Simone Clarke
Encyclopedia
Simone Clarke is an English ballerina
and former Prima Ballerina of English National Ballet
company. In 2006, she was the centre of controversy when it was revealed that she was a member of the British National Party
. She retired from professional dance in 2007 and opened her own school, the Yorkshire Ballet Academy, in Leeds in 2008.
(1981–1988) and then joined the Birmingham Royal Ballet
where she was promoted to the first soloist in 1995. In 1998 she joined the English National Ballet. During the company's tour of China in 2000 she performed the role of Odette/Odile in Swan Lake
as a guest dancer, and became senior soloist in that year. In 2003 she advanced to principal dancer. She has performed as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet
, and as Cinderella
and as Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty.
Clarke was the Equity trade union "dance representative" for the London region and, from November 2007, also an Executive member of the BNP-linked trade union Solidarity.
newspaper reported on 21 December 2006 that Simone Clarke was a member of the far-right British National Party
. Clarke, in response to the British media's
coverage of this, defended her personal political affiliation, stating that "the BNP is the only party to take a stand against immigration
". She faced calls to be sacked from the English National Ballet by the campaign group Unite Against Fascism
who believed it was inappropriate for a potential role model in a far-right party to be funded with public money. The Guardian later reported that Clarke said she had received "nearly 300 emails supporting me" since her membership became public. On 30 December 2006, Clarke gave her first major interview with the Mail on Sunday. The paper commented:
On 12 January 2007, around forty people staged a protest outside the London Coliseum theatre, where Clarke was to perform that night playing the lead in the romantic classic Giselle
in her first performance since The Guardian reported on her BNP membership. A counter-protest group was led by her then partner Richard Barnbrook
, the BNP local councillor for the London constituency of Barking
.
, an ENO dancer of Cuban-Chinese descent, with whom she has a daughter.
On 19 December 2007, it was announced she planned to marry BNP councillor Richard Barnbrook
, whom she had been seeing for more than nine months. In statements made before he met Clarke, however, Barnbrook was quoted as saying, apropos her relationship with Chang, "I'm not opposed to mixed marriages but their children are washing out the identity of this country's indigenous people." He has since said that should he and the ballerina wed, "her child will be my child." However, in an interview with The Times
in November 2008, he claimed that they were no longer engaged.
Ballerina
A ballerina is a title used to describe a principal female professional ballet dancer in a large company; the male equivalent to this title is danseur or ballerino...
and former Prima Ballerina of 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...
company. In 2006, she was the centre of controversy when it was revealed that she was a member of the British National Party
British National Party
The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
. She retired from professional dance in 2007 and opened her own school, the Yorkshire Ballet Academy, in Leeds in 2008.
Career
Clarke trained at the Royal Ballet SchoolRoyal Ballet School
The Royal Ballet School is one of the most famous classical ballet schools in the world and is the associate school of the Royal Ballet, a leading international ballet company based at the Royal Opera House in London...
(1981–1988) and then joined the Birmingham Royal Ballet
Birmingham Royal Ballet
Birmingham Royal Ballet is one of the three major ballet companies of the United Kingdom, alongside the Royal Ballet and the English National Ballet....
where she was promoted to the first soloist in 1995. In 1998 she joined the English National Ballet. During the company's tour of China in 2000 she performed the role of Odette/Odile in Swan Lake
Swan Lake
Swan Lake ballet, op. 20, by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, composed 1875–1876. The scenario, initially in four acts, was fashioned from Russian folk tales and tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse. The choreographer of the original production was Julius Reisinger...
as a guest dancer, and became senior soloist in that year. In 2003 she advanced to principal dancer. She has performed as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
, and as Cinderella
Cinderella
"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
and as Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty.
Clarke was the Equity trade union "dance representative" for the London region and, from November 2007, also an Executive member of the BNP-linked trade union Solidarity.
BNP membership
In an undercover investigation, The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
newspaper reported on 21 December 2006 that Simone Clarke was a member of the far-right British National Party
British National Party
The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
. Clarke, in response to the British media's
Media of the United Kingdom
Media of the United Kingdom consist of several different types of communications media: television, radio, newspapers, magazines, and Internet-based Web sites. The UK also has a strong music industry. The UK has a diverse range of providers, the most prominent being principle public service...
coverage of this, defended her personal political affiliation, stating that "the BNP is the only party to take a stand against immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
". She faced calls to be sacked from the English National Ballet by the campaign group Unite Against Fascism
Unite Against Fascism
Unite Against Fascism is an anti-fascist pressure group in the United Kingdom, with support from politicians of all mainstream UK political parties...
who believed it was inappropriate for a potential role model in a far-right party to be funded with public money. The Guardian later reported that Clarke said she had received "nearly 300 emails supporting me" since her membership became public. On 30 December 2006, Clarke gave her first major interview with the Mail on Sunday. The paper commented:
On 12 January 2007, around forty people staged a protest outside the London Coliseum theatre, where Clarke was to perform that night playing the lead in the romantic classic Giselle
Giselle
Giselle is a ballet in two acts with a libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Théophile Gautier, music by Adolphe Adam, and choreography by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot. The librettist took his inspiration from a poem by Heinrich Heine...
in her first performance since The Guardian reported on her BNP membership. A counter-protest group was led by her then partner Richard Barnbrook
Richard Barnbrook
Richard John Barnbrook is a British politician and member of the London Assembly. Having been elected as a British National Party candidate, he resigned the BNP whip in August 2010. Barnbrook was a councillor, and leader , then deputy leader , of the BNP group on Barking and Dagenham London...
, the BNP local councillor for the London constituency of Barking
Barking (UK Parliament constituency)
Barking is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. It has elected Labour MPs since its creation in 1945, usually with strong majorities.- Boundaries :The...
.
Private life
Clarke was the girlfriend of Yat-Sen ChangYat-Sen Chang
Yat-Sen Chang Oliva is a Cuban principal dancer in the English National Ballet.Yat-Sen Chang is a Chinese Cuban born in Matanzas, Cuba. Yat-Sen Chang studied dance at the Cuban National Ballet School, beginning his studies at the age of nine...
, an ENO dancer of Cuban-Chinese descent, with whom she has a daughter.
On 19 December 2007, it was announced she planned to marry BNP councillor Richard Barnbrook
Richard Barnbrook
Richard John Barnbrook is a British politician and member of the London Assembly. Having been elected as a British National Party candidate, he resigned the BNP whip in August 2010. Barnbrook was a councillor, and leader , then deputy leader , of the BNP group on Barking and Dagenham London...
, whom she had been seeing for more than nine months. In statements made before he met Clarke, however, Barnbrook was quoted as saying, apropos her relationship with Chang, "I'm not opposed to mixed marriages but their children are washing out the identity of this country's indigenous people." He has since said that should he and the ballerina wed, "her child will be my child." However, in an interview with The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
in November 2008, he claimed that they were no longer engaged.