47:, and discovered the joy of performing. He began taking dancing lessons when he was seven and, under the tutelage of Kathleen O'Brien and Jean Horne, was an experienced amateur by age fifteen. Inspired by performances of Russian ballet troupes that he saw in Australia, he had already begun to develop the exuberant, energetic, and highly theatrical style that would become his trademark in later life. As a result, he won a scholarship from the Royal Academy of Dance to study in England. But, because of the outbreak of war in Europe, he was forced to remain in New Zealand. He studied at Wellington College from 1939 to 1941 and thereafter performed as a song-and-dance man entertaining troops in the Pacific while continuing his dance training during the wartime years. In 1946, after peace had come to England, Grant was able to go to London and enroll in the Sadler's Wells Ballet School. He arrived in February, when he was twenty-one years old. His time as a student there was brief, however, for he was soon invited to become a founding member of the Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet, a sister company to the Sadler's Wells Ballet, which had relocated to the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden.
460:, based in Toronto. During his seven years there, he significantly enlarged the company repertory by acquiring works by Ashton, Cranko, MacMillan, BĂ©jart, and other internationally known artists as well as by encouraging such young Canadian choreographers as James Kudelka, He also occasionally appeared on stage as Alain, Carabosse, and various characters in mime roles.
70:, a lighthearted romp of amorous pursuits. It proved to be the role that made him a star. As a "whimsical, endearing little person in a tow-colored wig," Grant happily "bounced about the stage like a rubber ball," then collapsed in abject despair before winning the heart of the ballerina in the title role, danced by
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in his early years in London but abandoned her in 1953 in favor of an intense affair with Ashton, who had fallen deeply in love with him. When their romance cooled, Ashton and Grant became lifelong friends and professional colleagues. In Autumn 1984, Grant was the only personal friend of Ashton to be
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roles. During his thirty years as a dancer with the Royal Ballet, 1946–1976, he appeared in some thirty Ashton ballets, originating roles at more than twenty premieres. It was "Grant's distinction as a classical dancer, combined with his mastery of character, that enabled Ashton to develop what were
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In old age, Grant underwent a hip replacement and prostate surgery. His second hip replacement should have been a routine procedure and recovery, but it turned into an even-month stay in hospital. He died in 2011, at age 86. He was survived by his partner Jean-Pierre
Gasquet, his companion of 54
471:. At the "Gala Tribute to Sir Frederick Ashton in Celebration of His 80th Birthday", held on 18 October 1984 at the Royal Opera House, Grant honored his mentor and friend by dancing a role originated by Ashton in 1931, that of the oily Dago in the Tango-Pasodoble of Ashton's perennially popular
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Besides being temperamentally unsuited, Grant was too short to dance princes and aristocrats in fairy-tale ballets in the classic repertory. He did, however, possess a decent classical technique, and he was sometimes thrust into the challenge of clean-lined classicism in such Ashton ballets as
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In
September 1946, during his first tour with the young company, Grant was transferred to the main company in Covent Garden, today's Royal Ballet. Because of the shortage of male dancers during the war years, he was swiftly promoted to soloist and assigned featured roles in the Sadler's Wells
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In 1971, when age and physical disability began to limit the frequency of his performances, Grant became director of Ballet for All, the educational group within the Royal Ballet. He retired from the company in 1976 and accepted the post of artistic director of the
503:, in recognition of outstanding achievements in the arts, and the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award, the highest honour given by the Royal Academy of Dance, awarded annually in recognition of outstanding service to the art of ballet.
110:(1964). In the former, he leapt and twirled in a delirium of joy with his red umbrella; in the latter, transformed into an ass, he capered about in pointe shoes, simulating hooves, in an interlude with the lovestruck Titania, played by
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usually subsidiary supporting roles—the bravura trick soloists—into key players in the main drama, often introducing a provocative sexual charge." Notable roles with an erotic element were
Bryaxis the pirate chief in
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invited to a dinner party hosted by
Princess Margaret in honour of Ashton's recent birthday. When Ashton died in 1988, he left "all royalties and profits from my copyrights" to a small group of friends. Those to
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439:. Kultur DVD. Color recording. Cast includes Antoinette Sibley and Anthony Dowell as Cinderella and the Prince, Frederick Ashton and Robert Helpmann as the Ugly Sisters, and Grant as the Jester.
