LBC 80th Anniversary Celebration

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DATE:  Sunday 1st February 2026

TIME:  2.00 - 5pm 🇬🇧

VENUE :  Royal Ballet Upper School, 46 Floral St, London WC2E 9DA

HOSTS : Anna Meadmore and Fernando Montana, with demonstrations from Aurora Chinchilla and Caspar Lench

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We are delighted to invite you to join us to celebrate LBC's 80th Anniversary. The LBC was founded in 1946 with Ninette de Valois as the Founding President and First Patron, making it the oldest non-affiliated ballet appreciation society in the world.

Hosted by Manager of Special Collections at the Royal Ballet School, Dr Anna Meadmore, and former Royal Ballet dancer, Fernando Montana will will learn about the basics and history of ballet steps with demonstrations from Royal Ballet dancers, Aurora Chinchilla and Caspar Lench.

Following the talk, the LBC are delighted to invite attendees to enjoy a social with afternoon tea in the studio next door.   

We do hope you will join us.

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Cuban-American dancer Aurora Chinchilla joined The Royal Ballet’s Aud Jebsen Young Dancers programme at the beginning of the 2025/26 Season.    

Chinchilla was born in Boca Raton, Florida, where she began her ballet studies at age three. Her early years of training took place at Boca Ballet Theatre and The Art of Classical Ballet, primarily under the guidance of Daniela Nascimento and Magaly Suarez. Chinchilla acquired many awards at Youth American Grand Prix (YAGP), where she received her position to The Royal Ballet Upper School at the Tampa 2022 International Finals. 

During her time at The Royal Ballet Upper School, she was awarded The Gailene Stock Award for Exceptional Progress and The London Ballet Circle Dame Ninette Award for Most Outstanding Female Graduate.

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British dancer Caspar Lench is a First Artist of The Royal Ballet. Lench joined The Royal Ballet as an Aud Jebsen Young Dancer at the start of the 2023/24 season. He was promoted to Artist of The Royal Ballet in 2024, and First Artist in 2025.

Born in Bristol, he began ballet lessons at the age of four at the Bristol School of Dancing. He later became a Junior Associate of The Royal Ballet School and in 2015, joined The Royal Ballet School’s full-time training at White Lodge, progressing to the Upper School in 2020.

During his time at the School, he was awarded the April Olrich Award for Dynamic Performance, the Gailene Stock Award for Exceptional Progress and the London Ballet Circle Dame Ninette Award for Most Outstanding Male Graduate. He graduated from The Royal Ballet School in 2023 after eight years of full-time training.  

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*** Booking deadline for in-person is Monday 26th January, as required by the caterers ***

Members may book for themselves and a named guest.  We expect a high level of interest in this event.