The London City Ballet (LCB) is set to make a triumphant return almost 30 years after its last performance.

Christopher Marney, a former dancer, has taken the reins in an effort to revive the ballet company that once enjoyed the patronage of Diana, Princess of Wales. In 2024, the company will move to custom-built studios and, later in the year, will grace the stage at Sadler's Wells Theatre in Angel, North London, which was its previous home.

Marney expressed his excitement in continuing the rich legacy of the company. Over an initial three-year period, LCB plans to tour six months a year across the UK and internationally.

The original LCB ceased operations in 1996 after 18 years under the leadership of its founder and director, Harold King. The company had been the resident ballet company at Sadler's Wells.

Previously the director of the Joffrey Ballet Company in Chicago, Marney mentioned, "The company informed my own career, and seeing them as a young child provided me with my first experience of dance, spurring my enthusiasm for the artform. The world has changed since its closure in 1996, and I am committed to creating a diverse and progressive company of dancers that speaks to a new generation."

The first tour will include visits to many of the former company's featured venues in the UK and around the world, including Italy, Portugal, and the US. While full tour dates have yet to be announced, the tour is set to commence at Bath Theatre Royal in the summer of 2024.

Marney also expressed his desire to revive past works of influential choreographers that may have fallen out of the repertoire of mainstream companies and breathe new life into these lost ballets.

Sir Alistair Spalding, artistic director and chief executive at Sadler's Wells, expressed his delight in welcoming the London City Ballet back to their theatre and studios. Photo by Musée d'Orsay, Wikimedia commons.