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- 1978, undated (Creation)
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12 typed and 32 photocopied pages
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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
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Kenneth MacMillan asked Gillian Freeman to work with him on a scenario for the ballet. This file comprises
- Five typed pages titled First Draft Outline for Mayerling, describing the ballet scene by scene.
- One page typed additional note suggesting alterations to the Prologue and Epilogue
- Four typed pages giving the Main and Subsidiary Characters, Character Notes and Points for Discussion. Dated by Kenneth MacMillan on the first page, 1978 in blue felt tip pen
- 12 typed pages of Story outline and notes for a three act ballet by Gillian Freeman for Kenneth MacMillan, giving title page, Main and Subsidiary Characters, Character Notes, Notes, Drawing by Crown Prince Rudolf of a partridge-shooting and a Draft Outline. Dated by Kenneth MacMillan on the title page, 1978 in blue felt tip pen
- Photocopy of item 4 with an additional page giving the Epilogue, and some handwritten additions to the text. From the Clement Crisp Collection, found in a file of press cuttings. N.d.
- Article by Gillian Freeman for the LA Times (Los Angeles Times), 21 May 1978, Scripting a Ballet
- Photocopy of the article by Gillian Freemen as published in the LA Times, Sunday 21 May 1978, now titled Mayerling : A Ballet of Love and Agony. Article written to coincide with the American premiere of Mayerling at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles
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- MacMillan, Kenneth (Subject)
- Freeman, Gillian (Subject)