Wayne Eagling was born in Montreal, Canada. In 1965, he was discovered by Michael Somes and Gerd Larsen when The Royal Ballet Company was touring the United States. He was invited to complete his ballet training at The Royal Ballet School in London and graduated into the Company in 1969. In 1972 came his first created role, the Brother in Kenneth MacMillan’s “Triad”. In September 1972 he was made soloist and he was promoted to Principal dancer in 1975. He has danced all the major classical roles in the repertoire of The Royal Ballet and worked with choreographers such as Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Sir Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, and Hans van Manen, John Neumeier, Rudolph Nureyev, David Bintley and G. Tetley most who have created roles for him. In 1991 he ended his career as a dancer and became Rudi van Dantzig’s successor as Artistic Director of the Dutch National Ballet for 13 years. Between 2005-2015 he was artistic director of English National Ballet in London. He has been a jury member for many International Ballet competitions as well as chairman of the Seoul International Dance Competition.

Choreographies:
Sleeping Beauty (New National Theatre, Tokyo, 2014)
For the English National Ballet: Resolution (2008), Men Y Men (2009), The Nutcracker (2010), Jeux (2012)
Beauty and the Beast (Kremlin Ballet Company, Moscow, 2012)
Troppo Allegro (Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, 2005)
Thais (Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, 2005)
Yorkshire Ballet Seminars (2005)
Mary Stuart (Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, 2004)
Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival opening gala (2003)
For the Dutch National Ballet: Ruins of Time (1993), Symphony in Waves(1994), Duet (1995), Lost Touch (1995), Holding a Balance (1996), Nutcracker and Mouseking (1996), Magic Flute (1998), Rite of Spring (2000)
The Last Emperor (Hong Kong Ballet, 1997)
Alma Mahler (Teatro Alla Scala, Milan, 1994)
Wall Concert, on the occasion of the demolition of the Berlin Wall (1989)
I want to Break Free, video for the pop group Queen (1989)
Beauty and the Beast (Covent Garden, 1996)
Frankenstein, the Modern Prometheus (Covent Garden, 1985)
R.B.Sque (The Royal Ballet School, 1983)
Senso (Teatro Massimo, Palermo)
Medea (Palladio Theatre, Vicenza)
Pavane (European Television)
Opium, Nijinsky (Teatro San Carlo, Napoli)
Manfred (Ravenna Festival)