Former soloist named new royal ballet chief

Amy Watson, aged 43, has been appointed as the new ballet director at The Royal Theatre, succeeding Nikolaj Hübbe following his resignation last week. According to chairman Lars Barfoed, Watson has all the necessary qualities, including her ballet expertise, leadership experience as a choreographer, deep knowledge of the Bournonville style, and an ambitious vision to maintain and strengthen this crucial ballet tradition. Watson, who joined the Royal Theatre in 2000 as a corps dancer, later became a soloist and principal dancer, as well as instructing the Royal Ballet since 2016, is excited about her new role. Nikolaj Hübbe, known for his tenure as a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet and as a judge on the TV show ‘Vild med dans,’ resigned after allegations of a harsh environment at the Royal Theatre’s ballet school. His original contract was set to expire in 2026.