Ben Stevenson
Encyclopedia
Ben Stevenson, OBE is a former ballet dancer with Britain's Royal Ballet and English National Ballet
, co-director of National Ballet in Washington, D.C.
(1971–1974), artistic director of Chicago Ballet (1974-1975), artistic director of Houston Ballet
(1976–2003), and current artistic director of Texas Ballet Theater
(2003–present).
Gold Medal, the highest award give to a dancer by the Royal Academy of Dancing.
. A few years later, Sir Anton Dolin
invited him to dance with the London Festival Ballet, where, as a principal dancer, he performed leading roles in all the classics.
After choreographing Cinderella
in 1970 for the National Ballet in Washington, D.C.
, he joined the company in 1971 as co-director with Frederic Franklin. That same year, he staged a new production of The Sleeping Beauty in observance of the inaugural season of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
In 1976, Stevenson was appointed Artistic Director of the Houston Ballet
, which he developed into one of America's leading ballet companies. During his tenure, he expanded the company's repertory by acquiring the works of the world's most respected choreographers, commissioning new works, staging the classics and choreographing original works.
During this time as artistic director of America's fifth-biggest ballet company, and when Barbara Bush
was a trustee of the company, in 1978 Stephenson visited Beijing
and offered the Chinese dancer, Li Cunxin
a six-week scholarship to America and later on his defection, offered him a position with the company. Cunxin returned where he danced at the gala at Stevenson's retirement after 27 years with the Houston Ballet.
In 2003, he was named Director Emeritus of Houston Ballet
and the company's academy was renamed the Ben Stevenson Academy.
In 2004, Stevenson accepted the position of Artistic Director of Texas Ballet Theater
in Fort Worth, Texas
.
Stevenson has received numerous awards for his choreography, including three gold medals at the International ballet competition
s of 1972, 1982, and 1986. In addition, he has staged his ballets for the English National Ballet
, American Ballet Theatre
, the Paris Opera Ballet
, La Scala
in Milan
, the Munich State Opera Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet
, London City Ballet, Ballet de Santiago, The Perm State P. I. Tchaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre
and for many companies in the United States.
In the Bruce Beresford
film Mao's Last Dancer
, Stevenson was portrayed by actor Bruce Greenwood
.
.
Another popular repertory which Stevenson re-choreographed is the Harlequinade Pas de deux. His version was first performed at the Varna Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria by the dancers Christine O'Neal and Kirk Peterson on July 10, 1970. It is now danced by many ballet companies, though many opt to perform the traditional Russian version.
English National Ballet
English National Ballet is a classical ballet company founded by Dame Alicia Markova and Sir Anton Dolin and based at Markova House in South Kensington, London, England. Along with the Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and Scottish Ballet, it is one of the four major ballet companies in Great...
, co-director of National Ballet in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
(1971–1974), artistic director of Chicago Ballet (1974-1975), artistic director of Houston Ballet
Houston Ballet
The Houston Ballet, operated by the Houston Ballet Foundation, is the fourth-largest professional ballet company in the United States, based in Houston, Texas. The foundation also maintains a ballet academy, the Ben Stevenson Academy, which trains more than half of the company's dancers...
(1976–2003), and current artistic director of Texas Ballet Theater
Texas Ballet Theater
The Texas Ballet Theater was founded by Margo Dean in 1961 as the Fort Worth Ballet, in Fort Worth, Texas. It became a professional ballet company in 1985. In 1988 the company began adding performances in Dallas. It became the Fort Worth Dallas Ballet in 1994, then was renamed Texas Ballet Theater...
(2003–present).
Early life
A native of Portsmouth, England, Stevenson received his dance training at the Arts Educational School in London. Upon his graduation, he was awarded the prestigious Adeline GeneeAdeline Genée
Dame Adeline Genée DBE was a Danish/British ballet dancer.-Early years:Anina Kirstina Margarete Petra Jensen was born in Århus, Denmark. Her uncle, Alexandre Genée, gave her dancing lessons from the age of three. When she was eight, Alexandre and his wife, the former Antonia Zimmerman, adopted her...
Gold Medal, the highest award give to a dancer by the Royal Academy of Dancing.
Career
At the age of 18, Stevenson was invited to join the Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet by Dame Ninette de ValoisNinette de Valois
Dame Ninette de Valois, OM, CH, DBE, FRAD, FISTD was an Irish-born British dancer, teacher, choreographer and director of classical ballet...
. A few years later, Sir Anton Dolin
Anton Dolin
Sir Anton Dolin was an English ballet dancer and choreographer.Dolin was born in Slinfold in Sussex as Sydney Francis Patrick Chippendall Healey-Kay but was generally known as Patrick Kay. He joined Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes in 1921, was a principal there from 1924, and was a principal...
invited him to dance with the London Festival Ballet, where, as a principal dancer, he performed leading roles in all the classics.
After choreographing Cinderella
Cinderella (Prokofiev)
Cinderella is a ballet, Op. 87, composed by Sergei Prokofiev to a scenario by Nikolai Volkov. It is one of his most popular and melodious compositions, and has inspired a great many choreographers since its inception. The piece was composed between 1940 and 1944. Part way through writing it he...
in 1970 for the National Ballet in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, he joined the company in 1971 as co-director with Frederic Franklin. That same year, he staged a new production of The Sleeping Beauty in observance of the inaugural season of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
In 1976, Stevenson was appointed Artistic Director of the Houston Ballet
Houston Ballet
The Houston Ballet, operated by the Houston Ballet Foundation, is the fourth-largest professional ballet company in the United States, based in Houston, Texas. The foundation also maintains a ballet academy, the Ben Stevenson Academy, which trains more than half of the company's dancers...
