Merle Park

Last updated

Dame Merle Park

DBE
Born
Merle Park

(1937-10-08) 8 October 1937 (age 86)
Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia (now Harare, Zimbabwe)
OccupationBallet dancer

Dame Merle Park, DBE (born 8 October 1937) is a British ballet dancer and teacher, now retired. [1] As a prima ballerina with the Royal Ballet during the 1960s and 1970s, she was known for "brilliance of execution and virtuoso technique" [2] as well as for her ebullience and charm. Also admired for her dramatic abilities, she was praised as an actress who "textured her vivacity with emotional details." [3]

Contents

Early life and training

Born in Salisbury, the capital and most populous city of the self-governing British Crown colony of Southern Rhodesia (now Harare, Zimbabwe), Merle Park was educated in local schools. [4] As a child she began her dance training with Betty Lamb, a local ballet teacher, and soon showed unusual facility.

In 1951, when she was 14, her parents moved the family to England and enrolled her in the Elmhurst Ballet School. Located in Edgbaston, Birmingham, Elmhurst is an independent vocational school for youngsters intent on pursuing a professional career in classical ballet. During her three years there, Park proved to be an outstanding student. She transferred to the Sadler's Wells Ballet School in London in 1954, and, after only six months of study, was taken into the corps de ballet of the Sadler's Wells Ballet company, soon to be granted a royal charter and renamed The Royal Ballet. [5]

Professional career

Park made her stage debut as a rat in the retinue of the wicked fairy Carabosse in The Sleeping Beauty , the ballet staged by Ninette de Valois for the reopening of the Royal Opera House in 1946, a year after the end of World War II in Europe. From 1955 onward, while still a member of the corps, she was assigned numerous solo roles. [6]

At the age of 19, she danced the role of the carefree Milkmaid in Frederick Ashton's popular Façade in the opera house's Silver Jubilee gala on 6 May 1956. Soon thereafter, she was noticed by critics in a sparkling performance of Princess Florine, opposite the Bluebird in act 3 of The Sleeping Beauty. [7] Promoted to soloist in 1958, she danced her first Swanhilde, the saucy village lass in Coppélia, and the title character in John Cranko's Pineapple Poll , [8] set to the merry tunes of Arthur Sullivan. She had notable success in both parts, as "her small, light frame and fleet, sunny style made her a natural soubrette." [5]

Named a principal dancer in 1962, she subsequently danced all the ballerina roles in the classical repertory. [9] In 1968, she was cast as Clara in Rudolf Nureyev's production of The Nutcracker, dancing with him in the lyrical duet in act 1 and in the spectacular pas de deux that is the climax of act 2. It proved to be the role that made her a star. She was greatly admired as Giselle, as Cinderella, and, particularly, as Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty. [10] She gave more performances of Giselle than any other artiste in the history of the company. In 1973, she danced the dual role of Odette/Odile in Swan Lake for the first of many acclaimed performances. [11]

In the ballets of Frederick Ashton, she shone as Lise in La Fille mal gardée and as Titania in The Dream. Ashton's Symphonic Variations, a plotless work set to the score by César Franck, provided her opportunity to display her musicality and classical precision, as did the role of the Indian temple dancer Nikiya in La Bayadère. In contrast, her impersonation of Kate in Cranko's wildly funny The Taming of the Shrew, set to music by Domenico Scarlatti, sparkled with roguish humor. [12] She also gave highly dramatic performances in the title roles of Kenneth MacMillan's Romeo and Juliet and Manon, set to scores by Serge Prokofiev and Jules Massenet, respectively. Photographs of her in these roles reveal a talented dance actress at work. [13]

Park toured widely on the international ballet circuit with the Royal Ballet, often dancing with such dynamic partners as Nureyev, Anthony Dowell, and Mikhail Baryshnikov. In 1970, she toured the major cities of Rhodesia, her home country, with Royal Ballet principal dancer Petrus Bosman, a native South African, as her partner. Capping her multifaceted career was the role of the Countess Marie Larish in MacMillan's Mayerling (1978), which depicts the final years of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria-Hungary. As a lady in waiting to Empress Elizabeth and a former mistress of the prince, played by David Wall, she scored a theatrical triumph. Of all the ballets in which Park appeared in her later years, however, none suited her joyous style of dancing better than Voices of Spring (1983), a pas de deux created by Ashton for a New Year's gala performance of Die Fledermaus at the Royal Opera House. Upon entering the party scene, carried aloft by Wayne Eagling, smiling and strewing flower petals, she and he danced Ashton's buoyant choreography to Strauss's famous waltz. She was a director of the Royal Ballet School in London between 1983 and 1998.

