Exterior shots of Royal Opera House at Covent Garden (daylight). C/U of sign outside reading 'Royal Opera House'.
Commentator talks of the Royal Ballet company touring the United States of America. Several shots of people putting costumes on rails outside the theatre to be packed up. Tour seems of The Sleeping Beauty amongst other ballets.
Inside the Royal Ballet School we see star dancers Antoinette Sibley and Anthony Dowell rehearsing. She wears a tutu and he wears tights and a striped tunic. Royal Ballet assistant director Michael Somes looks on. Back at Covent Garden we see scenery and costumes being loaded onto trucks. Back in the rehearsal room we see Dowell and Sibley going through the choreography for 'Grand Pas de Deux' from The Sleeping Beauty with piano accompaniment.
M/S of Sir Frederick Ashton, Director of the Royal Ballet and two girls coming out of the Royal Ballet School. General view of the company on a coach on their way to the airport. At the airport we see soloist ballerinas Vergie Derman and Ann Jenner boarding the charter jet plane, followed by principal Merle Park and Ashton. A female dancer Svetlana Beriosova, then Antoinette Sibley and Anthony Dowell. L/S of the plane taking off.
jamied says
"Michael Soames" should read Michael Somes.
"choreography for 'The Dance of the Dollies" - I don't know where the commentator's got that from, that's the Pas de Deux.
"Virgie Durnan" should read Vergie Derman.
British Pathé says
Thanks jamied. We've also had a very helpful email about this clip correcting us. So thank you both!