Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1984-1985 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
Invitations to seven events, three typed press releases, one telegram, 12 typed office memos, seven handwritten letters, some with envelopes, seven handwritten notes, 12 typed letters, some with envelopes, two photocopies of office memos, three typed pages and two pages from magazines
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
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Content and structure area
Scope and content
This file relates to Kenneth MacMillan's first season as Artistic Associate and includes business and personal material. The file contains
- Invitations to a photographic exhibition, to fund raising balls celebrating the first performances of Romeo and Juliet, a dinner in honour of Kenneth MacMillan and John Taras, and the National Society of Arts and Letters honouring Mikhail Baryshnikov
- Three press releases announcing the 45th anniversary season of American Ballet Theatre, the Company premieres of Romeo and Juliet and of Anastasia
- Office memos covering press and marketing events and some general admin, including comment on a dancer's weight and another's injury, and access to the viewing booth
- Correspondence including a handwritten letter from Kenneth MacMillan to Deborah MacMillan, a handwritten letter from Princess Margaret expressing her regret at not being able to attend a performance in New York, letters of congratulations on the performances of Romeo and Juliet, a letter to Nora Kaye from Howard Rosenman enclosing a suggested treatment of The Death of Christopher Marlowe, to Kenneth MacMillan inviting him to join Dance Theatre of Harlem's Benefit Committee, to Deborah MacMillan about her theatrical jewellery
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Name access points
- MacMillan, Kenneth (Subject)
- MacMillan, Deborah (Subject)
- Princess Margaret (Subject)
- Kaye, Nora (Subject)