International Ballet was a British ballet company that operated, with great success, between 1941 and 1953. Its director throughout its existence was Mona Inglesby, who was also its principal ballerina. Although it was Britain's largest ballet company during the war years, and performed to an audience of between one and two million in wartime Britain and between ten and twenty million in its twelve-year life, its contribution to the growth of British ballet has been largely overshadowedby that of the other four ballet companies that were operating in 1953. all state subsidised, and are still operating; Sadler's Wells Ballet (now the Royal Ballet), Ballet Rambert (now the Rambert Dance Company), Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet now Birmingham Royal Ballet), and the newly formed Festival Ballet