On Thursday 31 October, HRH Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay, received a visit from Scottish Ballet to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Scotland’s national dance company.

HRH Prince Charles has been Patron of Scottish Ballet since 2009, and during the event announced his intention to continue his Patronage for a further five years. The company was delighted to receive a visit from The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay in 2014, during which Their Royal Highness attended rehearsals in preparation for Scottish Ballet’s performance at the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony.

For the occasion, HRH Prince Charles selected the location of Dumfries House. In 2007, HRH saved Dumfries House for the nation and transformed it into a tourism and education hub which is used to inspire the local community and help people engage in learning experiences that promote confidence and personal development as well as training in real-life skills to open up future employment opportunities.

During the visit, HRH Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay, enjoyed two private performances from Scottish Ballet: a duet from the recent world premiere of The Crucible, and one from the company’s much-anticipated production of The Snow Queen.

Performing the roles of Elizabeth and John Proctor in The Crucible was Bethany Kingsley-Garner and Barnaby Rook Bishop. Performing ‘The Strongman’ and ‘The Ballerina’, dancers Evan Loudon and Alice Kawalek gave an exclusive preview of The Snow Queen, choreographed by CEO/Artistic Director Christopher Hampson, ahead of its world premiere in Edinburgh in December.

We thoroughly enjoyed performing for our Patron HRH Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay, as part of our 50th anniversary celebrations. It was a pleasure to bring our full company of dancers and staff to share our work with His Royal Highness, especially in the unique setting of Dumfries House.

Christopher Hampson, CEO / Artistic Director of Scottish Ballet