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- 1967-1990, n.d. (Creation)
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12 typed letters, one handwritten postcard, one Christmas postcard and one greetings card, three telegrams and five envelopes, three typed lists, three agreements, one typed page, five photocopies and one printed leaflet
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Name of creator
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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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This file contains:
- Agreement for Concerto, 1968
- Two letters from Brigitta Bergrren-Hedin, one including a request for two dancers to perform the Romeo and Juliet balcony pas de deux at Varna, and comments on Erik [Bruhn], 14 May 1970
- Christmas postcard with black and white photograph of the Company in Les Noces (Robbins), 1971
- Letter from Ivo Carmer re casting Romeo and Juliet, 7 May 1979
- Letter from Veil Bethke re performing Manon in 1980, a typed list of the opera/ballet dancers in the 1979/80 season, with Kenneth MacMillan's note for corps de ballet roles, double page leaflet with head shots of the company members for the 1979/80 season with K. MacMillan's notes re roles
- Invitation to a meeting of The Ballet Club of the Royal Opera, 13 Nov 1980, with envelope
- Good luck telegrams from Norman [Morrice] and Iris [Law] for the first night of Manon, 22 Nov 1980
- Greetings card from The Royal Swedish Ballet thanking K MacMillan for Manon, 22 Nov 2980
- Letter from Gunilla ? enclosing a photocopy and a translation of a review of Manon during The Royal Swedish Ballet's tour to the Soviet Union,1981
- Handwritten postcard from Desmond Reid re Princess Lillian of Sweden attending the opening performance, with envelope, n.d.
- Correspondence between Kenneth and Deborah MacMillan, Kenneth MacMillan's Agent Kenneth Ewing and Solicitor David Ashby, and The Royal Swedish Ballet concerning performing rights for Romeo and Juliet and Manon, including copies of agreements, 22 Oct 1987-29 Jun 1988
- Letter from Nils-Ake Haggbom inviting Kenneth MacMillan to look at the Company, do new casting for Manon, and discuss a new work, 20 Feb 1990, including a schedule of performances
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- MacMillan, Kenneth (Subject)
- The Royal Swedish Ballet (Subject)