Andrew Ward - Former Royal Ballet Dancer & Soloist Boston Ballet

Andrew Ward was born in Buckinghamshire, England and trained at The Royal Ballet School from 1970 - 1978, winning the International Ballet Competition, Prix de Lausanne in 1976. He joined the Royal Ballet, Covent Garden, in 1978; dancing in all the major classics, including soloist roles such as Florestan in Dame Ninette de Valois' production of Sleeping Beauty, the Three Dancing Gentlemen in MacMillan's Manon, and the Pas de Trois in Gloria.

He appeared in numerous TV productions at The Royal Opera House, including Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, Isadora, Mayerling, Gloria, and Swan Lake. He created roles in works by Ashton, MacMillan and Tetley, and performed in ballets by Wayne Eagling, John Neumeier, Robert North, Rudolf Nureyev, and Jerome Robbins. He was chosen by Ashton to appear in Rhapsody alongside Mikhail Baryshinkov, Lesley Collier, and other Royal Ballet soloists for The Queen Mother's 80th birthday celebration gala. He has appeared in the major opera houses with the Royal Ballet including those in the USA, China, Japan and Mexico, and was chosen by Wayne Eagling to appear in Freddie Mercury's pop video I Want to Break Free.

In 1985, he joined The Boston Ballet as soloist, dancing several principal roles including the Prince in Nutcracker. He also taught classes at the Boston Ballet's School and Company. He joined English National Ballet, in 1989, before retiring as a dancer. In 1991, he became Director of The Benesh Institute, of which the late Diana, Princess of Wales became the Royal Patron in 1992. He devised and produced several Royal dance galas with Wayne Sleep, attended by Diana Princess of Wales and Princess Margaret. The Benesh Institute merged with the Royal Academy of Dancing in 1997 and he became the Academy's Director of Development in 2001. With the Academy he organised numerous projects including a video of classical mime with Antoinette Sibley and producer of the 2003 Bloch Genée International Ballet Competition in association with Birmingham Royal Ballet.

In 2003, he set up a Dance Promotion Company named Dance Forward and presented A Gala of Dance with Artists of The Royal Ballet at the Bermuda Festival. In the Autumn of 2003, he became the manager of the Wayne Sleep Dance Workshops.

In 2006, Andrew launched a series of half day workshops based on the Nutcracker's Waltz of the Flowers for students aged 6-14 years old. In January 2007, Andrew presented and directed A Gala Evening of Dance with Principals and Soloists of The Royal Ballet for a series of performances in Bermuda and Florida. In 2007, Andrew was a guest teacher for English National Ballet teaching company class during ENB's season at the Coliseum in London.

Andrew worked as Development Manager (2007 to 2011) for International Dance Supplies.  During this period he secured dancewear contracts with BBO, IDTA, Darcey Bussell, American Ballet Theatre and The Royal Ballet School.  In 2011, he organised the inaugural International Dance Teachers' Conference for IDS - www.idsdanceteacher.com.  The widely acclaimed event was held at The Royal Ballet School.  Andrew brought in his friends from the dance world to teach at this 4 day event including Steven McRae, Sarah Lamb, Jonathan Cope, Wayne Sleep, Graeme Henderson, Lizzie Gough, David Leighton, Yasmin Yazdi, Steve and Angela Sirico, Judith Reyn and Anton du Beke to name just a few. 

Andrew has taught company class at Rambert Dance Company and English National Ballet. He is a guest teacher internationally.

Andrew was the artistic director for The London Boys Ballet School for 3 years setting up an associate programme for 15 of the 220 boys in the Saturday School. He advised the Founder on how to progress the school with just 80 boys in the school when he arrived to the 220 boys prior to his departure to pursue a new project Ballet Star.

In 2019, Andrew and ex principal Royal Ballet dancer, Roberta Marquez, set up Ballet Star. The 2 day and 3 day courses were held at The Royal Ballet Studios at the Royal Opera House in the summer of 2019. The course attracted students internationally including from the USA, Brazil and Japan. Andrew and Roberta taught on the faculty and were joined by Darcey Bussell, Yasmine Naghdi and Zenaida Yanowsky. www.balletstar.co.uk

Andrew continues to teach internationallly as well as giving private lessons to talented ballet students here in the UK. He has been invited to teach at a Summer Dance Course in Braga, Portugal in July 2019.