Christopher Powney has danced with Northern Ballet, English National Ballet and Rambert Dance Company. He performed and created many roles and worked with numerous prominent choreographers and artists, among them Christopher Gable, Lynn Seymour, Gillian Lynne, Ivan Nagy, Rudolf Nureyev, Glen Tetley, Ohad Naharin, Kim Brandstrup, Christopher Bruce and Jiří Kylián.

During his dancing career, Christopher began to turn his focus toward teaching and qualified with The Royal Ballet School’s Professional Dancers Teachers’ Course.

He started to teach when he became Assistant Artistic Director of Central School of Ballet’s graduate touring company. After this, in 2000 he joined the faculty of The Royal Ballet School, teaching 2nd Year boys at the Upper School. He then moved abroad in 2006 to take up the position of Graduate Teacher with the dance department of the Royal Conservatoire, The Hague. In September 2010 Christopher was appointed Artistic Director of the Dutch National Ballet Academy. Under his direction, the Academy underwent a huge transformation, raising the standards and it’s international reputation and helping it to be recognised as a partner school of the Prix de Lausanne. As well Christopher co-founded The Dutch National Ballet Junior Company and founded the Amsterdam International Summer School.

In September 2014 Christopher took up the position of Artistic Director of The Royal Ballet School, London and in 2022 he was made Artistic Director & CEO. During his ten-year directorship Christopher’s impact was most apparent in the significant transformation of the student experience at the School – new approaches to artistic teaching, studio culture, and the development and introduction of the world-leading Healthy Dancer programme to offer greater physical, emotional and mental health, nutritional education and support for students. Christopher also directed a significant expansion of the School’s Training & Access programmes, widening access to ballet education to many more students and raising teaching standards across the sector. This includes the growth of the Associate Programme nationally, the growth of Intensive Courses both nationally and internationally. His steadfast leadership was instrumental in navigating the School through the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath.

Christopher teaches internationally extensively, mentors and supports leaders in dance training and participates as a jury member at many international competitions including the Prix de Lausanne and Youth America Grand Prix. In 2022 he became a member of the Windsor Leadership Alumni network and has completed leadership courses through Harvard.