<P><B>Rambert Dance director to step down</B> <BR> <BR>BY DALYA ALBERGE<BR>The Times<BR> <BR> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>DANCE is facing the biggest upheaval in its history after the head of one of the leading companies announced his retirement. <BR>Christopher Bruce, 56, one of Britain’s most popular choreographers, will step down as artistic director of the Rambert Dance Company next year as soon as a successor has been found. <P>The appointment will not be an easy one to make, however, because there is a shortage of choreographers. The Royal Ballet, Northern Ballet Theatre and English National Ballet have all struggled to find new directors in Britain. Each of their posts went to a foreigner: an Australian, a Canadian and a Swede respectively. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><A HREF="http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,2-2001561603,00.html" TARGET=_blank><B>more...</B></A><P> <P>

Following the breaking of the 10am Wednesday press embargo by The Times, Rambert Dance Company has given us permission to publish the press release. Our thanks to Rambert's efficient and helpful Press Officer Catriona Macrea-Gibson: <P> <BR><small>Christopher Bruce, Rambert Dance Company's Artistic Director since 1994</small><BR><small>photo by Anthony Crickmay</small><P><BR><B>CHRISTOPHER BRUCE ANNOUNCES HIS RETIREMENT</B> <P>CHRISTOPHER BRUCE CBE announces his intention to retire as Artistic Director of Rambert Dance Company over the course of the next year. His decision follows an association with Rambert of over 40 years - the last eight as Artistic Director - and coincides with the end of the Company’s 75th anniversary year. rightRambert’s Chairman, PRUDENCE SKENE CBE, with the Company’s Executive Director, SUE WYATT, and Board of Directors, have already begun working towards the identification of Bruce’s successor. Bruce will remain as Rambert’s Artistic Director for the duration of this process. <P>Announcing his retirement, Bruce says: ‘When I returned to Rambert in 1994 I never imagined that I would still be here eight years later. They have been challenging, but immensely rewarding years, and I am proud of this fine Company. I now believe, however, that I have completed the job I was brought in to do and feel it is time to let the Company move on to the next stage of its development. I look forward very much to giving more time and attention to my personal life and growing family.’ <P>Commenting on Bruce’s announcement, Prudence Skene says: ‘It is with huge recognition of his achievements that I acknowledge Christopher’s wish to retire from Rambert after eight years as Artistic Director, and it is with understanding and affection that I accept his decision. The Board remains committed to Christopher’s vision of Rambert as a large-scale contemporary dance company presenting a broad international repertoire, and to the continuation of his exacting standards in the engagement of world-class dancers. The identification of a worthy successor will be a serious and, perhaps, difficult process, but I firmly believe that it marks the beginning of an exciting future for the Company, which has thrived on new developments so famously over the last 75 years.’ <P>Christopher Bruce (56) trained as a dancer at the Rambert School and joined the then Ballet Rambert in 1963. He emerged as one of the Company’s foremost dancers and, subsequently, as one of its most important choreographers. Between 1975 and 1987, he held the positions of Associate Director and Associate Choreographer respectively, and returned to the Company in 1994 as Artistic Director. Bruce has created some 30 works for Rambert, in addition to his many commissions for companies throughout the world. He was awarded the CBE in 1998 in recognition of his extraordinary contribution to British dance. <P><p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited February 19, 2002).]

Christopher Bruce is one of my heroes from the world of dance. In pieces such as 'Swansong' and 'Ghost Dances' he has created some of the most memorable and accessible work of the past 20 years and has extended considerably the genre of works on social and human rights themes. Before that he was a gifted and charismatic dancer and fortunately there are some fragments of film around which show the power of his stage presence.<P>Rambert was in crisis when he returned in the role of Artistic Director in 1994. He leaves the Company in a strong position after their 75th Anniversary year in which they have staged some 10 new works, including new pieces from company members - a Rambert tradition that Bruce has maintained and nurtured. <P>In addition, during this time Rambert have expanded their strong Education Department, which is much more than just an exercise to keep the Arts Council happy. Although the noise of sweet wrappers, crisps and giggles can be irritiating at times, Rambert succeed in getting large numbers of school-children to performances. Another sign that Christopher Bruce gives long-term development a high priority.<P>I interviewed him for Amnesty International a couple of years ago and you can <A HREF="http://www.criticaldance.com/interviews/cbruce990700.html" TARGET=_blank><B>find the text here</B></A>. On such occasions when I have seen him with the dancers and the Company administrators it is clear that he builds strong, supportive relationships with his team. He'll be a hard act to follow.<P>To save you time, I've searched through our 40,000 postings and here are the links to our coverage of Rambert over the past two years:<P><A HREF="http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum5/HTML/000018.html" TARGET=_blank><B>Rambert's 'God's Plenty, Sadler's Wells, London</B></A> <P><A HREF="http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum5/HTML/000021.html" TARGET=_blank><B>Rambert's 'Ghost Dances' Triple Bill</B></A> <P><A HREF="http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum5/HTML/000130.html" TARGET=_blank><B>Rambert dance Tetley</B></A> <P><A HREF="http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum5/HTML/000149.html" TARGET=_blank><B>Rambert at Sadler's Wells - June 2000</B></A> <P><A HREF="http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum5/HTML/000248.html" TARGET=_blank><B>Rambert Autumn tour 2000</B></A> <P><A HREF="http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum5/HTML/000432.html" TARGET=_blank><B>'Nowhere Better'</B></A> - a short film choreographed by Rafael Bonachela, one of the Rambert dancers whose work has been encouraged by Bruce.<P><A HREF="http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum5/HTML/000533.html" TARGET=_blank><B>Rambert in Australia & NZ 2001</B></A> <P><A HREF="http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum5/HTML/000664.html" TARGET=_blank><B>Rambert Spring/Summer 2001</B></A> <P><A HREF="http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum16/HTML/000109.html" TARGET=_blank><B>Rambert Dance Company - Autumn/Winter 2001-2</B></A> <P><A HREF="http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000044.html" TARGET=_blank><B>Rambert Education - 'Spring Forward/Fall Back</B></A> <P><A HREF="http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000096.html" TARGET=_blank><B>Rambert Summer School 2001</B></A> - our exclusive reports by TUK<P><A HREF="http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000167.html" TARGET=_blank><B>Barclays Theatre Awards 2001</B></A> <P><A HREF="http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000177.html" TARGET=_blank><B>Rambert's new website</B></A> <BR> <BR><p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited December 04, 2001).]

