Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- Undated, 1978 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
Two ring bound volumes of Benesh Movement Notation score, one with 27 pages of original score, one with four pages of photocopies and 14 pages of original score, 41 loose pages of original score, 76 pages of photocopies of score, eight photocopies of music score and one handwritten note
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
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Name of creator
Biographical history
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Content and structure area
Scope and content
Kenneth MacMillan created the three-act ballet The Prince of the Pagodas for The Royal Ballet which premiered on 7.12.1989 at the Royal Opera House, London. There are two files of Benesh Movement Notation score. This file contains
- Ring bound volume containing 22 pages with 5 additional pages loose, in pencil and black biro, dated Feb 1988 on front cover. The last page has a long note to Monica (Parker?) explaining difficulties with the score. The signature is not legible but possibly from Michele Braban
- Ring bound volume containing four pages of photocopies of the score, 12 pages with two additional pages, in pencil
- 31 original pages of score and 75 pages of photocopies of score, many with notes and queries to MP (Monica Parker), unsigned but possibly from Michele Braban. One handwritten note by Monica Parker titled Teddy -Mesmeric in pencil attached to one page of score, 8 pages of photocopies of the music score
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Notes area
Note
The notators were identified from the entry in the Benesh Movement Notation Score Catalogue in the RAD Library. Monica Parker's handwriting is identifiable from other scores known to be in her hand; Michele Braban's handwriting is unknown to the cataloguer
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Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- MacMillan, Kenneth (Subject)
- Parker, Monica (Subject)
- Braban, Michele (Subject)