Full details of this event taking place in London on Sunday 8th November.
KENNETH MACMILLAN'S CHOREOGRAPHIC IMAGINATION AND PSYCHOLOGICAL INSIGHT
Psychoanalysts and dancers celebrate the creative genius of
one of the twentieth century’s greatest choreographers.
A SYMPOSIUM
with Masterclasses, film extracts, archive video, critical discussion
Sunday November 8: 10am – 8 pm
Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, SW7
in association with
The Institute of Psychoanalysis & the Royal Academy of Dance
The event is part of the Kenneth MacMillan 80th Anniversary celebrations. MacMillan died on October 29, 1992. Had he lived, he would have been 80 this year on December 11.
www.KennethMacMillan80thAnniversary.com
MACMILLAN’S CREATIVE IMAGINATION & PSYCHOLOGICAL INSIGHT
The Symposium is an opportunity to consider MacMillan’s work outside the usual parameters of dance criticism. This rare public dialogue between artists and psychoanalysts, will explore how MacMillan translated movement and gesture from the traditions of classical ballet to investigate subject matter and issues relevant to the contemporary world and in so doing to achieve powerful emotional and psychological expression. As well as observing how MacMillan’s choreography ‘works’ on the dancers themselves, there will be examination of what and how an audience ‘reads’ from the ballet and how they react to what they see (not always comfortably). Equally, MacMillan’s own choreographic development was often in advance of his times and his managements who would try to stifle him: to what end did this increasing struggle with critical adversity fuel his creative energies?
During the day, there will be a series of set pieces – videos, master classes, presentations – interspersed with many opportunities for discussion – both among the participants on stage and also for members of the audience.
The day has four separate sections: -
MACMILLAN’S LANGUAGE:
GESTURE & EMOTION OBSERVED & EXPRESSED
MACMILLAN’S CREATIVE METHODS: WORKING WITH DANCERS’ BODIES
MACMILLAN’S SUBJECT MATTER: BREAKING THE RULES
MACMILLAN AND THE INSTITUTIONS: CREATIVITY in spite of ADVERSITY
Followed by a screening of the complete ballet ‘THE JUDAS TREE’
And a concluding celebratory party where the audience will have the opportunity to meet and talk with the participants.
Many of MacMillan’s colleagues and friends will gather for this day of exploration and celebration of the power of his work – from those who worked with him on his ballets from the very early days, and those who had ballets ‘made’ on them, to younger dancers who were soloists and principals later on in his career Apart from those who are taking part on stage, there will be many famous faces from the world of ballet among the audience.
The audience is gathering from far afield, not only within the UK but also Europe. Drawn from people interested in the worlds of psychoanalysis and ballet, there should be a rich variety of opinion and there will be plenty of opportunity during the day for people to exchange ideas between the two disciplines – especially in the refreshment breaks and the closing party.
There will also be places available for dancers at the start of their career from the Royal Ballet, English National Ballet and Royal Academy of Dance and for students associated with the Institute of Psychoanalysis
Video extracts from ‘Manon’ ‘Mayerling’ & ‘Gloria’ are not available to the general public. Other images are courtesy of the Royal Opera House Archives. ‘Out of Line’ and ‘The Judas Tree’ are by kind permission of NVC Arts/Warner Music Entertainment (thanks to John Kelleher); the extract from ‘Carousel’ by kind permission of Cameron Mackintosh
RUNNING ORDER: Illustrations & Set Pieces
MACMILLAN’S LANGUAGE:
GESTURE & EMOTION OBSERVED & EXPRESSED
Including
VIDEO: of the pas de deux from ‘Carousel’ - MacMillan’s last choreographic work.
(by kind permission of Cameron Mackintosh).
PRESENTATION: Nicholas Hytner, Artistic Director, Royal National Theatre on MacMillan’s powers of non-verbal communication:
VIDEO: KENNETH MACMILLAN himself talking to camera on what he wants to express within ballet. (From the documentary ‘Out of Line’ made for MacMillan’s 60th birthday).
