Sol León and Paul Lightfoot Will Make Royal Ballet Debut with SO ARE WE Double Bill
SHOOT THE MOON and world premiere SALLE DE DANSE come to the Royal Opera House with Matthew Ball and William Bracewell.
This summer's double bill from The Royal Ballet, So Are We, will represent the first time a British company performs the work of the acclaimed contemporary choreographic duo Sol León and Paul Lightfoot. The programme includes their first work especially made for The Royal Ballet. Performances will run 11 – 20 June 2026.
León and Lightfoot have created over 50 works in their career, primarily during their time as house choreographers for Nederlands Dans Theater. Their unique movement language is full of atmosphere – fluid yet angular, soft and weightless while also simmering with tension. They present two works with The Royal Ballet: Shoot the Moon and Salle de danse.
Shoot the Moon celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, having been first performed by Nederlands Dans Theater in 2006. The work is set to Philip Glass's Tirol Concerto, and explores relationships and the solitude within them. Two casts perform this work, with opening night cast featuring Matthew Ball, William Bracewell, Lauren Cuthbertson, Fumi Kaneko and Lukas B. Brændsrød, and later performances with Francesca Hayward, Vadim Muntagirov, Anna Rose O'Sullivan, Calvin Richardson and Denilson Almeida.
Salle de danse was originally choreographed as a film by Lightfoot during the Covid-19 pandemic, and is now recreated for the stage as a world premiere for The Royal Ballet. It takes inspiration from a dancer's ballet class, an energetic homage to the dancer's daily study of the art form. It will feature over 45 members of the Company drawn from across all ranks, from Artist to Principal. A freshly composed score by Ilya Demutsky will accompany the ensemble on the bare stage of the Royal Opera House.
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