DancersMelissa Hamilton
Principal
Melissa Hamilton
Classical BalletNeoclassical BalletNarrative BalletMixed Repertoire
Training
- Jennifer Bullick School of Dance, Lisburn
- Elmhurst Ballet School, Birmingham
- Royal Ballet Upper School (coaching, Athens with Masha Mukhamedov)
Repertoire
- Juliet in Romeo and Juliet
- Manon (title role)
- Mary Vetsera in Mayerling
- Odette/Odile in Swan Lake
- Nikiya in La Bayadère
- Olga in Onegin
- Toby in MADDADDAM (European premiere)
Promotions
- 2007Artist
- 2009First Artist
- 2010Soloist
- 2013First Soloist
- 2025Principal
Awards
- 2007Youth America Grand Prix Gold Medal — YAGP
- 2009Outstanding Female Performance (Classical) — Critics' Circle National Dance Awards
- 2011Gold Medal — Eighth International Seoul Ballet Competition
Biography
Melissa Hamilton is a Northern Irish Principal of The Royal Ballet, promoted in January 2025 after a career spanning nearly two decades with the company. Born in Belfast, she trained at Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham before joining the Royal Ballet in 2007.
Hamilton is celebrated for her exceptional range across the MacMillan, McGregor, and Balanchine repertoires. Her signature roles include Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Manon, and Mary Vetsera in Mayerling. A long-standing collaborator of Wayne McGregor, she originated roles in Infra, Limen, Woolf Works, and the European premiere of MADDADDAM. She spent 2015–2017 as Principal at Semperoper Ballett in Dresden before returning to London.
Performances
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