Sir Alistair Spalding is Artistic Director and Co-Chief Executive of Sadler’s Wells, a role he has held since 2004.

Sadler’s Wells has become a world leader in contemporary dance under the leadership of Spalding and co-Chief Executive Britannia Morton. With four London theatres, a digital platform and productions that tour up and down the country and globally, Sadler’s Wells presents a highly ambitious programme of cutting-edge dance and high quality entertainment. It creates bold new productions and hosts world class international companies and artists including Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan and Rosas.

Spalding has driven the production of more than 130 shows, which have been seen at Sadler’s Wells and at venues nationally and across the world. Celebrated productions include Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s Sutra, Crystal Pite’s Polaris, William Forsythe’s A Quiet Evening of Dance, and Kate Prince and Sting’s Message in a Bottle. On Sadler’s Wells Digital Stage, works include Sadler’s Wells’ production of Pina Bausch’s The Rite of Spring featuring African dancers, filmed on a beach in Senegal at sunset, for Dancing at Dusk.

In 2012 Spalding announced his ambition for a new venue for Sadler’s Wells, to support artists and the creation of new work, and widen access to dance. Sadler’s Wells East opened in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, east London, in February 2025. The building is home to a 550-seat flexible theatre, two educational facilities: the UK’s first hip hop theatre school, Academy Breakin' Convention and the Rose Choreographic School, six state-of-the-art dance studios, and a large open foyer with a public performance space, The Dance Floor, for free workshops and dance classes.

Spalding’s career began at the Hawth Theatre, Crawley. He was Head of Dance and Performance at the Southbank Centre in London from 1994 – 2000. He has led programming at Sadler’s Wells since February 2000 when he joined as Director of Programming, before becoming Artistic Director and Chief Executive in October 2004.

As well as accolades for Sadler’s Wells productions, Spalding’s personal awards and recognitions include being appointed as a national member of the Arts Council of England Board in January 2009. He was a member of the Arts Council England Dance Advisory Panel between 1995 and 2003. He was awarded Le Chevalier des Artes et Lettres by the French Embassy in October 2005. In 2012 he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the Queen’s Birthday honours list and he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Middlesex University. He Received a Lifetime Achievement Award for from the International Performing Arts Society in 2019. He was knighted in the 2022 New Year’s honours list for services to dance.