Sadler's Wells Theatre

Sadler’s Wells is London’s premier dance venue. From flamenco to ballet, tango to crunk, tap to bhangra and more, all genres of dancing are covered at this theatre, which is over 300 years old. It hasn’t always occupied the same site however, as it opened in its present building in 1998, and its history is as varied as its programming, with previous incarnations as a music hall, skating rink and prize fighting arena. In the 1920s Lilian Bayliss intervened as the venue had fallen into decline, and Sadler’s Wells began staging operatic performances such as Madam Butterfly and The Flying Dutchman. It gained a reputation for dance in the second half of the 20th century, and stars like Merce Cunningham and Marcel Marceau would appear. Recent successes include In The Spirit of Diaghilev and the two-week festival of Indian dance curated by Nitin Sawhney. The auditorium has an approximate capacity of 1,500 over three levels and prices vary according to seats. The theatre’s income relies heavily on box office sales as well as funding from the Arts Council, and revenue goes towards commissioning new works – the commission Mambo 3XXI and Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella earned Olivier Award Dance nominations.