David Bintley

David Bintley CBE (born 1957 in Huddersfield) is a British choreographer and former Artistic Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet (1995–2019), where he significantly expanded the company's repertoire and international reach. He trained at the Royal Ballet School and joined Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet as a dancer in 1976, quickly establishing himself as a choreographer within the company. His work ranges from full-evening narrative ballets to shorter abstract pieces, and is characterised by wit, theatrical invention, and strong musical intelligence. Among his most celebrated works are Still Life at the Penguin Café (1988) for The Royal Ballet — an ecological fable deploying endangered species as cabaret characters — and Edward II (1995) for Stuttgart Ballet. He was awarded the CBE in 2012 for services to dance.