The Royal Swedish Ballet

The Royal Swedish Ballet is one of the world’s oldest ballet companies. It was founded in 1773 by King Gustav III. It is Sweden’s largest dance company with the task of curating and developing classical ballet as well as contemporary, innovative works.

In summer 2025 Nicolas Le Riche will be taking his leave of Operan after eight years as artistic director of the Royal Swedish Ballet. Even though he won’t be there in person during the 2025/2026 ballet season, it will bear his mark, as he has chosen the works to be performed, some of which have come about during his directorship.

»This season truly represents the ballet company and where we are right now,« says Nicolas Le Riche. »There’s huge variety in terms of the music, namely Tchaikovsky’s romantic scores to Swan Lake and Juliet & Romeo, William Dugan’s modern club sounds for If It Feels Good.. and music by contemporary Swedish composers for Midsummer Night’s Dream and the Young Opera/Royal Swedish Ballet collaboration Who’s there?«

It’s a season involving an unusually large number of works by Swedish choreographers. »In view of the big whole-evening productions by three Swedish choreographers, you could almost describe this season as our Swedish year. Mats Ek’s Juliet & Romeo, Pär Isberg’s Gustavia and Alexander Ekman’s Midsummer Night’s Dream represent three generations and above all three different styles: modern, neoclassical and contemporary. All three are Swedish Royal Ballet commissions – created for us and thus part of our history. Gustavia’s 2024 premiere met with massive public acclaim, and it now feels marvellous to be giving anyone who missed it first time round another chance to see it.«

Nicolas Le Riche is particularly proud of the Young Choreographers project, which he launched in spring 2023, and which gives Swedish Royal Ballet’s dancers the chance to create their own choreographies for their colleagues. The 2025 season will be seeing the fourth outing for the project. William Dugan, who’s been involved in Young Choreographers, will now be stepping up onto the main stage with his party odyssey If It Feels Good.., sharing a double bill with Ohad Naharin and his modern classic Minus 16.

»It’s wonderful watching our dancers develop and seeing choreographers come into being. As well as recognising William Dugan, I’d like to make special mention of Jenny Nilson, who’s been a Royal Swedish Ballet member and principal dancer, and is now for the first time creating a work for us in the shape of Who’s there? Young Opera will be performing it on the Rotunda stage, it will then be toured nationwide by Riksteatern. Bringing children all over Sweden into contact with classical ballet feels tremendous, and is a really valuable venture.« 

In addition to the Swedish and contemporary works, Royal Swedish Ballet is presenting Rudolf Nureyev’s highly acclaimed version of the popular classical ballet Swan Lake, as well as the double bill Lifar/Forsythe. The latter juxtaposes Ukrainian choreographer Serge Lifar’s 1943 Suite en blanc – a classical display piece for big ballet companies – with William Forsythe’s In The Middle, Somewhat Elevated, a modern classic premiered in 1987.

»I’m proud of Royal Swedish Ballet,« says Nicolas Le Riche. »I’m proud that we’re connecting with our audiences, that we’re creating talent and that we’re attracting dancers from all over the world. The artistic level is very high – we’re simply at the top international level, and in excellent shape.«