Edward Watson (dancer)

Edward Watson is a male ballet dancer and is currently the only British born Principal dancer of the Royal Ballet company in London. Born in Bromley, Kent and trained at The Royal Ballet School, he joined the Royal Ballet company in 1994 and was promoted to Principal in 2005.

Early years

Edward Watson was born in Bromley, Kent and was brought up in the village of Longfield, near Dartford. He first attended dance classes at the age of 3, and was later accepted as a Junior Associate of the Royal Ballet School, eventually joining the full time school at White Lodge, Richmond Park. Whilst at the school, he trained with Antole Grigoriev, a former dancer of the Kirov Ballet and was one of 6 male students who graduated into the Upper School at the age of 16. At the Upper School his teachers included German Zammel and Julie Lincoln. Whilst training at the Upper School, Watson danced a number of roles:
*"Checkmate" by Ninette de Valois, 1993 (Role: Black Castle)
*"Simple Symphony" by Matthew Hart, 1993
*"Monotones No. 2" by Frederick Ashton, 1994
*"Napoli" by Auguste Bournonville, 2004 (Role: Pas de Six)