Earlier this afternoon The Royal Ballet was awarded Outstanding Company at the 2025 Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards held at the Barbican.

9 June 2025

Director of The Royal Ballet, Kevin O’Hare, accepted the award on behalf of the Company. In a heartfelt speech, he said: 

‘Thank you to the Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards. I’m accepting this award on behalf of the amazing, talented, dedicated dancers of The Royal Ballet, as well as all the people backstage and front of house, the artistic and music staff, stage management, administration, healthcare and our wonderful orchestra, all of whom enable us to create magic on stage, night after night. A huge thank you.’ 

O’Hare also thanked Aud Jebsen for her incredible support of the Aud Jebsen Young Dancer Programme scheme which has fostered so much young talent in the Company over the years. 

Royal Ballet Artist Caspar Lench won the Emerging Artist Award, and the award for Best Dance Film went to The Principles of Classical Dance, a co-production between BalletBoyz and The Royal Ballet.  

Dancers involved in Royal Ballet co-productions in the Linbury Theatre were also successful. Hannah Shepherd won Outstanding Female Modern Performance for Lost Dog’s Ruination and Tommy Franzén won Outstanding Male Modern Performance for Kim Brandstrup’s Minotaur and ZooNation The Kate Prince Company’s The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. 

Lighting designer Tom Visser also won the Outstanding Creative Contribution Award. Visser is a regular collaborator of Crystal Pite, and for The Royal Ballet, he has lit Light of Passage, Flight Pattern, The Statement and Solo Echo.