Jonathan Watkins

Jonathan is an award-winning choreographer and director from Barnsley, South Yorkshire. He was a dancer with The Royal Ballet from 2003-13. He created the ballet adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984 for Northern Ballet (Winner of Southbank Sky Arts Award for Best Dance Production), Kes for Sheffield Theatre, Kes Reimagined for BBC Four and the stage play adaptation of Reasons To Stay Alive by Matt Haig for Sheffield Theatres and English Touring Theatre. He has made new work for international ballet companies, including As One, In the Presence of Others, Stop Me When I’m Stuck and Diana and Actaeon for The Royal Ballet, NOW for New York City Ballet, Crash for Texas Ballet Theatre and Eventual Progress for Ekaterinburg Ballet Theatre. He has directed and choreographed for the screen: This is How I Move: Naia for Ballet Queer, Bunker and Sofa for Channel 4; and was Theatre Movement Director on People at National Theatre, The Machine for Manchester International Festival, Coriolanus at Donmar Warehouse and Road at Royal Court Theatre. He is the artistic director of Ballet Queer, the U.K.’s first LGBTQ+ ballet company that makes authentic work representing Queer identities and experience.

Image by Cristian Solimeno