Dancer and choreographer Carlos Acosta will assume the role of director of Birmingham Royal Ballet. He'll take over in January 2020, succeeding current Artistic Director David Bintley, who steps down this July.

“My ambition is to build on its classical traditions, to expand its repertoire, and to reach out to new and more diverse audiences,” said Acosta in a statement. “I want to define what it is to be a world-leading classical ballet company in the 21st century.”

His story to the stage is distinct; growing up in a poor neighborhood of Havana as the youngest of 11 children, he stayed out of trouble at the request of his father by enterring ballet school. After graduating from the National Ballet School of Cuba, he went on to perform with several companies around the world. For 17 years, he was a principal at the Royal Ballet in London. He also founded his own company, Acosta Danza.