Rambert

Question 1

Artistic Directors in order

Answer 1

1926- Marie Rambert
1966- Norman Morrice
1974- John Chesworth
1981- Rob North
1986- Richard Alston
1994- Christopher Bruce
2002- Mark Baldwin

Question 2

Marie Rambert- 1926

Answer 2

• Creator of Rambert Dance Company
• Inspired by Isadora Duncan
• Tragedy of Fashion first piece
• Ballet Club
• Named company Ballet Rambert in 1935
• Mercury Theatre
• Married to Ashley Duke
• Marie Rambert founded Ballet Rambert
  1926. She pioneered a truly creative company inspiring up and coming choreographers from within the company

Question 3

Norman Morrice- 1966

Answer 3

• Ballet and Graham to the company - went to America due to Marie to bring back style back
• 18 dancers of equal soloist status
• National/international touring
• Choreographic talent from within the company
• Stripped back the company to pre war times
• Preserved best of works as well as added new ones
• Two Brothers- 1958

Question 4

John Chesworth- 1974

Answer 4

• Developed Ramberts educational activities- Outreach work
• Made Christopher Bruce associate director
• Staged Bruce’s col and filmed work with Lindsey Kemp- Cruel Gardens 1977
• Competition with LCDC at the time
• Overseas choreographers

Question 5

Rob North- 1981

Answer 5

• Ballet, Graham, Cunningham
• Introduction of the triple bill- 3 works one performance
• Made Christopher Bruce and Richard Alston associate directors
• Touring national/international- America touring
• Populist
• Colab with other choreographers e.g. Merce Cunningham
• North performed, choreographed, artistic directed at this time
• Trained dancers all 3 ballet,Cunningham, Graham
• Left or asked to leave due to being too diverse and 1986 due to LCDS competition removed him

Question 6

Richard Alston- 1986

Answer 6

• Ballet and Cunningham
• Artistic Director with a single vision
• Formalist
• Christopher Bruce left as didn’t fit into Alston’s artistic policy
• Changed name back to Rambert Dance Company 1987
• Touring nationally/internationally
• Trained at LCDT and Merce Cunningham dance studios
• Formed first Independent Dance Company ‘Strider’
• Ballet/Cunningham fusion with Ashley Paige (Collab)
• Broadened aural/physical setting
• Overseas choreographers worked with
• Encouraged dancers involvement in choreo process
• Left due to being too abstract and disagreements with the board
• Focus on collaboration of music,set design and dance fron differenct arts= increase popularity and cohesiveness of piece
• Encouraged dance involvement in the process of creating choreography
• Left after disagreements with the board, works criticised for being too focused on ‘cooler ‘ abstract work and Cunningham style only

Question 7

Christopher Bruce- 1994

Answer 7

• Trained dancers in Ballet and Graham but other styles too to supplement pieces
• Overseas choreographers- Lindsey Kemp
• Collaborations
• 25 dancers from different backgrounds- 1/3 former Rambert, 1/3 others, 1/3 worked with prior
• Recycled works again
• Created new repertoire
• 1996 Quicksilver tribute to 70 years of Rambert.
• Began 1994 due to touring prior to this on own works as didnt fit into Alston’s Cunningham style of choreo
• LCDT closed in 1994 and so no competition
• Had government and arts council funding

Question 8

Artistic Directors studied works:

Answer 8

Rob North:

• Death and the Maiden: 1980
• Lonely Town Lonely Street: 1980

Richard Alston:

• Wildlife: 1984
• Soda Lake: 1981

Christopher Bruce:

• Swansong: 1987
• Ghost Dances: 1981
• Rooster: 1991/94 (premiered at Ballet du Genève in 1991

Question 9

Ghost Dances- 1981

Answer 9

Episodic structure- 7 sections

Use of transitions- Use of silence, action of the ghosts

Question 10

1990-92

Answer 10

Had another reconstruction due to Bruce touring so unable to take over as artistic director immediately and with government funding able to have mini reconstruction