VIDEO illustrations to introduce some of MacMillan’s range of expression :
‘Manon’ – Act I: pas de trios: Tamara Rojo, José Martin, Christopher Saunders
‘Mayerling’ – closet scene: Rudolf/Empress): Georgina Parkinson, David Wall
‘Gloria’ – pas de deux: Jennifer Penney, Julian Hosking
(all recordings not available to the general public)
VIDEO: The impact of MacMillan’s early work: 1952 – 1962
With Donald MacLeary, Lynn Seymour, Monica Mason, Michael Boulton, Marion Tait and Anya Linden - MacMillan’s colleagues from the early days recalling what MacMillan did, what he asked of them and the way he worked with them on ballets such as ‘Sonnambulism’, ‘Laiderette’, ‘Danses Concertantes’, ‘The Burrow’, ‘The Invitation’, and ‘Rite of Spring’ (from the rarely seen New Wave Ballet - made for the MacMillan Estate by Lynne Wake and Christopher Bird)
Discussion to include Nicholas Hytner and actress/writer Nichola McAuliffe
MACMILLAN’S CREATIVE METHODS: WORKING WITH DANCERS’ BODIES
Including
VIDEO : ‘A Lot of Happiness’ (previously unseen footage)
Kenneth MacMillan at work, choreographing a short pas de deux for TV on the Orpheus story –with Birgit Keil and Vladimir Klos who were then from the Stuttgart Ballet (film made by Jack Gold, for Granada).
MASTER CLASS 1.
Dame Monica Mason, Director Royal Ballet, working with dancers from the Royal Ballet. on ‘ MAYERLING’: Act 1: Pas de deux
MACMILLAN’S SUBJECT MATTER: BREAKING THE RULES
Including
VIDEO: KENNETH MACMILLAN himself talking to camera
with contributions from Lynn Seymour, Clement Crisp and clips from two ballets
The Invitation with Lynn Seymour and Desmond Doyle
and Isadora, with Merle Park and Derek Rencher
(Material taken from TV documentary ‘Out of Line’, 1989)
PRESENTATION: Clement Crisp – Dance Critic Financial Times
on MacMillan’s choice of subject matter and the shock of it to ballet audiences.
MASTER CLASS 2:
Wayne Eagling. Artistic Director English National Ballet, working with
dancers from English National Ballet on ‘MANON’ Act 1. Pas-de-trois
Discussion to include Clement Crisp and conductor Martin Yates
MACMILLAN AND THE INSTITUTIONS:
CREATIVITY in spite of ADVERSITY
Including
VIDEO: KENNETH MACMILLAN himself talking to camera
speaking candidly about various difficulties in his career: with comments from
Sir Peter Wright (MacMillan’s close colleague), Deborah MacMillan and critics Clement Crisp (Financial Times), Clive Barnes (New York Post)
(Excerpts from ‘OUT OF LINE’ documentary made on 60th birthday)
Discussion here leading to an exploration of the making of
THE JUDAS TREE (MacMillan’s last ballet)
With dancers from the original production Viviana Durante (the Woman) Michael Nunn, Stephen Wicks (one of the ‘gang’), and Brian Elias (composer of the specially commissioned score)
SCREENING – Complete work ‘THE JUDAS TREE’)
DVD Courtesy of NVC Arts/Warner Music Entertainment)
CLOSING RECEPTION / SOCIAL GATHERING
Sponsored by TOWRY LAW
Taking part:
For the psychoanalysts:-
Luis Rodríguez de la Sierra (who has explored ballet and psychoanalysis with dancers Irek Mukhamedov and Tamara Rojo for ‘Connecting Conversations’ for the Institute of Psychoanalysis and his colleagues Laura Etchegoyen, Marcus Johns and Alejandra Pérez, each of whom have a strong personal connection and interest in ballet:
For the performers:-
Dame Monica Mason, Director, The Royal Ballet
Wayne Eagling, Artistic Director, English National Ballet
Nicholas Hytner, Artistic Director, Royal National Theatre
Birgit Keil, Artistic Director, Baden State Theatre Ballet
Vladimir Klos, Director, Mannheim Academy of Dance
Clement Crisp, Dance Critic of The Financial Times
Jann Parry, MacMillan’s biographer
Nichola McAuliffe, actress and writer
Brian Elias, composer The Judas Tree
Martin Yates, conductor
Henry Roche, Head of Music Staff, Royal Ballet
Dancers Edward Watson, Cindy Jourdain, Iohna Loots
Viviana Durante, Michael Nunn, Stephen Wicks
with colleagues from the Royal Ballet and English National Ballet
The Symposium is moderated by the broadcaster Natalie Wheen.
