Ninette de Valois by Mesdames Morter, 1932,
courtesy of Dancing Times
Conference Committee
The Conference Committee was chaired by Jane Pritchard, Curator of Dance, Theatre and Performance Collections at the V&A Museum.
The Committee members were Prof. Elizabeth Schafer, Professor of Drama and Theatre Studies at Royal Holloway College, London; Dr. Libby Worth, Senior Lecturer in Theatre Practice at Royal Holloway College, London; Kevin O’Hare, Administrative Director of The Royal Ballet; Derek Purnell, former Chief Executive of Birmingham Royal Ballet; Jay Jolley, Assistant Director of The Royal Ballet School; Anna Meadmore, Curator of White Lodge Museum and Royal Ballet School Collections.
Project Consultant, Kathryn Wade. Communications adviser, Jim Fletcher
Conference Programme
| Friday 1 April 2011, 3.00 pm - 7.30 pm Venues: Royal Opera House Amphitheatre Bar and Clore Studio Upstairs |
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| Royal Opera House Collections | Exhibition: Private tours of Invitation to the Ballet: Ninette de Valois and the Story of The Royal Ballet |
| Cristina Franchi, Royal Opera House Collections | Film: New de Valois documentary by Lynne Wake Come Dance With Me |
| David Bintley, Director, The Birmingham Royal Ballet | A personal introduction to the Conference, filmed in February 2011 |
| Patricia Linton, Central School of Ballet, Voices of British Ballet | Paper: Fiercely Alone: Personality and Impersonality in de Valois’ Poetry and Work |
| The Royal Ballet, The Birmingham Royal Ballet & The Royal Ballet Upper School | Performance: Step by Step, or Theatre by Theatre |
| Saturday 2 April 2011, 9.00 am - 6.30 pm Venue: The Royal Ballet Upper School, Floral Street, Covent Garden |
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| Jane Pritchard, Curator of Dance, Theatre and Performance Collections, V&A Museum | Paper: Ninette de Valois’ early career in English popular theatre |
| Prof. Beth Genné, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor | Paper: Tradition and Innovation: Ninette de Valois’ Philosophy of Dance and its Impact on the World of Ballet |
| Giannandrea Poesio, Dance Critic, The Spectator | Paper: The Irish and the Italians: de Valois, the Cecchettis and the ‘other’ ballet mime |
| Dr. Geraldine Morris, Roehampton University | Paper: Developing a Training Style: Ninette de Valois and the Cultural Inheritance of the early Twentieth Century |
| Valerie Adams, former Director, The Royal Ballet Teachers’ Training Course, and Denise Winmill, The Royal Ballet School, The Royal Academy of Dance | Presentation: De Valois’ training syllabus, danced by students of The Royal Ballet Upper School, accompanied by pianist, Dr Alastair Bannerman |
| Anna Meadmore, Chair Curator, White Lodge Museum & Ballet Resource Centre, Head of Academic Dance Studies, RBS |
Panel discussion: Ninette de Valois, the Teacher. Panellists include Valerie Adams, Julia Farron, Henry Danton and Michael Boulton |
| Clement Crisp, Chief Dance Critic, The Financial Times | Lecture: The influence of Diaghilev on de Valois’ work; conversations with de Valois, Markova and Rambert |
| Speaker tbc | ‘Filmed interview of de Valois by David Drew, with Anthony Dowell and Gerd Larsen. c. 1989’ |
| Nicola Katrak, The Royal Ballet School, with Julia Farron, Margaret Barbieri, and students of The Royal Ballet Upper School | Presentation: Madam and the Betrayed Girls: the Dancers’ Perspective |
| Gerald Dowler, Chair, City of London School, Dancing Times | Panel discussion: De Valois’ as a collaborator and colleague. Panellists include Dame Beryl Grey, Sir Peter Wright, Dame Antoinette Sibley, David Wall |
| Dr. Libby Worth, Royal Holloway, University of London, with Simon Rice, The Royal Ballet School, and Ronald Smedley, formerly The Royal Ballet School | Presentation: The significance of the English folk tradition in The Royal Ballet’s history, with students of The Royal Ballet Lower School, White Lodge, accompanied by accordionist, John Graham |
| Figen Phelps, Documentary film maker | Film: An interview with Ninette de Valois |
| Richard Glasstone, The Royal Ballet School; former Director, Turkish National Ballet | Paper: Ninette de Valois’ Turkish Adventure |
| Levent Kurumlu, Documentary film maker | Film: World premiere of Dancing Across the Bosphorus - documentary on the wider implications of de Valois’ personal involvement with ballet in Turkey |
| Sunday 3 April 2011 9.45 am - 6.45 pm Venue: The Royal Ballet Lower School, White Lodge, Richmond Park |
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| Alastair Macaulay, Dance Critic, New York Times | Paper: The professional partnership of Frederick Ashton and Ninette de Valois |
| Jann Parry, biographer of Kenneth MacMillan | Paper: Kenneth MacMillan’s correspondence with de Valois; her influence on him and other choreographers |
| Rupert Christiansen, Chair Dance Critic, Mail on Sunday |
Panel discussion: Ninette de Valois, a Woman of the Theatre. Panellists include Gillian Lynne, Sir John Tooley, Maina Gielgud, Anya Linden (Lady Sainsbury), John Copley |
| Susan Crow, Ballet Independents’ Group, and Jennifer Jackson, University of Surrey; The Royal Ballet School | Paper: De Valois: Crafting a Collaboration of Talents |
| Victoria Watts, The Royal Academy of Dance, and Robert Penman, London Studio Centre | Paper: De Valois’ role in the development and dissemination of Benesh Movement Notation |
| Dr. Helena Hammond, University of Surrey | Paper: The influence of the Bloomsbury Group on the emergence of de Valois and The Royal Ballet’s distinctive approach to designer/choreographer collaborations |
| Prof. Elizabeth Schafer, Royal Holloway, University of London |
Paper: Ninette de Valois, the Vic-Wells, and “Writing Across the Footlights” |
| Dr Victoria O’Brien, University of Limerick | Paper: De Valois’ role in the development of Irish Ballet from 1927, and the founding of the Abbey Theatre School of Ballet |
| Prof. Richard Cave, Royal Holloway, University of London | Paper: The collaborative work of W.B. Yeats and de Valois at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, 1927-1934 |
| Text: W.B. Yeats; music: Arthur Duff; choreography: Ninette de Valois, recreated by Will Tuckett. Director: Richard Cave | Performance: The King of the Great Clock Tower (1934), written for 2 singers, 2 actors, 1 dancer and small musical ensemble, with orchestration and additional material by Craig Fortnam |
| Dame Monica Mason, Director, The Royal Ballet | Closing address |
| Sunday’s events will include a buffet lunch. The day will conclude with celebratory drinks, and the unveiling of the proposed De Valois Memorial sculpture, intended to generate funds for two ‘living memorial’ student Scholarships in perpetuity, thanks to the extraordinary generosity of its creator, Richard MacDonald. | |
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email conference@royalballetschool.co.uk | tel +44 (0)20 8392 8440 (option 3)