About English National Ballet

English National Ballet has a long and distinguished history. Founded in 1950 as London Festival Ballet by the great English dancers Alicia Markova and Anton Dolin, it has been at the forefront of ballet’s growth and evolution ever since.

English National Ballet brings world class ballet to the widest possible audience through performances across the UK and on eminent international stages; its distinguished orchestra, English National Ballet Philharmonic; its digital platforms Ballet on Demand and BalletActive; being a UK leader in creative learning and engagement practice, building innovative partnerships to deliver flagship programmes such as Dance for Parkinson’s; and through talent development initiatives including Ballet Futures which looks to create a more diverse and inclusive future for the artform.

English National Ballet continues to add ground-breaking new works to its repertoire whilst celebrating the tradition of great classical ballet, gaining acclaim for artistic excellence and creativity. 2019 saw the Company enter a new chapter in its history with a move to a purpose-built state-of-the-art home in East London, allowing a renewed commitment to creativity, ambition, and connection to more people, near and far, than ever before.

Schedule of day

As part of the Open House Festival English National Ballet has a range of activities you can get involved with to learn more about the company, the architecture of the building, and experience the power of dance.

All day: Free exhibition about the Company's History. No need to book.

Drop-In Sessions (No need to book but please arrive 10 minutes before the start of the session to guarantee entry at the stated time. Late admittance will not be possible):

10.00 – 11.00am: Professional Company dancers take their morning class

11.00 - 11.30am: Extended reality dance performance

11.45 – 12.30pm: Insight talk from English National Ballet Artists (With BSL Interpretation)

12.30 – 1.00pm: Extended reality dance performance

1.15 – 2.00pm: Insight talk from English National Ballet Artists

2.00 – 2.30pm: Extended reality dance performance

2.30 – 4.30pm: Artist Jam
Connect, take part in, or observe professional artists from the local community in an open dance jam with live music from The Woods Studios.

Building Tours (Pre-book only):
Building Tours conclude in the Holloway Production Studio with the opportunity to view the extended reality dance performance. Please arrive promptly for the scheduled start time.

Mulryan Centre for Dance Architecture Focus Tours:
10:00 – 11:15
10.15 – 11.30
11.30 – 12.45
11.45 – 13.00

English National Ballet Focus Tours:
13.15 - 14.00 (With BSL Interpretation)
13.30 – 14.15

Mulryan Centre for Dance

A transformational project for English National Ballet (ENB) saw rehearsal and administration functions move from West to East London and into London City Island in 2019, into what would in 2020 be named the Mulryan Centre for Dance.

The new building significantly expands on the capabilities of ENB's historic West London accommodation by providing eight new rehearsal spaces, one of which has full stage rigging facilities which can be used as a performance space in its own right.

The design of the building has opened up the activities of ENB to the public through the incorporation of large windows onto public spaces and through external performance spaces. At London City Island, the Mulryan Centre for Dance is situated amidst six colourful and eye catching GHA buildings. In contrast, English National Ballet's headquarters stand as a translucent, lightweight structure where the masonry blocks give the appearance of revealing a striking glimpse of the island core.