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Checkmate (Bliss)
''Checkmate'' is a one act ballet created by the choreographer Ninette de Valois and composer Arthur Bliss. The idea for the ballet was proposed by Bliss, and subsequently produced by de Valois for the Vic-Wells Ballet. It was first performed on 15 June 1937 at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Paris. ''Checkmate'' is widely regarded as de Valois' signature ballet and a cornerstone of the British ballet repertoire, being performed regularly by the Royal Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet. Overview After World War I, Bliss developed an interest in ballet, after seeing the Ballets Russes of Sergei Diaghilev in London. Bliss composed ''Checkmate'' for the Vic-Wells Ballet (later the Sadler's Wells Ballet), who produced the first performance at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in 1937. Constant Lambert conducted the Orchestre Lamoureux, and the premiere dancers included the following: * June Brae (Black Queen) * Harold Turner (Red Knight) * Michael Somes (Black Knight) * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ninette De Valois
Dame Ninette de Valois (born Edris Stannus; 6 June 1898 – 8 March 2001) was an Irish-born British dancer, teacher, choreographer, and director of classical ballet. Most notably, she danced professionally with Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, later establishing the Royal Ballet, one of the foremost ballet companies of the 20th century and one of the leading ballet companies in the world. She also established the Royal Ballet School and the touring company which became the Birmingham Royal Ballet. She is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of ballet and as the "godmother" of English and Irish ballet. Life Early life and family Ninette de Valois was born as Edris Stannus on 6 June 1898 at Baltyboys House, an 18th-century manor house near the town of Blessington, County Wicklow, Ireland, then still part of the United Kingdom. A member of a gentry family, she was the second daughter of Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Stannus DSO,Montgomery-Mass ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Harold Turner (dancer)
Harold Turner (2 December 1909 – 2 July 1962) was an English ballet dancer, teacher, and ballet master. Widely recognized as "modern British ballet's first male virtuoso," he had an illustrious career as a principal dancer, after which he continued to perform in character roles. He is acknowledged as a key figure in British dance history. Early life and training Harold Turner was born in Manchester, in northwestern England. The son of Edward Harold Turner and Laura (Greenwood) Turner, he was raised in a cultured, musical household. His father was a viola player with the Hallé Orchestra, based in Manchester, and with the London Symphony Orchestra. His mother, who had interests in the performing arts, supported his decision to begin ballet training in 1925 at the relatively late age of 16. He studied first with Alfred Haines in Manchester. Blessed with a lithe, muscular physique and innate musicality, he quickly showed an aptitude for classical ballet. He made his profess ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) ( gd, Orcastra Nàiseanta Rìoghail na h-Alba) is a British orchestra, based in Glasgow, Scotland. It is one of the five national performing arts companies of Scotland. Throughout its history, the Orchestra has played an essential part in Scotland’s musical life, including performing at the opening ceremony of the Scottish Parliament building in 2004. Its music centre and rehearsal studios are directly connected to the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. The RSNO performs throughout Scotland, at such venues as Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Usher Hall, Caird Hall, Aberdeen Music Hall, Perth Concert Hall and Eden Court Theatre. Thomas Søndergård is the orchestra's current music director, since 2018. History The precursor ensemble to the RSNO was established in 1843 to accompany the Glasgow Choral Union (today known as the RSNO Chorus). In 1891, the orchestra was recognised formally as the ''Scottish Orchestra'', with George Henschel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Sinfonia Of London
Sinfonia of London is a session orchestra based in London, England, and conducted by John Wilson. The current orchestra is the third of three distinct ensembles of this name. The original Sinfonia of London was founded in 1955 by Gordon Walker, an eminent flautist of his time, specifically for the recording of film music. The orchestra came into being when there was a split in the future direction of the London Symphony Orchestra, many LSO players leaving to join the Sinfonia of London in order to undertake the more lucrative film soundtrack work. The orchestra appeared in the musical credits of many British and American films of the 1950s and '60s, including the 1958 soundtrack for the Alfred Hitchcock thriller ''Vertigo'' with Bernard Herrmann's score conducted by Muir Mathieson for Mercury Records and, in 1961, the soundtrack of the horror film '' Gorgo''. Among the original ensemble's most celebrated commercial classical recordings are the first recording made by Colin D ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Barry Wordsworth
Barry Wordsworth (born 20 February 1948, Worcester Park, Surrey, U.K.) is a British conductor. Wordsworth is Principal Guest Conductor of the Royal Ballet and has had a long relationship with company. He was first appointed as Assistant Conductor to the company's touring orchestra in 1972. In 1973 he became Principal Conductor of the Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet and served as Music Director of the Royal Ballet from 1990 to 1995, and again from 2006 to 2015, after an intervening position with Birmingham Royal Ballet. From 1989 to 2006 he was principal conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra, becoming conductor laureate in 2006. Since 1989 he has been Music Director and the Principal Conductor of the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO). In March 2007 at Brighton, Wordsworth caused controversy when he refused to conduct Andrew Gant's new composition ''A British Symphony'' the day of its scheduled premiere. Wordsworth's discography includes works by lesser-known British compos ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Royal Ballet Sinfonia
