Position: Artistic Director

Affiliation with organization: 2012 – Present

Years active at YAGP: 2012 – Present

Contact: Facebook

Robert Parker trained at the Royal Ballet School and joined the Birmingham Royal Ballet in 1994, was promoted to Principal in 1999 and has made guest appearances with the Royal Ballet and received various accolades including a Critics’ Circle Award in 2003 and an Olivier Award nomination in 2001. In 2008 he took a sabbatical and moved to the USA where he successfully acquired his Commercial Pilot’s Licence. He rejoined Birmingham Royal Ballet in 2009 and began teaching at Elmhurst on a regular basis, completed a Master’s degree in Philosophy in Education and was selected to attend the 2012 Rural Retreat for aspiring artistic leaders.He passed his RAD Professional Dancers’ Teaching Diploma with distinction and later that year was appointed President of the London Ballet Association. Mr Parker joined Elmhurst as Artistic Director in autumn 2012, following his retirement as a Principal dancer with Birmingham Royal Ballet.