.

Notable Dancers and Choreographers

Dancers who rose to prominence through the company have gone on to associations with Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, and international troupes like Paris Opera Ballet and Mikhailovsky Theatre. Choreographers who made significant works for the company include alumni and guests connected to José Limón, Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, Twyla Tharp, Gillian Lynne, Christopher Bruce, Siobhan Davies, and Richard Alston. Guest artists and collaborators have included performers from American Ballet Theatre, Kirov Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, and contemporary makers from Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo and Hofesh Shechter Company. The company’s alumni network intersects with conservatoires such as Royal Academy of Dance, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and education programmes at Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Education and Outreach

The company operates education and outreach initiatives that partner with institutions like City, University of London, University of the Arts London, and local authority arts services in boroughs including Camden, Islington, and Lambeth. Programmes include youth ensembles, community workshops, and professional development linked to funding bodies such as National Lottery-supported schemes and projects administered with Arts Council England. Collaborative projects reach schools part of local education authorities and academies, and work with charities like Heart n Soul and organisations associated with Creative Scotland and Welsh Government cultural programmes on regional touring. Training pathways intersect with vocational hubs including The Place, Central School of Ballet, and specialist initiatives supported by Nesta and corporate philanthropy partners.

Company Structure and Operations

Organisationally the company functions as a registered charity and operates governance through a board of trustees with links to cultural funders including Heritage Lottery Fund, Jerwood Foundation, and corporate patrons. Administrative, production, and artistic teams collaborate with ticketing and marketing partners including ATG, Ticketmaster, and venue managers at Sadler's Wells, Barbican Centre, and regional theatres across the UK. Touring logistics engage freight and technical suppliers that work with international presenters such as Barbican Centre, Sydney Festival, and European partners in the European Cultural Foundation network. The company’s governance, fundraising, and commissioning models reflect practices used by major performing arts organisations like English National Opera, Royal Shakespeare Company, and National Theatre.

Awards and Recognition

The company and its artists have received accolades and nominations from institutions including the Laurence Olivier Awards, South Bank Show Awards, Time Out Awards, Critics' Circle National Dance Awards, and international festival prizes presented at events like Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival and Avignon Festival. Choreographic commissions and productions have been recognized by foundations such as Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Dame Margot Fonteyn Trust equivalents, and prizes administered by conservatoires including Trinity Laban. Individual dancers and creatives from the company have been shortlisted for honours conferred by national bodies such as the Order of the British Empire and have featured in retrospective exhibitions at institutions like Victoria and Albert Museum and Tate Britain.

Category:British dance companies Category:Contemporary dance companies