Today, The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) presented its highest honour, the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award, to director and choreographer Christopher Wheeldon OBE. The award was presented by Her Majesty The Queen at a special ceremony and visit to the RAD’s headquarters in Wandsworth, London.
Christopher Wheeldon OBE was awarded this prestigious honour for his remarkable services to ballet and dance.
Wheeldon trained at The Royal Ballet School before joining The Royal Ballet company in 1991. As a choreographer, Wheeldon has created and staged productions for many of the world’s major ballet companies: San Francisco Ballet, The Bolshoi Ballet, The Mariinsky Ballet, The Paris Opera Ballet and Hamburg Ballet among others.
Wheeldon serves as Artistic Associate of The Royal Ballet and has created many works for the company, including the full-length Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and The Winter’s Tale.
Wheeldon has also choreographed for films and Broadway/West End musicals including ballet sequences for the feature film Center Stage (2000) and television series Étoile (2025). He has won Tony and Olivier Awards for his choreography of An American in Paris and MJ The Musical. He is President of the RAD’s Benesh International, the centre for Benesh Movement Notation.
The Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award, the RAD’s highest accolade, was instituted in 1953, to celebrate the year of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Dame Adeline Genée, founding President of the RAD, created the award to be presented annually in recognition of outstanding services to the art of dance. The first recipient in 1954 was Dame Ninette de Valois.
Since then, it has been awarded to many of the greatest names in dance, in recognition of outstanding services to the art form. Former recipients include Dame Marie Rambert, Sir Frederick Ashton, Dame Monica Mason, Rudolf Nureyev and Carlos Acosta CBE. It was most recently awarded to Mikhail Baryshnikov in 2022.
Christopher Wheeldon OBE said: “I’m honoured and delighted. My first ballet classes at seven years old were the RAD syllabus, so this is where it all began — and with Elizabeth, Darcey and Alexander leading, the future feels boundless.”
Dame Darcey Bussell DBE, President of the RAD, said: “As one of the world’s most famous choreographers, Christopher Wheeldon has inspired countless dancers and artists over the years with his unique storytelling, artistry and ability to capture audiences far and wide. It is an honour to present him with the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award.”
Elizabeth Honer CB, Chief Executive of the RAD, said: “The Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award is our highest honour at the Royal Academy of Dance, recognising individuals who have completely transformed the ballet world. I’m delighted we have been able to recognise Christopher Wheeldon’s outstanding contribution through this award. As a choreographer and dancer, he has made such a profound contribution to ballet and musical theatre. His energy, intelligence, storytelling and experimentation ensure that our art form not only continues to flourish but inspires dancers and audiences of all ages from across the globe.”
Her Majesty The Queen has a long-standing relationship with the RAD; opening the Royal Academy of Dance’s global headquarters in March 2022 in her role as Vice Patron of the RAD, and going on to become patron in 2024 after the passing of the RAD’s previous patron, Queen Elizabeth II.
As well as presenting Wheeldon with this award, Her Majesty The Queen visited the RAD to experience a breadth of the RAD’s transformative, charitable work including:
– Fireflies Ballet Classes for the Cancer Community: founded by RAD dance teacher Natalie Hall, these classes are designed for people affected by cancer
– Step into Dance: the UK’s largest inclusive dance programme for secondary school students run in partnership with the Jack Petchey Foundation. The programme celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, and reaches those from backgrounds that might not otherwise connect with dance
– Move to the Musicals: a class designed for older learners aged 55+. Many dancers in this class also take Silver Swans classes, a programme for the over 55s that Her Majesty actively champions for its health and wellbeing benefits
– The Margot Fonteyn International Ballet Competition: A world-leading ballet competition for young dancers trained in the RAD syllabus. This year, The Fonteyn offers all candidates individual coaching from a répétiteur from the Frederick Ashton Foundation.
Throughout her visit, Her Majesty was accompanied by: Colleen Harris MVO, Deputy Lieutenant Wandsworth, Dame Darcey Bussell DBE, RAD President, Elizabeth Honer CB, RAD Chief Executive, Alexander Campbell, Artistic Director, RAD and Christopher Wheeldon OBE.
During the presentation ceremony, Her Majesty watched two short performances:
– A piece choreographed by Warren Carlyle, which is part of the RAD’s new Musical Theatre syllabus
– An excerpt from Tryst, choreographed by Wheeldon and performed by Principal dancers from The Royal Ballet, Melissa Hamilton and Ryoichi Hirano. The pas de deux was first created on Darcey Bussell and Jonathan Cope in 2002.
A leading teacher training organisation that inspires the world to dance, the RAD promotes excellence, joy and learning for all. Through its global network of teachers, the RAD empowers people of all ages and abilities through dance. It received its Royal Charter in 1936.
