Royal Ballet Rehearsal Director

Salary: Competitive, based on skills and experience

Hours: 40 hours per week; please note the requirement to work evenings, weekends, performances, rehearsals, and tours as required by the schedule

Role Overview

The Royal Ballet and Opera continues to lead the way in opera, ballet, music and dance both live on stage and through multiple digital platforms, from live streaming to worldwide cinema screenings. Our Covent Garden theatre has been at the heart of London and British cultural life for three centuries. We are home to two world‑class Companies: The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera.

Under the leadership of Kevin O’Hare, The Royal Ballet unites tradition and innovation in world‑class performances at Covent Garden and through cinema, streaming and touring worldwide. We now have an opportunity to join the Company as Rehearsal Director, working closely with the Director to maintain the highest standards of rehearsal and performance across The Royal Ballet. Working in close partnership with the Director, Administrative Director, Directorate, Artistic teams, and guest creatives, the Rehearsal Director ensures that all rehearsals and productions align with the Company’s artistic vision and uphold its international reputation for excellence. Reflecting the strategic and operational scope of the role, a significant proportion of time will be spent outside the studio, with approximately 50% dedicated to leadership meetings, planning, and cross‑organisational coordination.

Qualifications

• Leadership experience within a major ballet or dance company, with the ability to inspire and manage high‑performing artistic teams.
• Experience leading a department or function, setting direction and delivering against artistic and organisational goals.
• A track record of managing complex artistic operations with efficiency and consistency.
• Experience line managing and developing artistic staff.
• Senior‑level strategic experience, with the ability to balance long‑term planning and operational delivery.
• Expertise in teaching, coaching and rehearsing professional dancers to a high standard.
• Extensive knowledge of classical and contemporary repertoire, with a strong grasp of style and choreographic integrity.
• Experience supporting or collaborating on the planning and staging of productions, including casting and resource allocation.
• Excellent collaboration and stakeholder management skills across artistic and creative teams.

Please ensure you address the key criteria above in your supporting statement for our Shortlisting Panel to review.

EEO & Other Information

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion underpin all that we do. We want our people to be representative of the diversity in the UK. We understand the creativity and innovation that diversity can bring and strive to create an inclusive environment in which everyone can thrive. We encourage applications from people with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and skills to join our teams. We particularly welcome applications from those who are from a global majority background and/or who are disabled, as they are under‑represented within our organisation.

We are a Disability Confident Employer, which means that we are actively working to ensure that candidates with disabilities and long‑term health conditions feel supported, engaged and able to fulfil their potential in the workplace. We will endeavour to offer an interview to candidates who tell us they wish to participate in the scheme and who demonstrate in their application that they meet the essential criteria for the role, though sometimes due to the volume of qualified candidates with declarations this is not possible.

The RBO is also committed to safeguarding and protecting all children, young people, and adults and we implement robust safer recruitment practices. Due to our safeguarding promise, certain roles will be subject to a DBS check before commencing employment with us, which will be indicated in the advertising.

Applicants must have work authorisation for the UK.