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Merle Park (unpublished)
In the interview, Park discusses her initial role as understudy for Lise in Fille mal Gardee. She discusses the collaboration between the dancers and the choreographer Sir Frederick Ashton. This interview has not been published in any of Newman's…
Lynn Seymour (published 1982)
Seymour discusses her role as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, focusing on originating the role in Kenneth MacMillan's production and her frequent partner, Christopher Gable.
Biographical note:
Lynn Seymour, dancer and choreographer, was born in…
Marcia Haydée (unpublished)
Haydée discusses Juliet, the role created for her, and working with John Cranko, who gave her the confidence she needed to define her own Juliet. She also discusses what dancers contribute to their respective roles. This interview was not included in…
Antoinette Sibley (published 1982)
Sibley discusses her training at Sadler's Wells School and her roles in classical ballet, focusing on Swan Lake. She explains what it means to be a musical dancer and the huge impact music played in helping her interpret roles. Sibley speaks about…
David Wall (published 1982)
Wall discusses the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet, the emotional life of the characters, and applying the narrative dynamics of the play to the ballet.Biographical note:David Wall was born in 1946 and trained at the Royal Ballet School. He toured…
Monica Mason (published 1982)
Mason discusses mime in dance, particularly in The Firebird. She talks about the integral part of the feather in her wardrobe, and other wardrobe issues as Odette in Swan Lake.Biographical note:Dame Monica Mason was born in Johanesberg, South Africa…
Donald MacLeary (published 1982)
MacLeary discusses his role as Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake.
Biographical note:
MacLeary was born in Glasgow in 1937. He began his training with Sheila Ross in Inverness shortly before he entered Sadler’s Wells Ballet School and joined Sadler’s…
Nadia Nerina (published 1982)
Nerina discusses the importance of being trained at a very young age. She mentions how her teachers’ personalities influenced her repertoire. She also discusses starting her professional career at the Sadler’s Wells company and how she created the…
Nina Ananiashvili (published 1992)
Ananiashvili discusses how she wanted to make a change from figure skating to classical ballet. She began dancing in pointe shoes and talks about joining the older girls in classes.Biographical note:Ananiashvili is a Georgian ballerina who started…
Moira Shearer (published 1982)
Shearer talks about her first contact with Swan Lake at age 11 at the Sadler’s Walls ballet school. She was one of the singers and they only performed once or twice a year. She also discusses learning the title role in Giselle, and the difficulty…
Stephen Jefferies (published 1982)
Jefferies discusses individuality in dance versus doing what is asked of oneself. He also describes his natural approach to and feelings for the character roles he takes on, and connecting his comfort with each to levels of confidence. Biographical…
Deanne Bergsma (published 1982)
Bergsma addresses her non-traditional height and the difficulty it produced to dance with others because of it. She says she was always happiest dancing by herself. When she danced with a partner, she left it up to them to “take over,” but she was…
Desmond Kelly (published 1982)
Kelly discusses his early training in Rhodesia, coming to dance for the London Festival Ballet, and his sojourn with companies in New Zealand and Zurich. The bulk of the interview is an extended discussion of the role of the Prodigal Son, which Kelly…
Carla Fracci (published 1982)
Fracci discusses her first appearance on stage as a singer in La Boheme at age 10, and the inspiration of seeing Margot Fonteyn in Sleeping Beauty at age 12.Biographical note:
Fracci was born in Milan in 1936. She joined La Scala Theatre Ballet in…
Desmond Kelly (published 2013)
Kelly describes what first attracted him to dance and his primary influences and inspirations. He explains that his years as a dancers were ultimately leading him to his true passion; dance education. Being a teachers has kept him involved in ballet…
Ailne Phillips (published 1986)
Ailne Phillips discusses teaching at Sadler's Wells Ballet School under the direction of the "extraordinary" Ninette de Valois (referred to here simply as "Madam"), including the structure of the school and style of coaching and instruction. In…
David Gayle (published 1988)
Gayle discusses the beginnings of the Royal Ballet Summer School, the people involved, and the finer administrative details of running a dance program, and of students' life while at the program. He cites Anya Linden, Lady Sainsbury as the first to…
Allegra Kent (published 1988)
Kent discusses coaching the Royal Ballet's production of Bugaku, and approaches in movement required by certain ballets, for instance, the extremes required by Balanchine ballets. Relates early motivation for choosing to study ballet and her early…
Meryl Tankard (published 1986)
In this interview, Tankard details the beginning of her career at the Australian ballet, as well as her time at the Pina Bausch dance company in Germany. She also discusses her choreography and upcoming work.Biographical note:Tankard's professional…
Larisa Skylanskaya (published 1989)
In this interview, Skylanskaya details the beginning of her career as a dancer in Russia and discusses being a teacher. She discusses the movement and style of a good dancer, along with her musical background and the impact it had on her early life.…
Monica Mason (published 2013)
In this interview, Mason mostly discusses her earliest days working at The Royal Ballet. She had only been in school for a year when she had been picked to perform with the company, having taken the place of another company member who had gotten…
Violette Verdy
Violette Verdy is a French ballet dancer, director, and professor. She has danced with Les Ballets de Paris, the London Festival Ballet, Ballet Rambert, Royal Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and the New York City Ballet. She has acted as the…