| title | choreographer | composer | company | venue | date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suite of Dances | Jerome Robbins | Leonard Bernstein | New York City Ballet | New York State Theater | January 17 |
| Gloria | Kenneth MacMillan | Francis Poulenc | Royal Ballet | Royal Opera House | March 13 |
| Walpurgisnacht | George Balanchine | Charles Gounod | New York State Theater | May 15 | |
| The Seagull | Maya Plisetskaya | Rodion Shchedrin | Bolshoi Ballet | Bolshoi Theatre | May 27 |
| Robert Schumann's Davidsbündlertänze | George Balanchine | Robert Schumann | New York City Ballet | New York State Theater | June 19 |
| Rhapsody | Frederick Ashton | Sergei Rachmaninoff | The Royal Ballet | Royal Opera House | August 4 |
| Preceded by 1979 | 1980 ballet premieres | Succeeded by 1981 |