Swan Lake, Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failure, it is now one of the most popular ballets of all time.
Sir Robert Murray Helpmann CBE was an Australian ballet dancer, actor, director, and choreographer. After early work in Australia he moved to Britain in 1932, where he joined the Vic-Wells Ballet under its creator, Ninette de Valois. He became one of the company's leading men, partnering Alicia Markova and later Margot Fonteyn. When Frederick Ashton, the company's chief choreographer, was called up for military service in the Second World War Helpmann took over from him while continuing as a principal dancer.
Sadler's Wells Theatre is a performing arts venue in Clerkenwell, London, England located on Rosebery Avenue next to New River Head. The present-day theatre is the sixth on the site since 1683. It consists of two performance spaces: a 1,500-seat main auditorium and the Lilian Baylis Studio, with extensive rehearsal rooms and technical facilities also housed within the site. Sadler's Wells is renowned as one of the world's leading dance venues. As well as a stage for visiting companies, the theatre is also a producing house, with a number of associated artists and companies that produce original works for the theatre. Sadler's Wells is also responsible for the management of the Peacock Theatre in the West End, during times not used by the London School of Economics.
New Adventures is a British dance-theatre company. Founded by choreographer Matthew Bourne in 2001, the company developed from an earlier company Adventures in Motion Pictures, now dissolved.
Sir Matthew Christopher Bourne is a British choreographer whose work includes ballet, contemporary dance, dance theatre and musical theatre. In 2016 he was knighted as part of Queen Elizabeth II 2016 New Year Honours list for 'Services to Dance'.
William Kemp is an English actor and dancer.
Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake is a contemporary ballet based on the Russian romantic work Swan Lake, from which it takes the music by Tchaikovsky and the broad outline of the plot. Bourne's rendering is best known for having the traditionally female parts of the swans danced by men.
Jason Piper is a British actor who voiced the part of the centaur Bane in the fifth film adaptation of the Harry Potter books: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Jonathan Byrne Ollivier was a British dancer.
Matthew Bourne's The Car Man is a dance production by British choreographer Matthew Bourne. It previewed for the first time on Tuesday, May 16, 2000 at the Theatre Royal in Plymouth, England, and was subsequently staged at the Old Vic in London in September of that year.
Matthew Bourne's Dorian Gray is a contemporary dance adaptation of Oscar Wilde's 1890 novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, by choreographer Matthew Bourne. The show made its debut in August 2008 at the Edinburgh International Festival and transferred to Sadler's Wells Theatre in London in September 2008. The music was composed by Terry Davies for a rock quintet directed from the keyboard. The set and costumes were designed by Lez Brotherston.
Ivan Oleksandrovych Putrov is a Ukrainian-born ballet dancer and producer. He trained at The Kyiv State Choreographic Institute and at The Royal Ballet School. Upon graduation Sir Anthony Dowell invited him to join the Royal Ballet, which he did in September 1998. He has continued to dance with companies around the world, to organize dance events and to teach.
Adam Cooper is an English actor, choreographer, dancer and theatre director. He works as both a performer and choreographer in musical theatre, and has choreographed and/or starred in award-winning shows such as On Your Toes, Singin' in the Rain and Grand Hotel. He began his professional career as a dancer of classical ballet and contemporary ballet and is a former Principal of the Royal Ballet, a major international ballet company based in London. He became internationally recognized for creating the lead role of Swan/Stranger in Matthew Bourne's contemporary dance production of the ballet Swan Lake, a role that was briefly featured in the 2000 film Billy Elliot where Cooper played the adult version of the titular character.
Aaron Sillis is an English dancer and choreographer who has worked in many fields of dance, most notably working with leading international pop artists including Rihanna, Katy Perry, FKA twigs, Justin Bieber, Kylie Minogue, Mariah Carey and Leona Lewis.
Alistair Marriott is an English ballet choreographer and principal character artist of The Royal Ballet.
Dominic Andrew North is an English ballet dancer.
Edward Scissorhands is a contemporary dance adaptation of the 1990 American romance fantasy film Edward Scissorhands, created by Matthew Bourne, with music by Terry Davies. The screenwriter and composer of the film version, Caroline Thompson and Danny Elfman, helped to develop the dance version, which is set in the 1950s. The story is told entirely through music and dance with no discourse although the plot is similar to the movie.
Pearl Argyle was a South African ballet dancer and actress. She appeared in leading roles with English ballet companies in the 1930s and later performed in stage musicals and in films.
Etta Jane Bertschinger is a British dancer, choreographer and the associate director of the New Adventures educational strand. She has worked for Matthew Bourne for over 20 years in a variety of different roles. She teaches throughout the UK and abroad for dance companies and dance institutions, as well as being a freelance faculty member of the London Contemporary Dance School and Young Place.
The Red Shoes is a ballet choreographed by Matthew Bourne using the music of Bernard Herrmann (1911–1975). It is based broadly on the 1948 film The Red Shoes by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. The set and costume designs are by Lez Brotherston. The ballet was premiered on 6 December 2016 at Sadler's Wells Theatre, London, by Bourne's ballet company, New Adventures.
