Since 1950, when her Miss Julie had its première, Birgit Cullberg has exerted strong influence over contemporary Swedish and foreign ballet. Over the years, Miss Julie has become one of the world's most widely danced works. During the 1960s, with her personal, passionate and often humorous style, Birgit Cullberg made an extensive career for herself outside Sweden. In 1967 she founded the present Cullberg Ballet under the head organisation Riksteatern, with eight handpicked international dancers, of who three were Swedes.

In the 1970s Mats Ek entered the dance world and created, for the Cullberg Ballet, such powerful and socially committed works as Soweto and Bernarda. In the following decade, he concentrated on pioneering new versions of the old classics Giselle and Swan Lake. During the 1990s, Mats Ek's creations have included the Emmy awarded Carmen for the Cullberg Ballet. Birgit Cullberg (1967-85) and Mats Ek (1985-93) were the artistic directors of the Cullberg Ballet for a total of 26 years. With their outstanding works, they have set their personal stamp on the company, making it one of the world's foremost ensembles. When Mats Ek stepped down as artistic director of the Cullberg Ballet in 1993, Carolyn Carlson, who created the full-evening performance Sub Rosa for the ensemble, took over the position for a two-year period.

From 1995 to July 2003 the artistic management was shared between Lena Wennergren-Juras and Margareta Lidström.

Lena Wennergren-Juras has been a part of the Cullberg Ballet since its foundation in 1967. She has collaborated closely with Birgit Cullberg, who created leading roles especially for her. When Lena retired as a dancer her collaboration with Mats Ek developed and she came to work full time as his rehearsal assistant. She started staging Ek's choreographies, not only for the Cullberg Ballet, but also for other companies in Sweden as well as abroad.

Margareta Lidström was engaged at the Royal Swedish Ballet in 1973 and in 1978 she became a soloist. She was appointed première dancer in 1987. Margareta joined the Cullberg Ballet in 1992 as rehearsal assistant for among others Carolyn Carlson, Mats Ek and Ohad Naharin.