Federico Bonelli

Federico Bonelli became Artistic Director of Northern Ballet in May 2022, before this he was a Principal of the Royal Ballet where he had danced since 2003.

Federico was born in Genoa and grew up in Casale Monferrato, he trained locally and at the Turin Dance Academy. His awards include first prize at the Rieti International Ballet Competition and a Prix de Lausanne scholarship. He joined Zürich Ballet in 1996, promoted to Soloist in 1997. He joined Dutch National Ballet in 1999, promoted to Principal in 2002 before joining The Royal Ballet where he danced and created numerous roles until retiring as a Principal dancer to take up the role at Northern Ballet.

Since joining Northern Ballet, Federico has programmed work that celebrates the Company’s rich history and has brought new voices and perspectives to the stage. Federico’s first commission for the main stage, Gentleman Jack, a co-production with Finnish National Opera and Ballet, toured in 2026 to critical acclaim and rave audience reviews. Having won the FEDORA – Van Cleef & Arpels Prize for Ballet 2025, Gentleman Jack made a splash across the world, with major features about the ballet in The New York Times and The Guardian. As well as bringing together a stellar creative team led by choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Federico also engaged the local LGBTQ+ community in the production, understanding the importance of bringing Anne Lister’s story to life.

Landmark revivals include Christopher Gable and Massimo Moricone’s Romeo & Juliet and A Christmas Carol which both received high audience and critical acclaim in 2024. New commissions for the Company’s popular Three Short Ballets series have included works by Tiler Peck, Mthuthuzeli November, Kristen McNally and Benjamin Ella, alongside stagings of masterpieces by Hans van Manen and Rudi van Dantzig. In his tenure so far Federico has also commissioned two new ballets for children, Hansel & Gretel (2025) and Robin Hood (2027). Choreographed by Northern Ballet company dancers, these short works created especially for young people give many children their first opportunity to experience ballet.

Federico’s next full-length commission for Northern Ballet is a new Swan Lake from choreographer Rachel Beaujean. A co-production with Ballet de l’Opéra National de Bordeaux, this retelling will stay true to Swan Lake’s classical heritage and dramatic power but give Odette back her voice in a world that tries to deny her.

Alongside this, Federico works to broaden the range of stories represented on the ballet stage and to champion inclusivity in classical ballet. Under Federico dancers from Northern Ballet’s Ability, a programme for dancers with additional learning support needs, have performed on the main stage at Leeds Grand Theatre with the Company, and the 2024 Three Short Ballets programme saw the first inclusive piece of dance featured in that programme. Federico has also worked closely with colleagues at the Academy of Northern Ballet to launch the first MA in Classical Ballet Performance, with the first cohort of students completing the course in 2027.

Photo: Emily Nuttall