Céline Gittens was born in Trinidad and grew up in Vancouver, Canada. She trained with her mother, Janet Gittens, and at Vancouver’s Goh Ballet Academy. She joined Birmingham Royal Ballet in 2006 and was promoted to Principal in 2016.

In 2005, Céline became the first Canadian to win a Gold Medal at the Royal Academy of Dance’s Fonteyn Competition (London, England) and was awarded the Audience Choice Award. Her notable Principal roles with Birmingham Royal Ballet include Juliet, Odette/Odile, Aurora, Lise, the Sugar Plum Fairy, Swanilda and Giselle. In 2012, Céline made British history as the first black female ballet dancer to perform Odette/Odile in Swan Lake.

In 2011, Céline was invited to Buckingham Palace to celebrate young performers in the arts and had the honour of meeting her late Majesty the Queen. Céline also gained a Master of Philosophy in 2012, from the University of Birmingham. In 2016, Céline performed an excerpt of Act 1 Coppélia, as Swanilda, at Buckingham Palace in the presence of HRH King Charles III. Céline choreographed Jubilate (2023) for the dancers of Birmingham Royal Ballet to celebrate the coronation of King Charles. In 2023, Céline became the International Ambassador for the Royal Academy of Dance and created the Introduction to Dance Scholarship, which aims to assist Royal Academy of Dance teachers in introducing and supporting new dancers to this wonderful art form. 

Céline is committed to pursuing her passion for teaching. She has held masterclasses in conjunction with the Vancouver Ballet Society (Canada), taught masterclasses for the Royal Academy of Dance (U.K and Canada), Elmhurst Ballet School summer school (U.K) and the Goh Ballet summer school. She was an Artistic Examiner for the Solo Seal (U.K) in 2019 and 2022. She has also been invited to judge assessment classes for The Royal Ballet School, English National Ballet School and Elmhurst Ballet School. She has coached the Principal dancers at Birmingham Royal Ballet for performances of The Nutcracker and has taught company class.