The Snow Maiden, partnering Nina Ananiashvili. The Royal Ballet In 1998, Acosta joined The Royal Ballet, London, under the direction of Anthony Dowell. His roles with the company have included: William Forsythe's In the middle, somewhat elevated. This was his first appearance with the company. Jean de Brienne in Rudolf Nureyev's production of Raymonda Act III, Colas in Frederick Ashton's La fille mal gardée, Siegfried in Swan Lake, Actaeon in the Diana and Actaeon Pas de Deux, The Brother in Kenneth MacMillan's My Brother, My Sisters, Albrecht in Giselle, and the Principal Boy in Rhapsody, the Man's Solo in Petipa's Le Corsaire, at the Opening Celebration of the Royal Opera House. In the 1999/2000 season he performed: Nacho Duato's Remanso, The Prince in The Nutcracker, Solo Boy in MacMillan's Gloria, Franz in Ninette de Valois' production of Coppélia, Nijinsky's L'Après-midi d'un faune, Des Grieux in MacMillan's Manon, the Messenger of Death in Song of the Earth, the Boy with Matted Hair in Antony Tudor's ballet Shadowplay. During the 2001/2 season he made his debut as Basilio in Nureyev's Don Quixote, and in the 2002/2003 season he made his debut as the title role in George Balanchine's Apollo. He has created roles in Ashley Page's Hidden Variables and William Tuckett's 3:4. Acosta was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2014 New Year Honours for services to ballet. Guest artist Acosta was a guest artist with the American Ballet Theatre during the company's Metropolitan Opera House season in the summer of 2002, when he performed Prince Désiré in Sleeping Beauty Act III, Oberon in The Dream, Colas in La Fille mal gardée and Conrad in Le Corsaire. He rejoined the ABT (under artistic director Kevin McKenzie) as Principal Dancer, for the company's 2003 autumn season at New York City Center, to perform in the Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux and a new staging of Raymonda (Grand Pas Classique). He has performed Basilio in Nureyev's version of Don Quixote, as well as Solor in Nureyev's La Bayadère, with the Paris Opera Ballet. In recent years, Acosta has had a career as an international guest artist, appearing in the US, Russia, the Netherlands, Chile, Argentina, Greece, Japan, Italy, Germany and France. In June 2008 he guested for the first time with the Australian Ballet, in Jerome Robbins' Afternoon of a Faun, partnered by AB principal Kirsty Martin. Birmingham Royal