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Merle Park
Dame Merle Park (born 8 October 1937) is a British ballet dancer and teacher, now retired. As a prima ballerina with the Royal Ballet during the 1960s and 1970s, she was known for "brilliance of execution and virtuoso technique" as well as for her ebullience and charm. Also admired for her dramatic abilities, she was praised as an actress who "textured her vivacity with emotional details."Anonymous"Dame Merle Park" online biography, Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing. Retrieved 14 September 2015. Early life and training Born in Salisbury, the capital and most populous city of the self-governing British Crown colony of Southern Rhodesia (now Harare, Zimbabwe), Merle Park was educated in local schools. As a child she began her dance training with Betty Lamb, a local ballet teacher, and soon showed unusual facility. In 1951, when she was 14, her parents moved the family to England and enrolled her in the Elmhurst School for Dance. Located in Camberley, Surrey, not far from cen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dame
''Dame'' is an honorific title and the feminine form of address for the honour of damehood in many Christian chivalric orders, as well as the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British honours system and those of several other Commonwealth realms, such as Australia and New Zealand, with the masculine form of address being ''Sir''. It is the female equivalent for knighthood, which is traditionally granted to males. Dame is also style used by baronetesses Suo jure, in their own right. A woman appointed to the grades of the Dame Commander or Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Saint John (Bailiwick of Brandenburg), Order of Saint John, Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, Most Honourable Order of the Bath, the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, the Royal Victorian Order, or the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire becomes a dame. A Central European order in which female members receive the rank of Dame is the Order of St. George (H ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pas De Deux
In ballet, a pas de deux (French language, French, literally "step of two") is a dance duet in which two dancers, typically a male and a female, perform ballet steps together. The pas de deux is characteristic of classical ballet and can be found in many well-known ballets, including ''Sleeping Beauty (ballet), Sleeping Beauty'', ''Swan Lake'', and ''Giselle''. It is most often performed by a male and a female (a ''danseur'' and a ''ballerina'') though there are exceptions, such as in the film ''White Nights (1985 film), White Nights'', in which a pas de deux is performed by Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines. Grand pas de deux A grand pas de deux is a structured pas de deux that typically has five parts, consisting of an ''entrée'' (introduction), an ''adagio'', two variations (a solo for each dancer), and a ''coda'' (conclusion). It is effectively a suite of dances that share a common theme, often symbolic of a love story or the partnership inherent in love, with the dan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Lady And The Fool
''The Lady and the Fool'' is a ballet, created by choreographer John Cranko with lesser-known operatic music by Giuseppe Verdi arranged by Sir Charles Mackerras. The story concerns the love of a poor clown for a society beauty, who finally rejects her wealthy suitors and chooses a life with the clown. Background and productions After the success of ''Pineapple Poll'', Mackerras and Cranko sought a new collaboration, eventually deciding on adapting music by Verdi to a story by Cranko. The piece was premiered in 1954 at the New Theatre, Oxford, with its London premiere at Sadler’s Wells Theatre on 31 March 1954. The two clowns were played by Kenneth MacMillan and Johaar Mosaval, with Patricia Miller as La capricciosa. The following year the ballet was re-worked by Cranko for Covent Garden, opening on 9 June 1955, dropping one character and reassigning some dances to other characters, allowing the action to be more clearly focussed and the characters more interesting.Percival J. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Isadora (ballet)
''Isadora'' is a ballet created for the Royal Ballet by Kenneth MacMillan to music by Richard Rodney Bennett with a scenario by Gillian Freeman, based on the life and dance of Isadora Duncan. In following the life of Isadora Duncan, the title role is taken jointly by a ballerina and by an actress, whose spoken text is drawn from sections of the memoirs of Duncan. Following the initial run at Covent Garden and performances New York, the ballet was not seen until revised in consultation with MacMillan's widow, and revived by the company in 2009. The scenario in the ballet concentrates on the dramatic events in Duncan's personal life and her relationships with four of her partners. The first performance of ''Isadora'' was at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden on 30 April 1981 with Merle Park in the title role. Designs were by Barry Kay. The ballet was featured in the 50th anniversary BBC programme 'Right Royal Company', in May 1981 and was filmed by Granada Television with the or ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
La Fin Du Jour (ballet)
''La Fin du jour'' is a one-act ballet created by Kenneth MacMillan in 1979 for the Royal Ballet, London. The music is Maurice Ravel's Piano Concerto in G (1931). In MacMillan's words, "''La Fin du jour'' draws its inspiration from the style of the 'thirties'; the designs and choreography are inspired by the fashion plates of an era and a way of life shattered forever by the Second World War." The first performance was at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden on 15 March 1979. The leading roles were danced by Merle Park, Jennifer Penney, Julian Hosking and Wayne Eagling Wayne Eagling (born 27 November 1950) is a Canadian ballet dancer, now retired. After more than twenty years as a popular member of The Royal Ballet in London, he became well known as an international choreographer and company director. Early li .... The solo pianist was Philip Gammon, the conductor was Ashley Lawrence, and the designs were by Ian Spurling. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mayerling (ballet)
