Chelsea Ballet was formed in September 1967 by Thelma Litster, former soloist with the Ballet Rambert, following the demise of the Masque Ballet Club. The group was affiliated to the Chelsea-Westminster Adult Education Institute and later to the Fulham-Chelsea Adult Education Institute.

Until the demise of the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) in 1990, Chelsea Ballet was involved with many Opera productions with the companies: Opera Viva, Abbey Opera, Beautfort Opera, South Bank Opera and Witham Opera Society. Combined performances given by all dance groups with the Chelsea-Westminster Adult Education Institute (AEI) and Fulham – Chelsea Westminster AEI organised by Thelma. Chelsea Ballet performed at Bishops Park, Fulham, Pymms Park, Littlehampton, Woking, Grays, Basildon, St Albans, Harlow and even as far as Tadcaster in North Yorkshire on three occasions. After the ILEA was disbanded, members of Chelsea Ballet convinced Thelma to continue running the group. She agreed but on condition that everyone helped with putting on productions now that the group had become independent and self-supporting. Since that time and being a determined group of people, Chelsea Ballet has survived, grown in strength, confidence and reputation.

Each December for the last ten years, the company has staged a production at Queen Charlotte Hall. Performances have included ‘Coppelia’, ‘The Nutcracker’, ‘The Yellow Dwarf’, ‘Rumplestiltskin’, ‘The Snow Maiden’, ‘The Sleeping Beauty’ and ‘Giselle’.
Music has also been specially written for ‘The River’, ‘Us’, ‘The Balance of Nature’, ‘Chelsea Charivari’ and ‘Rumplestiltskin’. The latter was quite an exciting project as the music was specially written for Chelsea Ballet by Natalia Rusu-Kozulina from St Petersburg. She flew to the UK to attend all the performances in 1997 at the Queen Charlotte Hall
Chelsea Ballet has been involved with many charity performances including an appearance at the London Palladium in 1997 for the Rainbow Charity.

We are not a full time group. Everyone involved has their own day job from secretary, administrator and translator to seamstress, full-time mum, IT consultant and chemist, to name just a few – but everyone helps put on productions, whether on stage or behind the scenes. We do not audition but welcome people with a passionate interest in dance and who have at least elementary standard of ballet and girls with experience of pointework. However, at present there is a waiting list for new members to take part in performances. We regret that we are unable to accept full-time dance students.

One of Chelsea Ballet’s objectives is to take the enjoyment of ballet to those who are not in a position to attend performances in the theatre. Over the years we have visited a number of institutions such as the Royal Marsden Hospital, Great Ormond Street Hospital, the Royal Hospital for Neurological Disability and residential homes including the Royal Star and Garter Home on Richmond Hill.

Sadly, after a brave battle with Cancer, Thelma died on 24th May 2002. At that time, Louise was unsure whether Chelsea Ballet should carry on but she decided that it would have been Thelma's wish for Chelsea Ballet to continue and Louise is delighted to carry on with Thelma's legacy. Over the past year, many new members who did not have the opportunity to meet Thelma, have joined and it is Louise's intention that her memory is kept alive and that people are aware of her vision and inspiration. Our performances of Sleeping Beauty in December 2002 where performed in her memory. It had been one of Thelma’s wishes to produce ‘Giselle’ and in December 2003, Chelsea Ballet fulfilled that wish with four successful performances in Richmond.

Chelsea Ballet is pleased to continue the association with the Harlow Ballet Association and welcome HBA Director - Michael Branwell, to teach on a regular basis.

Non-dancers are very welcome to help with costumes, props, backcloths and sets. We also welcome help with running of shows both backstage and front of house.

In December 2005, Gary Avis, Principal Character Artist and Assistant Ballt Master of the Royal Ballet, accepted our invitation to be Chelsea Ballet's first patron. We are grateful to Monica Mason, Director of the Royal Ballet, for permitting Gary to accept this invitation.

Chelsea Celebrated its 40th Anniversary in 2007.