The Royal Ballet Sinfonia is the orchestra of Birmingham Royal Ballet. The Sinfonia appears with Birmingham Royal Ballet in its home town, in London and around the UK, and frequently appears with The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House and on tour. It is the most regularly contracted ballet orchestra in the country, and appears and tours with many different ballet companies. In 2006 the Sinfonia entered the UK Singles Chart at number 29 with a new recording of the Radio 4 UK Theme The ''BBC Radio 4 UK Theme'' is an orchestral arrangement of traditional British and Irish airs compiled by Fritz Spiegl and arranged by Manfred Arlan. It was played every morning on BBC Radio 4 between 23 November 1978 and 23 April 2006. Th .... External links Official site [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet
Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB) is one of the five major ballet companies of the United Kingdom, alongside The Royal Ballet, the English National Ballet, Northern Ballet and Scottish Ballet. Founded as the Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet, the company was established in 1946 as a sister company to the earlier Sadler's Wells company, which moved to the Royal Opera House that same year, subsequently becoming known as The Royal Ballet. The new company was formed under the direction of John Field and remained at Sadler's Wells for many years, becoming known as the Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet in 1977. It also toured the UK and abroad, before relocating to Birmingham in 1990, where it uses the Birmingham Hippodrome stage when performing in the city. Birmingham Royal Ballet has extensive custom-built facilities, including a suite of dance studios, the ''Jerwood Centre for the Prevention and Treatment of Dance Injuries'' and a studio theatre known as the '' Patrick Centre''. In 1997, the Bi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Corder
Michael Corder (born 17 March 1955) is a British choreographer and director. Corder trained at the Royal Ballet School and joined the Royal Ballet itself in 1973. References British choreographers British male ballet dancers 1955 births Place of birth missing (living people) Living people 20th-century British ballet dancers 21st-century British ballet dancers {{ballet-bio-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David Bintley
Sir David Julian Bintley (born 17 September 1957) is an English former ballet dancer, the artistic director of the Birmingham Royal Ballet, and co-artistic director of the New National Theatre Tokyo ballet company. Early life Bintley was born in Huddersfield, England. He trained professionally in classical ballet at the Royal Ballet School in London. While training at the school, some of his choreography was seen by Sir Frederick Ashton, founder choreographer and artistic director of The Royal Ballet. Career In 1976, Bintley was offered a contract to dance with the Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet, now the Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB). He received his first commission as a choreographer in 1978, creating the ballet ''The Outsider'' for that company. Later in 1985, he was appointed resident choreographer of The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. He has subsequently created numerous works for the Royal Ballet, the BRB and as an international guest choreograp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Annabel Farjeon
Eve Annabel Farjeon (19 March 1919 – 8 February 2004) was a British ballerina and author. She was born on 19 March 1919, in Bucklebury, Berkshire, the daughter of the critic Herbert Farjeon and the artist Joan Farjeon. She began learning ballet aged eleven, and went on to dance with the Vic-Wells Ballet and then the Sadler's Wells Ballet. Farjeon was also a critic, sometimes writing under the name Sarah Jefferson. Created roles *'' Checkmate'', a Pawn (Ninette de Valois, 1937) *''The Wise Virgins ''The Wise Virgins'' is a one-act ballet based on the biblical Parable of the Ten Virgins.Vaughan D. ''Frederick Ashton and his Ballets.'' A & C Black Ltd, London, 1977. It was created in 1940 with choreography by Frederick Ashton, to a score of m ...'', the Mother ( Frederick Ashton, 1940) List of selected publications * References 1919 births 2004 deaths English ballerinas English critics English Jews Annabel 20th-century pseudonymous writers Pseudonymous ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Margot Fonteyn
Dame Margaret Evelyn de Arias DBE (''née'' Hookham; 18 May 191921 February 1991), known by the stage name Margot Fonteyn, was an English ballerina. She spent her entire career as a dancer with the Royal Ballet (formerly the Sadler's Wells Theatre Company), eventually being appointed '' prima ballerina assoluta'' of the company by Queen Elizabeth II. Beginning ballet lessons at the age of four, she studied in England and China, where her father was transferred for his work. Her training in Shanghai was with Russian expatriate dancer Georgy Goncharov, contributing to her continuing interest in Russian ballet. Returning to London at the age of 14, she was invited to join the Vic-Wells Ballet School by Ninette de Valois. She succeeded Alicia Markova as prima ballerina of the company in 1935. The Vic-Wells choreographer, Sir Frederick Ashton, wrote numerous parts for Fonteyn and her partner, Robert Helpmann, with whom she danced from the 1930s to the 1940s. In 1946, the comp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pamela May
Pamela May OBE (30 May 1917 – 6 June 2005) was a Trinidad-born British dancer and teacher of classical ballet. Most noted as one of the earliest members of The Royal Ballet, she was regarded as a versatile dancer; dancing all the established 19th-century classical repertoire, and creating roles in new ballets by Ninette de Valois and Frederick Ashton. After retiring from professional ballet, she became a teacher at the Royal Ballet School, and also served as vice-president of the Royal Academy of Dance. Biography Pamela May was born Doris May, in the city of San Fernando, Trinidad, on 30 May 1917. Her parents were British, but had moved to the Caribbean for the purposes of her father's work as an oil engineer. The family returned to London when May was four-years-old. May began studying ballet with Freda Grant. At the age of 16, she progressed to the Sadler's Wells Ballet School, where she studied under the direction of Ninette de Valois. A year later in 1934, she made her ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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