Robert de Warren was appointed artistic director of the Northern Ballet in 1976 which he renamed the Northern Ballet Theatre.
Robert de Warren is a British former ballet dancer, choreographer and artistic director of Northern Ballet for 11 years, and Sarasota Ballet of Florida for 13 years. De Warren was artistic director of Northern Ballet from 1976 to 1987, and under his leadership, Rudolf Nureyev was a regular guest artist. Northern Ballet, formerly Northern Ballet Theatre, is a dance company based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, with a strong repertoire in theatrical dance productions where the emphasis is on story telling as well as classical ballet. He renamed it Northern Ballet Theatre (NBT) and began to work on full-length classical ballets, rediscovered works and brand new dance-drama creations. 