''Mayerling'' is a ballet choreographed by Kenneth MacMillan to the music of Franz Liszt, arranged by John Lanchbery, scenario by Gillian Freeman and designed by Nicholas Georgiadis. The ballet is based on the Mayerling incident, a series of events surrounding the apparent murder–suicide of Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria (21 August 1858 – 30 January 1889) and his lover, Baroness Mary Vetsera (19 March 1871 – 30 January 1889). The ballet premiered on 14 February 1978, at the Royal Opera House, danced by The Royal Ballet, with David Wall as Prince Rudolf and Lynn Seymour as Vetsera. Synopsis ] ''Prologue: The cemetery at Heiligenkreuz, Lower Austria, Heiligenkreuz before dawn'' Act I ''Scene 1: The ballroom at the Hofburg Palace, Vienna'' A ball to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria-Hungary and Princess Stephanie of Belgium is in full swing. Rudolf flirts shamelessly with Stephanie's sister, Princess Louise, offending both ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Elite Syncopations (ballet)
''Elite Syncopations'' is a one-act ballet created in 1974 by Kenneth MacMillan for The Royal Ballet."Elite Syncopations" , Kenneth McMillan website, retrieved 22 March 2015 Background and productions The piece was premiered by on 7 October 1974 at the , Covent Garden, with costume designs by Ian Spurling, lighting designs by John B. Read and staging by Julie Lincoln. The ballet is for 12 dancers. It is described as having an up-beat, hip swinging aura of spontaneity, with 'easygoing rhy ...[...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jazz Calendar
''Jazz Calendar'' is a ballet created in 1968 by Frederick Ashton to the music of Richard Rodney Bennett. The ballet was first performed on 9 January 1968 by The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, with designs by Derek Jarman. The work was performed over 50 times up to 1979 by the Royal Ballet at Covent Garden but is not part of the current repertoire.Bland, A. ''The Royal Ballet – the first 50 years.'' Threshold Books, London, 1981, It was also produced in October 1990 at the Birmingham Hippodrome by Birmingham Royal Ballet. History The production was arranged at short notice to replace a new production of ''Aida'', and at the suggestion of Nigel Gosling, Ashton asked Derek Jarman to create the designs.Kavanagh, J. ''Secret Muses: The Life of Frederick Ashton.'' Faber & Faber Ltd, London, 1996, Richard Rodney Bennett's score had been commissioned by the BBC and composed between 1962 and 1964. It encompasses a variety of traditional jazz forms and devices, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wayne Eagling
Wayne Eagling (born 27 November 1950) is a Canadian ballet dancer, now retired. After more than twenty years as a popular member of The Royal Ballet in London, he became well known as an international choreographer and company director. Early life and training Wayne John Eagling was born in Montreal, Quebec, to Anglophone parents, Edward and Thelma Eagling. He spent much of his childhood and youth in California, where his family had moved. As a boy, he augmented his academic studies by attending classes at the Patricia Ramsey Studio of Dance Arts. There, he developed into a gifted student of classical ballet and, as he matured, was encouraged by his teachers to pursue a career as a professional dancer. In 1965, when he was 15, he was noticed by Michael Somes and Gerd Larsen of the Royal Ballet during the company's tour of the United States and was offered a place at the Royal Ballet School in London. He moved to England in the late 1960s, when "swinging London," the vibrant cultur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David Wall (dancer)
David Richard Wall CBE (15 March 1946 – 18 June 2013) was an English ballet dancer of The Royal Ballet, where he was promoted to the rank of principal at the age of 21, the youngest in company history at the time. Early life and education Wall was born in Chiswick, London and went to preparatory school at Halliford School in Shepperton, where ballroom dancing classes were compulsory. His mother always said that he developed an interest in ballet watching the girls in the ballet classes that followed those ballroom classes. He then started weekly ballet classes with Mrs. Durnsford in Windsor. Wall studied at the Royal Ballet School and subsequently joined The Royal Ballet. Career Wall was 20 when he was promoted to soloist. A year later, he became the youngest male principal in the history of The Royal Ballet, until Sergei Polunin’s promotion in 2010 at the age of 20. He remained with the company until 1984. Among his roles were Crown Prince Rudolf in Kenneth MacMillan's ' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Petrus Bosman
Petrus Bosman (1928 – 19 July 2008) was a South African ballet dancer, teacher, choreographer, and ''répétiteur'', active in England, France, and the United States. Early life and training Jan Petrus Bosman was born in Kuilsrivier, a town in the Western Cape Province located on the Kuils River, in which there are many pools, or . His parents were Afrikaners, but young Petrus was raised to be fluent in English as well as Afrikaans. His family was related to Herman Charles Bosman (1905–1951), widely admired as a journalist, poet, and author. Also of Afrikaner stock, he was celebrated as a short-story writer in English. Like his famous relative, Petrus Bosman easily entered the English-speaking cultural community of Cape Town, only a few kilometres west of his hometown. As a teenager, he enrolled in classes at the University of Cape Town Ballet School, where he was trained by Dulcie Howes and Cecily Robinson. In 1949, when he was 21, he went to London and continued his studie ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kenneth MacMillan
Sir Kenneth MacMillan (11 December 192929 October 1992) was a British ballet dancer and choreographer who was artistic director of the Royal Ballet in London between 1970 and 1977, and its principal choreographer from 1977 until his death. Earlier he had served as director of ballet for the Deutsche Oper in Berlin. He was also associate director of the American Ballet Theatre from 1984 to 1989, and artistic associate of the Houston Ballet from 1989 to 1992. From a family with no background of ballet or music, MacMillan was determined from an early age to become a dancer. The director of Sadler's Wells Ballet, Ninette de Valois, accepted him as a student and then a member of her company. In the late 1940s, MacMillan built a successful career as a dancer, but, plagued by stage fright, he abandoned it while still in his twenties. After this he worked entirely as a choreographer; he created ten full-length ballets and more than fifty one-act pieces. In addition to his work for bal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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