Internationally renowned contemporary ballet choreographer Christopher Wheeldon joined the Royal Ballet as a seventeen year old in 1991 and in that same year won the Gold Medal at the Prix de Lausanne competition. He then moved to the Big Apple to join the New York Ballet where he became a soloist in 1998. Three years later he became the Company’s residential choreographer.

He became the first Englishman to be invited to create a new work for the prestigious Bolshoi Ballet and earlier this year was honoured with an OBE by the Queen.

Currently the Royal Ballet’s Artistic Associate, Chris is a familiar face at Covent Garden, especially recently, with a mixed programme celebrating his career. The three works included AFTER THE RAIN, WITHIN THE GOLDEN HOUR and the World Premiere of STRAPLESS. Next week his three-act adaption of THE WINTER’S TALE, Shakespeare’s tale of love, loss and reconciliation begins a two month season.

I left this sketch at the ROH in February and it returned from New York a week later signed and dedicated.