It would be hard to do justice to the history of the Royal Ballet School and its White Lodge home if you had infinite space and unlimited funds.

That Orleans House Gallery in Twickenham can manage it gives an indication of the range of exhibits on display.

White Lodge: 50 years of the Royal Ballet School is being held at the Riverside gallery until May 6 and encapsulates the history of the lodge, stretching back almost 300 years.

The main focus is on the school and as such the standout exhibits are from some of its world-famous alumni.

A make-up case and travel bag from the personal collection of Dame Margot Fonteyne give a personal insight into the woman considered the greatest ballerina of her time.

And the intricate stitching and patterns on a dress she wore in a 1958 ballet has to be seen.

A 1903 wig worn by Russian icon Anna Pavlova, part of the same centrepiece, really draws the eye, the history of the piece giving it real resonance.

And a portrait of Dame Ninette de Valois, founder of the school, hanging at the end of the main room is both eye-catching and symbolic.

Deliberately placed so it watches over the rest of the exhibition the portrait is almost flawless and captures Dame Ninette as well as any of the photographs spread throughout the room.

Yet the real draw of the exhibition is the hidden gems, the less obvious pieces that emphasise the history of both the school and the lodge.

A 1924 painting of White Lodge is both beautiful and intricate and a photograph from 1894 showing the christening of Prince Edward has both historical and cultural significance.

The upper level is awash with colour, set designs by Lesley Harry, a designer of opera sets, and John Piper, a Richmond School of Art trained painter and set designer, the main focus.

The mix of Harry's fiery colours and Piper's more subtle tones mix brilliantly and although the designs seem impossible to recreate you can't help but be drawn to the work.

With computers portraying the history of the lodge and showing some of the former pupils in action modern technology meets history in an ingenious way and the whole exhibition is brilliantly laid out.

This surely covers a mere fraction of what could have been displayed, but for a short introduction it fits the bill.

Chris Wickham