Roles created

Selected videography

Teaching activities

In 1977, while still the senior ballerina of the Royal Ballet, Park opened her own school in London [3] and became a popular teacher, as she was able to imbue her students with the joy of dancing as well as instructing them in the basics and fine points of classical technique. A member of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, she was named a director of the Royal Ballet School in 1983. [14] With her mastery of technique and knowledge of style, she was instrumental in maintaining the high standards that made it the preeminent school of classical ballet in the United Kingdom.

Honors and awards

Park was named Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1974 Queen's Honours List. In 1982, she was the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award, the highest award bestowed by the Royal Academy of Dance. [15] Four years later, in 1986, she was honored with the title of Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (DBE) for her services to ballet in the United Kingdom. [5]

Personal life

Park was married twice. Her first husband was James Monahan, whom she wed in 1965 and with whom she had one child. As the dance critic of The Guardian newspaper in London, he had admired her since early in her career. [16] After their divorce in 1970, she married Sidney Bloch and was widowed upon his death in 2000. We can read pieces of interview with her on Gramilano website, where her personality is shown. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margot Fonteyn</span> English ballerina (1919–1991)

Dame Margaret Evelyn de Arias DBE, known by the stage name Margot Fonteyn, was an English ballerina. She spent her entire career as a dancer with the Royal Ballet, eventually being appointed prima ballerina assoluta of the company by Queen Elizabeth II. Beginning ballet lessons at the age of four, she studied in England and China, where her father was transferred for his work. Her training in Shanghai was with Russian expatriate dancer Georgy Goncharov, contributing to her continuing interest in Russian ballet. Returning to London at the age of 14, she was invited to join the Vic-Wells Ballet School by Ninette de Valois. She succeeded Alicia Markova as prima ballerina of the company in 1935. The Vic-Wells choreographer, Sir Frederick Ashton, wrote numerous parts for Fonteyn and her partner, Robert Helpmann, with whom she danced from the 1930s to the 1940s.

Maude Lloyd was a South African ballet dancer and teacher who immigrated to England and became an important figure in early British ballet. She had a significant second career as a dance critic, writing with her husband under the nom de plume Alexander Bland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Royal Ballet</span> Ballet company in the United Kingdom

The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded in 1931 by Dame Ninette de Valois. It became the resident ballet company of the Royal Opera House in 1946, and has purpose-built facilities within these premises. It was granted a royal charter in 1956, becoming recognised as Britain's flagship ballet company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natalia Makarova</span> Soviet and American ballet dancer

Natalia Romanovna Makarova is a Russian prima ballerina and choreographer. The History of Dance, published in 1981, notes that "her performances set standards of artistry and aristocracy of dance which mark her as the finest ballerina of her generation in the West."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alessandra Ferri</span> Italian prima ballerina

Alessandra Ferri OMRI is an Italian prima ballerina. She danced with the Royal Ballet (1980–1984), American Ballet Theatre (1985–2007) and La Scala Theatre Ballet (1992–2007) and as an international guest artist, before temporally retiring on 10 August 2007, aged 44, then returning in 2013. She was eventually granted the rank of prima ballerina assoluta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katherine Healy</span> American actress

Katherine Healy is an American former principal ballerina and actress who also had a professional performing career in figure skating.

Sir Anthony James Dowell is a retired British ballet dancer and a former artistic director of the Royal Ballet. He is widely recognized as one of the great danseurs nobles of the twentieth century.

Nadia Nerina was a South African dancer who was "one of the most gifted, versatile, and inspiring ballerinas of The Royal Ballet" during the 1950s and 1960s. She was known "for her technical virtuosity, lightness afoot, effortless-seeming jumps, and joyful charm onstage, especially in comedic roles."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lynn Seymour</span> Canadian-born ballet dancer (1939–2023)

Lynn Seymour was a Canadian-born ballerina, mostly associated with the Royal Ballet in London. She was a muse of choreographer Kenneth MacMillan, creating lead roles in Romeo and Juliet, The Invitation, Concerto, Anastasia and Mayerling, among others. She originated lead roles for several ballets by Frederick Ashton, including The Two Pigeons, Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan and A Month in the Country. She also guested with various ballet companies throughout her life.

