Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1978-1979 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
13 telegrams, one card, one invitation with envelope, one typed letter and 22 original designs
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
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
Name of creator
Biographical history
Ian Spurling was born in South Australia and studied in Adelaide, Australia, and at the Slade School of Art in London, UK
Repository
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
The original designs by Ian Spurling were donated to the Kenneth MacMillan Archive by Marina Henderson, 3 Oct 2019
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Kenneth MacMillan created the one-act ballet La Fin du jour for The Royal Ballet which premiered at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden on 15 Mar 1979. The material comprises:
- 13 good luck telegrams including from Frederick Ashton, Gillian and Edward Thorp, Iris Law, Norman Morrice, Derek Rencher, Lynn Seymour and Barry Humphries, 14-17 Mar 1979
- One handwritten card of congratulations from Merle Park, 15 Mar 1979
- Printed invitation from The Directors and General Administrator of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden to a party in the Crush Bar after the first night of La Fin du jour, 15 Mar 1979, with envelope
- Typed letter from Mark Bonham Carter to Kenneth MacMillan repeating his congratulations on La Fin du jour, 19 Mar 1979
- 16 costume, two headdress and four set designs by Ian Spurling, signed and dated by the artist
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
The original designs by Ian Spurling are stored in Box 51
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Note
Some items might be interesting to digitise
Note
The colours of the felt pens used for the original designs are beginning to fade. It would be good to digitise the designs before details are lost
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- MacMillan, Kenneth (Subject)
- Humphries, Barry (Subject)
- Bonham Carter, Mark (Subject)
- Spurling, Ian (Subject)