For Singapore’s ballet lovers, the wait is finally over. After a 21-year absence, The Royal Ballet — one of the world’s leading dance companies — returns to the city-state from June 26 to 28. The Esplanade will host four gala performances, where The Royal Ballet’s precision, athleticism and elegance take centre stage.
The Royal Ballet Gala is the result of a major partnership between Bank of America (BofA) and The Royal Ballet. As the company’s official Touring Partner for 2026, BofA supports its international tour, helping bring its performances to audiences across the globe. The partnership builds on BofA’s long-term support for the arts, while reinforcing its commitment to cultural engagement in Singapore.
Martin Siah, Singapore Country Head of Bank of America, says BofA’s commitment to the arts goes far beyond financial returns, focusing not only on cultural preservation and public accessibility but also on “the investment in local communities and society”.
BofA has been in Singapore for longer than the country’s 60 years of independence. It opened its first office at Raffles Place in 1955. “This will be our 71st year here,” says Siah. He notes that the bank’s strategy has always been long-term and sustainable, and that since the Republic’s early years of independence, it has played a foundational role in its growth into a global financial centre. Singapore remains a key hub for BofA in Asia-Pacific and a gateway to Southeast Asia.
Leading supporter of the arts
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When Neha heard that The Royal Ballet was considering an international tour, she reached out to Siah to secure his support. “It took me two seconds to say yes,” he says. He is a noted supporter of the arts and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. Neha also secured approval from his counterpart in Japan, leading to The Royal Ballet’s performances there in July.
When asked if The Royal Ballet will tour other countries in Asia-Pacific, Neha said the company will focus on Singapore and Japan this year, with further plans to be reviewed in due course.
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Art conservation project
One of BofA’s flagship arts initiatives is the Art Conservation Project™. Launched in 2010, the global programme has supported the restoration of culturally significant works worldwide. Grants are awarded to non-profit institutions to preserve at-risk masterpieces.
One work restored through the Art Conservation Project™ is Gibbons (1977), an ink work by Chinese-born Singaporean artist Chen Wen Hsi. After nearly a year of restoration, the piece has been returned to its original vibrancy and is now on public display at the National Gallery Singapore. Siah also notes that two of Chen’s red gibbons appear on the back of Singapore’s $50 note.
Since its inception, the programme has funded the preservation of more than 15,000 objects across 40 countries, ranging from Chinese ink masterpieces to European Renaissance works. A core condition of the grants is that the works remain on public display, reflecting BofA’s emphasis on accessibility.
Art in our communities
Another key initiative is Art in Our Communities, through which BofA makes exhibitions from its corporate art collection available free of charge to museums and non-profit cultural institutions.
Since its launch in 2008, BofA has shared its exhibitions more than 175 times with cultural institutions worldwide. Siah also notes that the bank displays works from its art collection in its offices, creating a more welcoming atmosphere for employees and clients.
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The gala in Singapore will feature classical and contemporary works from The Royal Ballet repertoire, offering a rare opportunity to see many of its Principal dancers on stage. Across four performances at the Esplanade, audiences can expect a full-scale programme.
Keeping the classics alive
Options speaks to Kevin O’Hare, Director of The Royal Ballet, about returning to Singapore and Japan, keeping the company fresh for modern audiences and why this gala promises an unforgettable evening for dance lovers.
Options: Audiences in Singapore are eagerly anticipating your arrival. What does it mean for The Royal Ballet to tour here, and how does a partnership with Bank of America support and shape this journey?
Kevin O’Hare: It’s been over 20 years since The Royal Ballet last visited Singapore, so it means a great deal to be back — especially with a gala programme that pairs beloved classics with contemporary work. Touring is central to who we are: it allows us to share our world-class artistry with audiences around the world and to keep ballet truly international.
Bank of America’s support as our Official Touring Partner is crucial to making that possible at scale, and it also helps us go beyond the stage — through workshops and access events that welcome new audiences and ensure that learnings and appreciation of the performance are felt long after we’ve left.
What possibilities does this partnership unlock — in terms of production scale, outreach or artistic ambition?
Creatively, the partnership gives us the freedom to think bigger — about the scale of what we bring on tour, the places we can reach and the breadth of the work we can share. As The Royal Ballet’s Official Touring Partner, Bank of America helps us connect with new audiences internationally and strengthens our presence on the global arts stage.
Just as importantly, it supports a programme of learning and community activity designed to leave a lasting legacy. Through our Learning and Participation team, we’ll work with young people from disadvantaged communities in Asia, giving them opportunities to engage with dance, express themselves, learn and feel inspired. It’s a powerful example of Bank of America and The Royal Ballet and Opera’s shared commitment to cultural enrichment, community engagement and the transformative impact of the arts.
The Royal Ballet is known for its timeless repertoire, yet it continues to feel fresh and relevant. How has the company evolved over the past decade to reflect today’s audiences?
The Royal Ballet is fortunate to have a repertoire that spans heritage classics and contemporary masterpieces — from the works of Frederick Ashton and Kenneth MacMillan to bold new creations. Over the past decade, we’ve continued to evolve by investing in new commissions and collaborations with choreographers who expand what classical ballet can be today.
