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- 1979 (Creation)
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Five letters and two typescripts
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Kenneth MacMillan was born in Dunfermline, Scotland, and began ballet classes in Retford, England, in 1940. He joined the Sadler's Wells Ballet School in 1944 and later the Sadler's Wells Ballet but gave up dancing for choreography partly due to crippling stage fright. His first choreographic work was Somnambulism, created for the Sadler's Wells Ballet Choreographic Group in 1953 and he created works for both Royal Ballet companies throughout his career. He created significant works for The Stuttgart Ballet and his works are danced by ballet companies world-wide. He has also created work for television and cinema.
Kenneth MacMillan was Director of the Deutsche Oper Ballet in Berlin from 1966 to 1969, Artistic Director of The Royal Ballet from 1970 to 1977 and its Principal Chroreographer from 1977 until his death. He was also Associate Director of American Ballet Theatre from 1984 to 1989, and Artistic Associate of the Houston Ballet from 1989 to 1992.
Kenneth MacMillan was knighted in 1983, and he received honorary degrees from the University of Edinburgh (1976) and the Royal College of Art (1992). His awards include the Evening Standard Ballet Award (1979); Society of West End Theatre Ballet Award, 1980 and 1983; and, posthumously, the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production in 1993 for The Judas Tree; the Society of London Theatre Special Award in 1993; and the Tony Award for Best Choreography in 1994 for Carousel
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Andrzej Panufnik was asked by Kenneth MacMillan to compose the score for Isadora. Panufnik felt unable to do this and this file contains correspondence between Kenneth MacMillan and Andrzej Panufnik, and between Camilla Panufnik and Deborah MacMillan which discusses this. At this time, the ballet was provisionally titled Off to Paradise. The material comprises
- Letter from Andrzej Panufnik thanking Kenneth MacMillan for asking him to compose a new score for his new full-length ballet and explaining why he cannot do it. Panufnik instead suggests using and adapting some of his existing music and details how this could work. Typed on two sides of one sheet of letter headed paper and signed, 31 Jan 1979
- Draft handwritten reply from Kenneth MacMillan to Andrzej Panufnik, declining Panufnik's suggestion of using existing music and asking if he can return Gillian Freeman's notes. With many crossings out. Undated
- Draft handwritten reply, not in Kenneth MacMillan's hand, expanding on the draft above. Undated
- Handwritten letter from Andrzej Panufnik to Kenneth MacMillan thanking him for his kind reply and expressing his gratitude for having been asked to write a score for his new ballet. 7 Feb1979
- Typed letter from Camilla Panufnik to Deborah MacMillan explaining why Andrzej would have difficulty working with the scenario, and how he feels everything that would be needed for the ballet could be found in existing music. Two typed pages, signed. 12 Feb 1979
- Off to Paradise, Notes and First Draft for a ballet by Kenneth MacMillan, scenario by Gillian Freeman. 16 typed pages including title page, time line of Isadora Duncan's life, Main Characters, two pages of general notes and 10 pages of plot and quotations for voice over. September 1978
- Two typed pages of Off to Paradise, Revised Opening and Notes. Undated
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Some of this material would be interesting to digitise
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- MacMillan, Kenneth (Subject)
- MacMillan, Deborah (Subject)
- Panufnik, Andrzej (Subject)
- Freeman, Gillian (Subject)
- Panufnik, Camilla (Subject)