Alastair Marriott
Encyclopedia
Alastair Marriott is an English ballet dancer and Principal Character Artist of the Royal Ballet
, Kent
, England
. He began studying dance at the Deal Dance Centre, before entering professional ballet training at the Royal Ballet School
. He joined the Royal Ballet in 1988 and danced a varied repertoire before being promoted to Principal Character Artist in 2003. Outside of the Royal Ballet, he has also danced with Adventures in Motion Pictures, in Matthew Bourne
s production of Swan Lake. Marriott is also a choreographer, and has produced works for the both the Royal Ballet and Royal Ballet School, including ballets which have been nominated for the National Dance Awards. He has also choreographed a pas de deux
for Darcey Bussell
, which was performed at the Sadler's Wells Theatre
, and also choreographed The Red Shoes for Bussell's theatre tour Viva la Diva
.
Biography
Marriott was born in St Margaret-at-CliffeSt Margaret-at-Cliffe
St Margaret-at-Cliffe is a three part village situated just off the coast road between Deal and Dover in Kent, England. The heart of the village is about two miles from the sea with the residential area of Nelson Park further inland and St Margaret's Bay situated along and below the cliffs north...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He began studying dance at the Deal Dance Centre, before entering professional ballet training at the Royal Ballet School
Royal Ballet School
The Royal Ballet School is one of the most famous classical ballet schools in the world and is the associate school of the Royal Ballet, a leading international ballet company based at the Royal Opera House in London...
. He joined the Royal Ballet in 1988 and danced a varied repertoire before being promoted to Principal Character Artist in 2003. Outside of the Royal Ballet, he has also danced with Adventures in Motion Pictures, in Matthew Bourne
Matthew Bourne
Matthew Bourne OBE is a British classical and contemporary ballet and dance choreographer.-Biography:Matthew Bourne was born in Hackney, London in 1960. He went to William Fitt and Sir George Monoux School in Walthamstow, London...
s production of Swan Lake. Marriott is also a choreographer, and has produced works for the both the Royal Ballet and Royal Ballet School, including ballets which have been nominated for the National Dance Awards. He has also choreographed a pas de deux
Pas de deux
In ballet, a pas de deux is a duet in which ballet dancers perform the dance together. It usually consists of an entrée, adagio, two variations , and a coda.-Notable Pas de deux:...
for Darcey Bussell
Darcey Bussell
Darcey Andrea Bussell CBE is a retired English ballerina. Trained at the Arts Educational School and the Royal Ballet School, she was later employed by the Royal Ballet, where she was promoted to the rank of Principal Dancer and would become recognised as one of the greatest English ballerinas of...
, which was performed at the Sadler's Wells Theatre
Sadler's Wells Theatre
Sadler's Wells Theatre is a performing arts venue located in Rosebery Avenue, Clerkenwell in the London Borough of Islington. The present day theatre is the sixth on the site since 1683. It consists of two performance spaces: a 1,500 seat main auditorium and the Lilian Baylis Studio, with extensive...
, and also choreographed The Red Shoes for Bussell's theatre tour Viva la Diva
Viva la Diva (Darcey Bussell and Katherine Jenkins)
Viva la Diva is an operatic ballet show by Welsh mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins and prima ballerina Darcey Bussell, CBE. In the show Jenkins and Bussell pay homage to past 'divas' and idols, including Doris Day, Edith Piaf, Marilyn Monroe, Maria Callas, Fred Astaire, Audrey Hepburn and Moira Shearer...
.
Selected Repertoire
- Baron von Rothbart from Swan LakeSwan LakeSwan Lake ballet, op. 20, by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, composed 1875–1876. The scenario, initially in four acts, was fashioned from Russian folk tales and tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse. The choreographer of the original production was Julius Reisinger...
- Drosselmeyer from The NutcrackerThe NutcrackerThe Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". It was given its première at the Mariinsky Theatre in St...
, choreographed by Sir Peter Wright - Dr Coppélius from CoppeliaCoppéliaCoppélia is a sentimental comic ballet with original choreography by Arthur Saint-Léon to a ballet libretto by Saint-Léon and Charles Nuitter and music by Léo Delibes. It was based upon two macabre stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann, Der Sandmann , and Die Puppe...
, choreographed by Dame Ninette de ValoisNinette de ValoisDame Ninette de Valois, OM, CH, DBE, FRAD, FISTD was an Irish-born British dancer, teacher, choreographer and director of classical ballet... - High Brahmin from La BayadereLa BayadèreLa Bayadère is a ballet, originally staged in four acts and seven tableaux by French choreographer Marius Petipa to the music of Ludwig Minkus. La Bayadère was first performed by the Imperial Ballet at the Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, on...
, choreographed by Rudolph Nureyev - Kostcheï from The FirebirdThe FirebirdThe Firebird is a 1910 ballet created by the composer Igor Stravinsky and choreographer Michel Fokine. The ballet is based on Russian folk tales of the magical glowing bird of the same name that is both a blessing and a curse to its captor....
, choreography by Mikhail Fokine - Step-Sister from Cinderella, choreographed by Sir Frederick AshtonFrederick AshtonSir Frederick William Mallandaine Ashton OM, CH, CBE was a leading international dancer and choreographer. He is most noted as the founder choreographer of The Royal Ballet in London, but also worked as a director and choreographer of opera, film and theatre revues.-Early life:Ashton was born at...
- Widow Simone from La Fille mal gardéeLa Fille Mal GardéeLa Fille mal gardée is a comic ballet presented in two acts, inspired by Pierre-Antoine Baudouin's 1789 painting, La réprimande/Une jeune fille querellée par sa mère...
, choreographed by Sir Frederick AshtonFrederick AshtonSir Frederick William Mallandaine Ashton OM, CH, CBE was a leading international dancer and choreographer. He is most noted as the founder choreographer of The Royal Ballet in London, but also worked as a director and choreographer of opera, film and theatre revues.-Early life:Ashton was born at...