Wayne Eagling is a Canadian ballet dancer, now retired. After more than twenty years as a popular member of The Royal Ballet in London, he became well known as an international choreographer and company director.

Maryon Lane was a South African ballet dancer who became well known in Britain as a ballerina of the Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet and as a soloist with the Royal Ballet.

Choreographer Sir Kenneth MacMillan's Royal Ballet production of Sergei Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet premiered at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden on 9 February 1965.

Natasha Oughtred is an English ballerina and retired principal dancer with the Birmingham Royal Ballet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thiago Soares</span> Brazilian ballet dancer (born 1981)

Thiago Soares is a Brazilian ballet dancer and choreographer. He is a former principal dancer with The Royal Ballet in London, and guest principal in other theatres around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manuel Legris</span> French ballet dancer (born 1964)

Manuel Legris is a French ballet dancer. He was an étoile of the Paris Opera Ballet for 23 years. On September 1, 2010, he began direction of the Vienna State Ballet. He was appointed artistic director of La Scala Theatre Ballet in December 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derek Rencher</span> British ballet dancer

Derek Rencher was a British ballet dancer. A commanding figure among Royal Ballet character dancers for more than four decades, he was probably the most prolific performer in the company's history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birgit Keil</span> German ballet dancer

Birgit Keil is a German ballet dancer. She was prima ballerina of the Stuttgart Ballet and was internationally known as The German Ballerina, She has been teaching at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Mannheim and directing the ballet ensemble of the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe.

Desmond Doyle was a South African ballet dancer who performed in England in the 1950s and 1960s before becoming ballet master of The Royal Ballet.

Vyvyan Lorrayne was a South African ballet dancer. Noted as a "softly classical stylist," she won acclaim as a principal dancer for England's Royal Ballet during the 1960s and 1970s.

Brian Shaw was a British ballet dancer and teacher. As a leading dancer with the Royal Ballet during the 1950s and 1960s, he was widely regarded as "one of the finest classical male dancers of his generation".

References

  1. ↑ Debra Craine and Judith Mackrill, "Park, (Dame) Merle", in The Oxford Dictionary of Dance (Oxford University Press, 2000).
  2. ↑ Jim Fowler, "Merle Park", Ballet Magazine (London), 4 November 1997.
  3. 1 2 Anonymous, "Dame Merle Park", online biography, Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  4. ↑ Christopher Pilcher, "Ballet Dancers Born in Rhodesia", in The Southern African History Musings of Ross Dix-Peek, website. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 Barbara Newman, "Park, Merle", in International Encyclopedia of Dance, edited by Selma Jeanne Cohen and others (New York: Oxford University Press, 1998), vol. 5, p. 100.
  6. ↑ "Merle Park: Dancer You Will Know", Dance and Dancers (London), May 1955, p. 19.
  7. ↑ Mary Clarke, "Dancers at Covent Garden", Dancing Times (London), March 1956, p. 347.
  8. ↑ John Cranko – Pineapple Poll on YouTube
  9. ↑ Horst Koegler, "Park, Dame Merle", in The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Ballet, 2d ed. (Oxford University Press, 1987).
  10. ↑ Anna Kisselgoff, "Ballet: Merle Park in The Sleeping Beauty", International New York Times, 29 June 1981.
  11. ↑ John Gruen, The Private World of Ballet (New York: Viking, 1975).
  12. ↑ James Monahan, "Cranko's Shrew–Royal Ballet Style", Dancing Times (London) April 1977, pp. 282–284.
  13. ↑ Anthony Crickmay and P. W. Manchester, Merle Park (Brooklyn, New York: Dance Horizons, 1976). Photos by Crickmay, text by Manchester.
  14. ↑ Alastair Macaulay, "Merle Park and the Royal Ballet School", interview, Dancing Times (London), March 1998), pp. 506–507.
  15. ↑ Ivor Guest, "Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award", Dance Gazette (London), March 1983, p. 16.
  16. ↑ James Monahan, "Antoinette Sibley and Merle Park", Dance Magazine (New York), May 1968, p. 64.
  17. ↑ "Interview with The Royal Ballet's Merle Park in 1979: Green Park, Hyde Park or Merle Park?". 22 August 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.