We’re privileged to have world-leading choreographer Wayne McGregor as our Resident Choreographer — this year marking his 20th anniversary in the role — as well as Christopher Wheeldon as our Artistic Associate. We also work with outstanding artists such as Pam Tanowitz, Crystal Pite, Akram Khan and Cathy Marston, among others.
That mix of protecting tradition while championing new voices keeps the company fresh, relevant and creatively ambitious — and our gala programme reflects that, placing excerpts from Swan Lake and Giselle alongside works by Ashton, MacMillan, McGregor and Wheeldon.
Are audiences responding to different kinds of stories today — and how is that shaping your approach to programming and choreography?
We’re seeing a strong appetite for both the great classical works and new commissions. Many people coming to ballet for the first time want to experience the signature classics — Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker — and those titles can be a wonderful gateway into the art form. Once audiences feel that connection, they’re often more open to exploring different kinds of storytelling, whether that’s a contemporary narrative ballet like Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland or Wayne McGregor’s evocative response to Virginia Woolf in Woolf Works.
That balance is very much reflected in how we programme: we honour the classics while using them to invite audiences towards new voices and new ideas. While more than one million people visit Covent Garden each year, we are more than a physical venue. Across our social platforms, we reach over seven million followers, which allows us to connect in new ways, share the stories behind ballet and opera, and help more people feel that these art forms are for them, shifting perceptions through authentic storytelling.
What are some of the biggest misconceptions about ballet among younger audiences — and how are you working to change that narrative?
There’s sometimes a perception that ballet is elite, expensive, or difficult to follow, but that really isn’t the reality we see. Our audiences span a wide range of ages and backgrounds, and we work hard to make the experience welcoming, whether that’s through affordable ticket offers and targeted initiatives for younger audiences or by providing more context around the work through talks, digital content and behind-the-scenes access.
Twenty- to 30-year-olds are the largest segment of our audience. We’re also reaching people far beyond the theatre: across our social media channels, we connect with over seven million followers, and a significant proportion of that audience is younger, engaging with ballet and opera in ways that feel open, relevant and accessible. Ultimately, dance is a universal language, and our role is to remove any perceived barriers so that anyone curious feels confident taking that first step through the door.
Our free Young RBO scheme for 16- to 25-year-olds has 110,000 members who access 22,000 low-priced tickets to performances each Season, as well as free access to RBO Stream, which enables them to watch over 100 productions and behind-the-scenes features from the comfort of home.
As digital culture reshapes how audiences experience the arts, how is The Royal Ballet rethinking engagement — both on and offstage?
The RBO is rethinking audience engagement by extending its reach far beyond the stage. On stage, its classical tradition is blended with contemporary choreography and immersive design, using cutting-edge digital innovation and theatre craft to create performances that feel relevant to modern audiences.
Offstage, platforms like RBO Stream make productions accessible globally, opening up a rich archive through on-demand viewing. Cinema broadcasts further amplify our reach, with recent seasons screened in more than 1,500 cinemas across over 50 countries, bringing world-class ballet to audiences who may never visit Covent Garden.
Alongside this, The Royal Ballet is broadening its cultural presence through collaborations and storytelling. A fashion partnership with Reiss on a Royal Ballet–inspired collection and a festive collaboration with Sir Paul Smith, who designed the Royal Opera House Christmas tree, show how the brand connects with audiences beyond performance. Social media plays a key role, with over seven million followers engaging with behind-the-scenes content that humanises the art form. Together, these initiatives, supported by technology, are creating a more accessible, creative and culturally connected audience experience.
When you travel and perform in cities like Singapore, how do different cultural perspectives influence the way your work is experienced, and do they ever shape your artistic direction?
Ballet really is a universal language, enjoyed by audiences all over the world. When we tour, we put a lot of thought into our programmes so that each territory gets the very best experience of The Royal Ballet.
The combination of our artistry, our dancers’ performances, and our world‑class production values truly sets us apart. We’re incredibly excited to share that magic with audiences in Singapore and Japan.
As you prepare for your performances at the Esplanade this June, what can audiences look forward to — and what makes this series of gala performances particularly special?
Audiences can expect a real celebration of everything The Royal Ballet does best. The gala programme brings together highlights from across our repertoire, showcasing the breadth of our artistry — from classical favourites to works that reflect the company’s distinctive style and theatrical scale.
It’s a chance to see our dancers at their very best, supported by the world‑class production values that are such a hallmark of The Royal Ballet. And it’s a very special opportunity to see so many of The Royal Ballet’s Principal dancers performing in one gala. What makes these performances particularly special is that they’re designed specifically for touring — thoughtfully curated to give audiences in Singapore a rich and rewarding experience of the company in a single evening.
Also very special about the Singapore Gala is that so many of our Principal dancers are performing. We’re also incredibly grateful for the support of Bank of America, whose partnership helps make occasions like this possible and allows us to bring our work to international audiences at this level.
