Presenting a broad repertoire, it has been funded by the Arts Council of Ireland since 1999 and is under the sole patronage of Irish President Michael D. Higgins since 2013.
[1] However, following a series of funding cuts, the company was disbanded in 1989 and doubt was expressed whether classical ballet could survive in Ireland.
[6] Since then, the company has presented over 30 seasons of work and is also involved in educational programmes such as professional workshops and summer schools.
[5] Once fully established, it started to take works on tour, for example, a production of Giselle from 2017,[14] performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2018 which The Guardian called "part modern murder mystery, part romantic ballet classic"[15] and Anna Winter in The Stage described as a "full-blooded re-imagining staged with zeal".
[16] The company has also extended its range of works to include contemporary dance and reinterpretations of classic ballets.