Philip Chatfield (2 December 1927 – 25 July 2021) was a British born ballet dancer, choreographer and artistic director. He danced for the

Royal Ballet The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded in ...

and was artistic director of the

Royal New Zealand Ballet The Royal New Zealand Ballet is a ballet company based in Wellington, New Zealand. It was originally known as The New Zealand Ballet Company. History New Zealand Ballet was established in 1953 as an independent charitable trust by Royal Danish ...

Early life

Chatfield was born in 1927 near

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...

, England, starting ballet at the age of six. He took up a scholarship to the

Sadler's Wells Ballet School The Royal Ballet School is a British school of classical ballet training founded in 1926 by the Anglo-Irish ballerina and choreographer Ninette de Valois. The school's aim is to train and educate outstanding classical ballet dancers, especiall ...

at the age of 11.

Career

Chatfield became a full-time member at Sadler's Wells (later the Royal Ballet) at the age of 15 in 1943. He became a principal dancer in 1955. He performed leading and solo roles. In 1958–1959 Chatfield toured in Europe, America, New Zealand and Australia with his ballet dancer wife, New Zealander

Rowena Jackson Rowena Othlie Jackson (also known as Chatfield; born 24 March 1926) is a New Zealand former prima ballerina. Early life Jackson was born in Invercargill on 24 March 1926 to William Ernest Jackson and Lilian Jane, née Solomon. As a young chil ...

. In 1959 Chatfield and Jackson retired from performing and left London to settle in New Zealand. That year, with other dancers such as

Russell Kerr Russell Whiston Kerr (1 February 1921 – 15 November 1983), was an Australian-born British Labour Party politician. Early life Kerr was born in Sydney, and was educated at the Shore School, the Sydney Church of England Grammar School, and Sy ...

and

Poul Gnatt Poul Rudolph Gnatt (24 March 1923 – 15 October 1995) was a Danish dancer and balletmaster active in New Zealand. Childhood Gnatt was born in Baden, Austria. His father was Kai Gnatt, flower merchant, and his mother Kaja Olsen, both fro ...

, they formed the United Ballet Company which toured New Zealand. In the mid–1970s Chatfield became director of the National School of Ballet, with Jackson as associate director. From 1975–1978 Chatfield was artistic director of the Royal New Zealand Ballet. In 1993 Chatfield and Jackson moved to live near family in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

Personal life

Chatfield married Rowena Jackson in 1958. They had one son and one daughter. He died in Brisbane on 25 July 2021.

References

External links

Philip Chatfield at the reunion of the directors of the New Zealand Ballet in 1984 in Te AraTribute to Philip Chatfield, Royal New Zealand Ballet, 2021Remembering Philip Chatfield (1927–2021), Royal Opera House, 26 July 2021
* 1927 births 2021 deaths People educated at the Royal Ballet School New Zealand male ballet dancers British male ballet dancers 20th-century New Zealand dancers 20th-century ballet dancers British emigrants to New Zealand {{NewZealand-bio-stub