From the Royal Opera House website:


The Royal Ballet is pleased to announce the following promotions which take effect from the start of the 2006/2007 season.


Sarah Lamb is promoted to Principal from First Soloist

Thiago Soares is promoted to Principal. from First Soloist


Lauren Cuthbertson is promoted to First Soloist from Soloist

Valeri Hristov is promoted to First Soloist from Soloist

Rupert Pennefather is promoted to First Soloist from Soloist


Hikaru Kobayashi is promoted to Soloist from First Artist

Samantha Raine is promoted to Soloist from First Artist

Steven McRae is promoted to Soloist from First Artist


Zachary Faruque is promoted to First Artist from Artist

Yuhui Choe is promoted to First Artist from Artist


Eric Underwood will join the Company from American Ballet Theater as First Artist in August 2006.


Born in Washington, D. C., he trained at the Suitland High School for the Arts under Barbara Marks. At 14, he continued his studies with Barbara Marks and Dance Theatre of Harlem instructors, including Frederic Franklin and Arthur Mitchell. He also studied as a scholarship student at the School of American Ballet under Stanley Williams, Peter Boal and Suki Schorer. He performed in the 1998 and 1999 School of American Ballet workshops as well as Suzanne Farrell's 'Summer Intensive' at the Kennedy Center.



He joined Dance Theatre of Harlem in 1999 and was promoted to soloist in 2002. At DTH, his repertory included Le Corsaire and The Four Temperaments. Prior to joining Dance Theatre of Harlem, he danced with Pacific Northwest Ballet, where he danced Balanchine's Chaconne and Kevin Oday's Sound Around Dance. Underwood joined American Ballet Theatre as a member of the corps de ballet in August 2003. His repertory with ABT includes the Arabian dance in The Nutcracker, the Spanish Dance in Swan Lake, a leading role in workwithinwork and a featured role in Within You Without You: A Tribute to George Harrison, as well as roles in all the full-length ballets



Venus Villa (Artist) has left the Company to join English National Ballet.