, which he developed into one of America's leading ballet companies. During his tenure, he expanded the company's repertory by acquiring the works of the world's most respected choreographers, commissioning new works, staging the classics and choreographing original works.
During this time as artistic director of America's fifth-biggest ballet company, and when Barbara Bush
Barbara Bush
Barbara Pierce Bush is the wife of the 41st President of the United States George H. W. Bush, and served as First Lady of the United States from 1989 to 1993. She is the mother of the 43rd President George W. Bush and of the 43rd Governor of Florida Jeb Bush...
was a trustee of the company, in 1978 Stephenson visited Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
and offered the Chinese dancer, Li Cunxin
Li Cunxin
Li Cunxin is a Chinese-Australian former ballet dancer and current stockbroker.-Early life:Li was born into poverty in the Li Commune near the city of Qingdao in the Shandong province of People's Republic of China...
a six-week scholarship to America and later on his defection, offered him a position with the company. Cunxin returned where he danced at the gala at Stevenson's retirement after 27 years with the Houston Ballet.
In 2003, he was named Director Emeritus of Houston Ballet
Houston Ballet
The Houston Ballet, operated by the Houston Ballet Foundation, is the fourth-largest professional ballet company in the United States, based in Houston, Texas. The foundation also maintains a ballet academy, the Ben Stevenson Academy, which trains more than half of the company's dancers...
and the company's academy was renamed the Ben Stevenson Academy.
In 2004, Stevenson accepted the position of Artistic Director of Texas Ballet Theater
Texas Ballet Theater
The Texas Ballet Theater was founded by Margo Dean in 1961 as the Fort Worth Ballet, in Fort Worth, Texas. It became a professional ballet company in 1985. In 1988 the company began adding performances in Dallas. It became the Fort Worth Dallas Ballet in 1994, then was renamed Texas Ballet Theater...
in Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
.
Stevenson has received numerous awards for his choreography, including three gold medals at the International ballet competition
International Ballet Competition
International Ballet Competition could refer to:*Genée International Ballet Competition, promoted by the Royal Academy of Dance, first held in 1931*Helsinki International Ballet Competition, first held in 1989...
s of 1972, 1982, and 1986. In addition, he has staged his ballets for the English National Ballet
English National Ballet
English National Ballet is a classical ballet company founded by Dame Alicia Markova and Sir Anton Dolin and based at Markova House in South Kensington, London, England. Along with the Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and Scottish Ballet, it is one of the four major ballet companies in Great...
, American Ballet Theatre
American Ballet Theatre
American Ballet Theatre , based in New York City, was one of the foremost ballet companies of the 20th century. It continues as a leading dance company in the world today...
, the Paris Opera Ballet
Paris Opera Ballet
The Paris Opera Ballet is the oldest national ballet company in the world, and many European and international ballet companies can trace their origins to it...
, La Scala
La Scala
La Scala , is a world renowned opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the New Royal-Ducal Theatre at La Scala...
in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, the Munich State Opera Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet
Joffrey Ballet
The Joffrey Ballet is a dance company in Chicago, Illinois, founded in 1956. From 1995 to 2004, the company was known as The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago. The company regularly performs classical ballets including Romeo & Juliet and The Nutcracker, while balancing those classics with pioneering modern...
, London City Ballet, Ballet de Santiago, The Perm State P. I. Tchaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre
Perm Opera and Ballet Theatre
The Perm Tchaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre is an opera and ballet theatre in the city of Perm in Russia. It is one of the oldest theatres in the country, and it has remained a major musical centre during its history, in which many significant art events have taken place...
and for many companies in the United States.
In the Bruce Beresford
Bruce Beresford
Bruce Beresford is an Australian film director who has made more than 30 feature films over a 40-year career.-Early life:...
film Mao's Last Dancer
Mao's Last Dancer (film)
Mao's Last Dancer is a 2009 Australian biographical film, directed by Bruce Beresford, based on ballet dancer Li Cunxin's autobiography Mao's Last Dancer. Li Cunxin is portrayed by Birmingham Royal Ballet Principal Dancer Chi Cao , Australian Ballet dancer Chengwu Guo and Huang Wen Bin...
, Stevenson was portrayed by actor Bruce Greenwood
Bruce Greenwood
Bruce Greenwood is a Canadian actor and musician. He is generally known for his roles as U.S. presidents in Thirteen Days and National Treasure: Book of Secrets and for his role as Captain Christopher Pike in the 2009 Star Trek film...
.
Notable work
Stevenson choreographed a new version of the La Esmeralda Pas de deux for the dancers Janie Parker and William Pizzuto, who performed it for the first time on July 3, 1982 at the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, MississippiJackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
.
Another popular repertory which Stevenson re-choreographed is the Harlequinade Pas de deux. His version was first performed at the Varna Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria by the dancers Christine O'Neal and Kirk Peterson on July 10, 1970. It is now danced by many ballet companies, though many opt to perform the traditional Russian version.