The Progress 1000: London's most influential people 2019 – Creative Arts: Dance

Principal dancer, Royal Ballet | NEW
After a season of dazzling debuts the 25-year-old was promoted this year, making him only the second black male dancer to join the company’s highest tier.

Artistic director, Rambert | NEW
Pouffer has big plans for Britain’s oldest dance company: opening up its HQ and introducing daring new work alongside the heritage pieces. Next season includes collaborations with director Kibwe Tavares and rising star Gaika.

Lead ballerina and artistic director, English National Ballet
Rojo has turned her company into a formidable force, championing women choreographers and talented youngsters alongside heavyweight stars. She’s overseen ENB’s move into its new home in Canning Town, cementing east London as the capital’s up-and-coming dance centre.

Choreographer | NEW
Marston has had one hell of a year already, creating ballets for the world’s great companies and winning a Critics’ Circle award. And there’s another major coup — her first main-stage work for the Royal Ballet, based on the life of Jacqueline Du Pré.

Atistic director, Ballet Black
Pancho is changing the face of British dance. Last year she worked alongside Freed to create pointe shoes and tights for black and mixed-race ballet dancers – a UK first.

CEO, Sadler’s Wells
In 2019 he celebrated 15 years at the helm of London’s premier dance venue with a new project — overseeing the building of a fourth venue in Stratford, with another stage, a choreography school and a hip hop academy.

Artistic director, New Adventures
The Hackney-born choreographer has just been handed his eighth Olivier, making him joint holder (with Judi Dench) of the most awards ever. His new production — always a must-see — is Romeo & Juliet: think Shakespeare(ish) with a distinctly dystopian feel.

Artistic director, Royal Ballet
O’Hare has taken an already shining company and made it even brighter, with talent packed across all levels of the company. It’s always attracted world-class choreographers but now some of fashion’s biggest names — Erdem, Gareth Pugh and Jasper Conran — too.

Principal dancer, Royal Ballet | NEW
The world-class ballerina who’s taking on cutting-edge contemporary dance alongside the meaty classical roles. Osipova is at the peak of her powers, with her London shows selling out long in advance.

Dancer, Royal Ballet | NEW
The Harrow-born ballerina is one of the up-and-coming stars of British dance. O’Sullivan has just tackled Juliet to much acclaim alongside new principal Marcelino Sambé — the next big ballet partnership?

Lead principal, English National Ballet | NEW
Hernández is one of Britain’s most exciting male dancers and one half of a ballet power couple (Tamara Rojo). Last year, he won best male dancer at the Prix Benois de la Danse, ballet’s Oscars.

Dancer
Hayward is principal dancer for the Royal Ballet and one of the stars in the upcoming film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical, Cats. She recently featured on the cover of British Vogue’s Forces of Change issue, guest edited by the Duchess of Sussex.

The Progress 1000, in partnership with the global bank Citi, is the Evening Standard’s celebration of the people changing London’s future for the better. #Progress1000