joining the Royal Ballet as its associate choreographer when the company was founded in 1931. He created the majority of the company's early works and staged their first performance at the Royal Opera House, a production of The Sleeping Beauty in 1946. Ashton was appointed artistic director of the Royal Ballet from 1963 to 1970, when he retired from the post. He continued to work as a choreographer internationally, with his final work being the Nursery Suite, for a gala performance by the Royal Ballet School at the Royal Opera House in 1986. His numerous ballets have since been staged by leading dance companies worldwide and feature strongly in the programming of the Royal Ballet today. Works choreographed Ashton created over 100 original ballet works and numerous other productions, some of the most notable including: A Month in the Country Birthday Offering Cinderella Dante Sonata Daphnis and Chloë Façade La fille mal gardée Les Patineurs Les Rendezvous Marguerite and Armand Nocturne Ondine Regatta Rhapsody Romeo and Juliet Symphonic Variations The Dream Varii capricci Sir Kenneth MacMillan Sir Kenneth MacMillan (11 December 1929 – 29 October 1992) was a British ballet dancer and choreographer. He was artistic director of the Royal Ballet in London between 1970 and 1977. Although a talented dancer, MacMillan is best known for his choreography, and particularly for his work with the Royal Ballet. He also worked with the American Ballet Theatre (1956–7) and the Deutsche Oper, Berlin (1966–69). He succeeded Frederick Ashton as Director of the Royal Ballet in 1970 and resigned after seven years, frustrated at balancing the conflicting demands of creating ballets with administration. He continued as Principal Choreographer to the Royal Ballet until his death in 1992. Works choreographed His full-length works include: Romeo and Juliet [1965] — made on Lynn Seymour and Christopher Gable, but the premiere was danced by Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev Anastasia — made on Lynn Seymour Manon — made on Antoinette Sibley, Anthony Dowell and Jennifer Penney Mayerling Isadora The Prince of the Pagodas [1989] — made on Darcey Bussell and Jonathan Cope. MacMillan's one-act ballets include: Danses Concertantes — commissioned by Dame Ninette de Valois in 1955 Different Drummer The Invitation — made on Lynn Seymour and Christopher Gable, 1960 The Rite of Spring — made on Monica Mason Elite Syncopations My Brother, My Sisters La Fin du Jour Valley of Shadows — made on Alessandra