The Norwegian National Ballet

The Norwegian National Ballet is the only classical ballet company in Norway. Besides classics like Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker, the company's repertoire covers works by the international masters like Jiří Kylian, William Forsythe, George Balanchine, Sol León and Paul Lightfoot, Natalia Makarova and Mats Ek. The Norwegian National Ballet also focuses greatly on new works created especially for the company by choreographers like Alexander Ekman, Marit Moum Aune, Cina Espejord and associate choreographers Jo Strømgren and Alan Lucien Øyen. 

The company has 60 dancers, a second company with 15 young dancers: The Norwegian National Ballet 2, and a ballet school. Ingrid Lorentzen became artistic director in 2012, after being a principal dancer with the company. 

In 2019 the company launched The Choreography Development Program, with the goal that next generation of creative dance artists will have equal opportunities – regardless of gender. So far it has led to 24 new works. 

The company tour both in Norway and internationally. The Ibsen ballets Ghosts and Hedda Gabler have become signature works for the company, with tours to Shanghai, Berlin, Hong Kong, Moscow, Vienna and Paris.     
The co-production with Royal Ballet of Crystal Pite’s Light of Passage, a world premiere by Emma Portner and Christian Spucks Sleeping Beauty, a co-production with Ballett Zürich, are amongst the highlights this season.