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Nine typed and 122 handwritten pages of memoirs, mostly on A4 ruled paper, some smaller pieces stuck on top, and some notes on scrap paper, letter head and envelope
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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
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These typed and hand-written pages of notes and drafts for Kenneth MacMillan's memoirs cover his early life experiences and impressions. Many descriptions and incidents are repeated. There are some notes on scrap paper listing synonyms and experimenting with words and phrases. The pages were organised by Jann Parry during research for her commissioned biography of Kenneth MacMillan and these groupings have been retained together with her hand written headings and descriptions where they appear. Groupings are as follows with Jann Parry's titles in inverted commas:
- Title page and eight pages of some of the handwritten pages, first page retyped with slightly amended layout
- Eight handwritten pages covering his parents' meeting and marriage, and his early life. Pages are numbered in pencil 1-8
- Four pages, handwritten on 6 sides. 'Early Erotic Experiences'. Pages are numbered in red ink with KEEP written in red ink on the reverse of page 2
- Seven handwritten pages. 'Announcement of War. Parents' Lovemaking'
- 22 handwritten pages about his sisters, 'Jean and Betty'
- Eight handwritten pages. 'Cinema. Great Yarmouth', details his early interest in cinema and how it affected his relationships
- 17 handwritten pages. 'Jean notes. Drafts of family story'
- 16 handwritten pages. 'Father's death'. Details visit to his father's deathbed in hospital, attitude to doctors, inability to show emotion
- One handwritten page about his father's attitude to doctors
- 32 pages of notes, some on scrap paper, an envelope, three pages of a Concorde notebook, a letter. 'Scraps/Drafts' with many repetitions, lists of synonyms and experimenting with words and phrases
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- MacMillan, Kenneth (Subject)
- MacMillan Family (Subject)