<B>Britain fails to choreograph its talent as fourth leading ballet director quits</B><P>By David Lister, Media and Culture Editor<BR>The Independent<BR>05 December 2001<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Classical ballet doesn't have a World Cup. If it did, England's best dancers, like the country's top footballers, would be going to the finals under the guidance of a foreign manager.<P>A quiet revolution is taking place in British ballet, a revolution that has seen the future of dance at the highest level entrusted – almost entirely – to overseas choreographers.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><A HREF="http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/theatre/dance/story.jsp?story=108351" TARGET=_blank><B>more...</B></A><p>[This message has been edited by Emma Pegler (edited December 05, 2001).]

Short comment in the Telegraph<P><A HREF="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/et?ac=005760794236107&rtmo=lA7oul7t&atmo=rrrrrrrq&pg=/et/01/12/6/btib06.html" TARGET=_blank> <B> MORE </B> </A>

<B>Dancing to the same tune</B><BR>John Kercher in The Guardian on the people that make the Rambert Dance Company kick. <P><BR>Most people complain about the amount of paperwork in their office. Christopher Bruce might, but when he arrives at his, at around 9.45am, he has the additional burden of piles of clothes in there too.<P>"It's full with them," he says. "But I need them for rehearsals." Bruce is artistic director and choreographer for the Rambert Dance Company, and his association with them stretches back 38 years.<P>Rambert's offices in Chiswick, London, are a combination of administration, studios, public relations and financial development. "I check my mail and then I might have a chat with Michelle about audition invites or interviews," he says.<P><A HREF="http://globalarchive.ft.com/globalarchive/article.html?id=011210000925&query=dance" TARGET=_blank><B>click for more</B></A><P>Stuart adds: Mainly because of the Amnesty International link with Rambert I liaise regularly with most of the people mentioned in this article and I have to say that I am filled with admiration for the way they go about their work. Rambert are a pleasure to do business with, apart from the fine dancers and rep.<P>

Latest news from Rambert:<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Following the announcement that Christopher Bruce will retire as Artistic Director of Rambert Dance Company over the course of the next year, a Board committee, under the direction of the Chairman, Prudence Skene, has been established to oversee the recruitment of his successor. The position of Artistic Director will be advertised in February 2002, with initial interviews expected to be held in late March or early April.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> <BR>

Do you want to borrow a pen, Stuart?

Well, managing the Company, creating new works and preserving the rep would present no problem of course, but having to deal with individual sponsors would drive me scatty. So I'll leave it to someone else.

Rambert have e-mailed us the news release for the advert for Christopher Bruce's successor. Here is the link to the <A HREF="http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum13/HTML/000572.html" TARGET=_blank><B>full text</B></A>.<P>Clearly the process of finding a successor to Christopher Bruce is gathering pace.<P>Susan Coffer, Director of Marketing, at Rambert told me today that the advertisement for the post would be appearing not only in The Guardian, but also in The Guardian International and Dance Europe magazine. In a sign of the Internet coming of age in this arena, Rambert has made a special effort to contact a selection of dance websites, in order to ensure an international footprint. The job specification was drawn up by a special sub-committee of the Board, led by the Board's chairman Prudence Skene, CBE.<P>I asked Susan about the fact that the advertisement specifically states that applicants need not necessarily be a choreographer. She pointed out that Marie Rambert, the Company's illustrious founder, was not herself a choreographer, but had the gift for spotting and nurturing talent and inspiring the dancers. So, could this could be seen as a possible return to the roots of the Company? <P>Interviews are scheduled to be held at the end of April and this will clearly be a highly significant appointment for UK dance. It is anticipated that Christopher Bruce will be staying on at Rambert until the end of 2002.<P>Here is the link for details of the <A HREF="http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum16/HTML/000197.html" TARGET=_blank><B>current Spring/Summer tour</B></A>.<P>

Article in The Independent on his time at Rambert.<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Christopher Bruce has shaved off his signature beard. Gosh, does he feel that dramatic about his retirement as director of the Rambert Dance Company? No. It's just that his role in Lindsay Kemp's Hollywood spoof The Parades Gone By demands a smooth chin under the pantomimic white pancake, or the result would be too revolting.<P><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><A HREF="http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/theatre/interviews/story.jsp?story=294609" TARGET=_blank> <B> MORE </B> </A>