Chance to Dance

Chance to Dance is the Royal Ballet and Opera’s flagship ballet programme for young talent. It is the longest-running programme providing access into the ballet sector. Since 1991 Chance to Dance has introduced over 30,000 children to ballet. Since 2018, Chance to Dance has built a national presence, and is the catalyst for systemic change in who has access to ballet and the opportunity to train professionally. Launching in a new area of England each Season, the programme has now delivered residencies across Essex, the West Midlands, Doncaster, the North East, Bradford, Luton and Blackpool.

Chance to Dance aims to broaden and diversify the pool of young people with potential in ballet, to provide pathways to nurture and develop talent. The programme seeks to find points of relevance within the art form for every participating child, their families and teachers, particularly in culturally and ethnically diverse communities. The Royal Ballet and Opera work collaboratively with regional and national dance industry partners to model best practice in the creative teaching of ballet and establish more inclusive and accessible pathways, especially for those who face difficulty accessing existing opportunities.

The programme works in partnership with Primary schools and private recreational dance schools in four regional areas each Season. The creative programme includes workshops and performance opportunities for Primary school children, as well as support and sharing of practice between dance artists working in the public and private dance sectors. The Ballet Lab programme provides the forum to explore and strengthen the convergence between recreational, vocational and community dance practice. The programme is delivered as a core part of each cycle of Chance to Dance and provides artists with the opportunity to practically and creatively explore classical ballet technique, artistry and pedagogical topics relevant to current dance teaching practice.

The following films offer an insight into our 2026 Next Generation Festival project, hearing from the young people, parents, artists and Chance to Dance Alumni professionals.