Beyond the Bridge Afternoon Tea and Tour: Celebrating 100 Years of The Royal Ballet School
Beyond the Bridge Afternoon Tea and Tour: Celebrating 100 Years of The Royal Ballet School
Beyond the Bridge Afternoon Tea and Tour: Celebrating 100 Years of The Royal Ballet School
Mark the centenary of The Royal Ballet School with this afternoon tea and tour, offering a rare opportunity to explore the School and its historic connection to the Royal Opera House.
Discover 100 years of The Royal Ballet School on a special tour of historic studios, the Bridge of Aspiration and Royal Opera House backstage, followed by afternoon tea with live music.
Discover 100 years of The Royal Ballet School on a special tour of historic studios, the Bridge of Aspiration and Royal Opera House backstage, followed by afternoon tea with live music.
If you have any access requirements for your tour, please contact tours@roh.org.uk after booking so we can deliver the necessary arrangements.
Looking to have this tour as private experience for you and your group? Or perhaps you need this tour run in a different language? We offer bespoke private tours to suit you. Find out more about booking private tours.
On the day of your tour, you will receive 10% off in the Royal Ballet and Opera Shop and Royal Opera House café. Simply show your tour ticket at the till, valid on the day of your tour. After your tour, you'll receive an email providing one month's access to RBO Stream for £1.00.
Discover more tours, how to get to the tour venues and in-depth accessibility information.
Background
Mark the centenary of The Royal Ballet School with this special limited edition tour, offering a rare opportunity to explore both the School and its historic connection to the Royal Opera House.
Begin at The Royal Ballet School in Covent Garden, where you’ll explore the studios and training spaces that have shaped generations of extraordinary dancers. Catch a glimpse of students in class and discover how the School continues to nurture world-class talent, just as it has since its founding in 1926 by Dame Ninette de Valois. From there, follow in the footsteps of aspiring dancers as you cross the iconic Bridge of Aspiration - a striking architectural link above Floral Street and symbolising the journey from student to professional performer.
Continue your experience inside the Royal Opera House, exploring a selection of rehearsal studios and backstage spaces before stepping into the auditorium itself. Along the way, learn about the close relationship between the School and The Royal Ballet, and how graduates go on to shape the organisation both on and off the stage.
Discover the people and stories behind a century of British ballet. Explore the legacy of influential figures, choreographers and artists who have shaped the world of ballet, as this tour blends past and present to celebrate 100 years of nurturing the next generation.
After your tour, indulge in a delightful Afternoon Tea in the elegant Balconies Restaurant within the Paul Hamlyn Hall. Enjoy a selection of savoury treats and sweet delicacies, accompanied by live piano music performed by Royal Ballet and Opera musicians, an immersive experience that perfectly complements your journey through a century of ballet history.
Important information about your tour
- The meeting point for this tour is the Ground Floor cloakroom of the Royal Opera House.
- Latecomers will not be admitted.
- As the Royal Opera House is a working theatre each tour provides unique experience and content may vary according to what spaces are available on the day.
- Children aged 14 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Children under the age of five are not allowed on our tours, this includes babies and children in pushchairs.
- We may be using headsets on our tours to amplify the voices of our guides so you don’t miss any information. All equipment is fully sanitised after each tour. You can use your own headphones if you wish. Please note headphones need to have a standard jack connection to be used with our devices.
- Contact-free bag checks will be in operation when you enter the building.
- 10% of every ticket sale goes to support The Royal Ballet School.
Access
This tour takes you through different areas of the Royal Opera House, including long corridors, stairs, escalators and lifts. The flooring is also different depending on where you are in the building – some floors are smooth and tiled or wooden, some are carpeted.
Because we are a working theatre, there are areas that won’t always be available to us, which means each tour will take a different route. The spaces we travel through can sometimes be busy and loud.
Our tour guides use descriptive language which helps to paint a picture for blind and partially sighted visitors.
Please get in touch at boxoffice@roh.org.uk after booking to let us know your access requirements so we can make sure you have the best experience on your visit. We can help plan the tour if you require step-free and wheelchair access, if you prefer to avoid areas with views from a height, if you need to use the hearing loop or if you need to take regular breaks. Unfortunately, our hearing loops aren't compatible with Bluetooth.
Pointe Shoe Appeal
Every Season, The Royal Ballet dance through more than 6,000 pairs of pointe shoes—but that’s just the starts of what our dancers wear throughout the year.
With shoes in every style and colour, our footwear team works year-round to ensure that every dancer has the perfect fit, allowing them to step confidently onto the stage night after night. Help them perform to the best of their ability by making a donation to our Pointe Shoe Appeal.
For people, not profit. Making world-class ballet and opera for everyone.
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