43:, New Zealand, the son of hoteliers, during the prosperous 1920s. He resolved to become a professional dancer at the age of six, when he was taught to perform a simple folk dance, a Ukrainian
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425:. A BBC recording. Black and white. ICA Classics DVD. With the original cast: Nadia Nerina as Lise, David Blair as Colas, Stanley Holden as Widow Simone, and Grant as Alain.
27:(22 February 1925 – 30 September 2011) was a New Zealand ballet dancer, teacher, and company director. After moving to London as a young man, he became known as "the
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446:. An EMI Films picture. Directed by Reginald Mills. Technicolor. Lionsgate DVD. Grant appears in an acting role as Peter Rabbit and in a dancing role as Pigling Bland.
432:. British Film Institute. Filmed in rehearsal with costumes. Black and white. DVD transferred from 16 mm film. Grant dances the role of William Meath Baker.
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years, and his brother Garry, 15 years his junior. Also a dancer with the Royal Ballet, Garry Grant inherited many of his older brother's more famous roles.
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Promoted to principal dancer in 1950, Grant became one of Ashton's muses, inspiring him and even collaborating with him in the creation of memorable
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335:, music by John Lanchbery, based on themes by Ludwig Minkus, Jacques Offenbach, Arthur Sullivan, and others. Roles: Peter Rabbit and Pigling Bland.
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Upon his return to
England in 1983, Grant became an extremely popular guest performer and producer. He joined London Festival Ballet (now
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328:, music by Sir Edward Elgar. Role: William Meath Baker, "country squire, gentleman, and scholar," builder and real estate developer.
64:. Then, in 1947, guest choreographer LĂ©onide Massine chose him for the leading role of the Barber in a revival of his comic ballet
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467:) as coach and performer, appearing in mostly mime roles such as Doctor Coppélius, Herr Drosselmeyer, and Madge the Witch in
60:, chief choreographer of the company, noticed him right away and cast him as a music hall hoofer in the Popular Song duet in
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Grant also created roles in other original productions mounted by the Sadler's Wells Ballet. Among them are the following.
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by
Massine. Cast in the role originated by Massine, he always won applause for his performance of the smolderingly intense
194:, masque produced by Ashton and Malcolm Baker-Smith, music by Henry Purcell, adapted by Constant Lambert. Role: a Savage.
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Nadine
Meisner, "Alexander Grant: Ballet Dancer Who Reveled in His Long Association with Frederick Ashton," obituary,
162:(1976), based on Ivan Turgenev's comedy of manners, he offered a moving image of a lovelorn Russian husband, opposite
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Offstage, Grant was one of the most beloved members of the Royal Ballet. He was romantically attached to ballerina
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Grant can be seen in roles that he created in four works choreographed for the Royal Ballet by
Frederick Ashton.
130:. But character roles were his forte. He gave more than fifty performances in the title role of Michel Fokine's
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380:, choreography by Roland Petit, music by Alexis Emmanuel Chabrier. Role: fisherman in "Sunday on the River."
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During the years they worked together, Ashton made numerous roles for Grant. Among them are the following.
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300:, arranged and orchestrated by John Lanchbery. Role: Alain, son of Thomas, a prosperous vineyard owner.
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475:. He was fifty-nine years old at the time. When Ashton died in 1988, he left the rights to
102:(1958). Of all his roles, the two most famous are undoubtedly the sweet simpleton Alain in
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31:'s most remarkable actor-dancer in its golden period from the 1940s to the 1960s."
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408:, choreography by Alfred Rodrigues, music by Arnold Cooke. Role: The Devil.
