In 1980 he was appointed resident choreographer with Ballet Rambert, serving as the company's artistic director from 1986 to 1992.
[8] In 2011 Alston created a new ballet en pointe, A Rugged Flourish, for New York Theatre Ballet[9] Alston was made an honorary Doctor of Philosophy (Dance) at the University of Surrey in 1992 and in 2003 he received an honorary MA from University College Chichester.
In 2002 the BBC commissioned Alston to choreograph excerpts from The Rite of Spring for their Masterworks series, directed by Jonathan Haswell.
In Autumn 2003, Martin Lawrance's Grey Allegro was introduced into the repertoire – the first time another choreographer's work has been performed by the company.
In March 2020 Richard Alston Dance Company ceased activity in line with new priorities for touring, agreed between The Place and Arts Council England.