Carlos Acosta
Carlos Acosta joined the Royal Ballet in 1998 and was a Principal Guest Artist from 2003 to 2016. His many roles included Siegfried (Swan Lake), Albrecht (Giselle), The Prince (The Nutcracker), and Prince Florimund (The Sleeping Beauty). Mr. Acosta was born in Havana and trained at the National Ballet School of Cuba, going on to dance with the English National Ballet, the National Ballet of Cuba and the Houston Ballet. The culture and history of his home country have been important influences, and in 2003 his show “Tocororo - A Cuban Tale”, loosely based on his childhood, broke box office records at Sadler’s Wells Theatre. After leaving the Royal Ballet, he founded the dance company Acosta Danza in Cuba in 2016. He has received many awards throughout his career, including an Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance in 2007, a Prix Benois de la Danse in 2008, and an Outstanding Achievement Award at the 2014 Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards. In 2014, Acosta was appointed a CBE for services to ballet. In 2018 Acosta received the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award from the Royal Academy of Dance in recognition of his standing as one of the most influential figures in dance today, and in 2019 the Critics’ Circle bestowed Acosta with their Annual Award for Outstanding Services to the Arts. Yuli, a film inspired by his life, premiered at the San Sebastián, Havana and Berlin Film Festivals to critical acclaim before its premiere and general release in April 2019. Carlos Acosta became Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet in January 2020.