401:, choreography by Andrée Howard, music by Gaetano Donizetti. Role: a lover.
74:. The next year, 1948, Ashton devised a spectacular hoop dance for him in
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Brendan McCarthy, "Frederick Ashton
Foundation and Christopher Nourse,"
773:(1960) - short film on Rowena Jackson and Alexander Grant, NZ On Screen
359:, choreography by Cela Franca, music by Jean Sibelius. Role: Ben Oni.
321:, music by Richard Rodney Bennett. Role: leader of Thursday ensemble.
307:, libretto by André Gide, music by Igor Stravinsky. Role: Mercury.
251:(act 2), music by Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Role: Russian dancer,
187:, music by Lord Berners. Role: "the boy who jumps through a hoop."
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Geraldine Morris, "Dance Partnerships: Ashton and His Dancers,"
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Debra Craine and Judith Mackkrill, "Grant, Alexander," in
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New Zealand Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
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Kisselgoff, "Alexander Grant," obituary, 3 October 2011).
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The Sadler's We;;s Ballet: A History and an Appreciation
215:, music by Maurice Ravel. Role: Bryaxis, a pirate chief.
700:(1955), and various obituaries and online biographies.
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The Royal Ballet in "Enigma Variations," in Rehearsal
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208:, music by Sergei Prokofiev. Role: The Jester.
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499:. He also received an Icon Award from the
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626:(London), 19.1 (Summer 2001), pp. 11-59.
613:(London: A.&C. Black, 1955), p. 222.
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739:(New York: Pantheon, 1996), p. 377-375.
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687:(New York: Knopf, 1977), pp/474-494.
96:(1952), and Tirrenio the sea god in
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587:(Oxford University Press, 2000).
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106:(1960) and Bottom the Weaver in
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392:Bonne-Bouche: A Cautionary Tale
249:Casse Noisette (The Nutcracker)
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585:The Oxford Dictionary of Dance
501:Arts Foundation of New Zealand
158:, a solo form of flamenco. In
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756:. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
497:1965 Queen's Birthday Honours
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639:(London), 10 February 2011.
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713:(1998), vol. 3, p. 237.
465:English National Ballet
240:. Role: Spirit of Fire.
35:Early life and training
385:Donald of the Burthens
340:A Month in the Country
160:A Month in the Country
152:The Three-Cornered Hat
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491:Grant was appointed
259:and Michael Boulton.
120:Symphonic Variations
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469:La Sylphide
413:Videography
371:Don Quixote
296:, music by
236:, music by
185:Les Sirènes
76:Les Sirènes
56:repertory.
1059:Categories
1034:Ans Westra
1014:Don Selwyn
949:Len Castle
843:Fatu Feu'u
833:Joy Cowley
750:Dance Tabs
532:References
451:Later life
437:Cinderella
305:Persephone
206:Cinderella
41:Wellington
924:Jim Allen
878:Sam Neill
399:Veneziana
378:Ballabile
312:The Dream
132:Petrushka
108:The Dream
917:Deceased
696:Clarke,
136:CoppÄ—lia
247:, from
156:farruca
816:Living
518:Façade
477:Façade
473:Façade
442:1971.
435:1969.
428:1968.
421:1962,
404:1961.
397:1953.
390:1952.
383:1951,
376:1950.
369:1950.
362:1948.
357:Khadra
355:1946,
338:1976.
331:1971.
324:1968.
317:1968.
310:1964.
303:1961.
290:1960.
285:Ondine
283:1958.
276:1956.
269:1955.
262:1955.
245:Trepak
243:1954.
232:1953.
225:1952.
220:Sylvia
218:1952.
211:1951.
204:1948.
197:1948.
190:1946,
183:1946.
126:, and
99:Ondine
93:Sylvia
62:Façade
45:trepak
255:with
520:and
479:and
138:and
148:Job
24:CBE
1061::
122:,
801:e
794:t
787:v
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