BOOKING INFORMATION
Kenneth MacMillan’s choreographic imagination and psychological insight
Sunday 8th November 10am– 8 pm (registration from 0900)
The Great Hall, Sherfield Building
Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7
Tickets:
£95, to incude refreshments, lunch and closing reception with wine.
payable by cheque or postal order to:
Kenneth MacMillan 80th Anniversary, B.M.Box 5664, London WC1N 3XX
Or online at
www.KennethMacMillan80thAnniversary.com (via PayPal)
Booking applications will be confirmed by email or post
For more information
phone: +44 (0) 7501041040 email:
info@KennethMacmillan80thAnniversary.com
BIOGRAHICAL NOTES AND INFORMATION
Kenneth MacMillan (11.12.29 – 29.10.92) was a major choreographer of the 20th century. From his very earliest works he was noted for extending the conventions of classical ballet to express the widest range of human emotions and psychological states of mind. He left over 60 ballets, ranging from the 3-act narrative classics of ‘Romeo & Juliet’ (1965), ‘Anastasia’ (1970), ‘Manon’ (1972), ‘Mayerling’(1978), ‘Isadora’ (1981), ‘The Prince of the Pagodas’(1989), to a wide spectrum of subject matter in his one-act works – from the purely abstract , plotless works such as ‘Agon’ and ‘Concerto’, to the intensely dramatic- ‘Las Hermanas’, ‘Rite of Spring’, ‘Valley of Shadows’. the enigmatic:‘La Fin de Jour’, ‘Gloria’, ‘Song of the Earth’, ‘The Judas Tree’ and even the light-hearted ‘Elite Syncopations’.
MacMillan joined the Sadlers Wells (now The Royal) Ballet School as a teenager, and spent the major part of his career working with the various companies of the Royal Ballet, firstly as a dancer and then, when stage fright made it impossible to continue performing, as a choreographer. He was appointed Artistic Director of the Royal Ballet in 1970, resigning in 1977 to continue as Principal Choreographer.. MacMillan also had a long association with John Cranko’s Stuttgart Ballet company from the early 1960s which gave him an alternative outlet for his choreography to the Royal Ballet; he was the Director of the Deutsche Oper Ballet from 1966-69; and, after he resigned as Director of the Royal Ballet, he was appointed Artistic Associate of American Ballet Theatre and then Houston Ballet. His ballets are in the repertory of all the major ballet companies in the world: since his death in 1992, ever more companies are applying to perform them.
MacMillan pushed the boundaries of classical ballet, exploring all aspects and extremes of the human condition. Today, 17 years after his death, his powerful expression electrifies classically trained dancers who relish his dramatic challenges, and audiences worldwide who are increasingly drawn to his expressive choreography.
MacMillan touches their core – and demands in return an equal response.
However, in tandem with his ballets is a personal story of psychological struggle with acute depression and anxiety as MacMillan’s creative life was constantly undermined by a hostile press, his authority often questioned by his management and his peers - as is revealed in Jann Parry’s recent biography Different Drummer.
The book recounts that MacMillan consulted psychoanalysts and psychiatrists throughout his creative life: his journey of interior personal discovery informing his creative imagination.
The MacMillan Symposium will offers rich opportunities to explore the relationships between physical expression and emotional impact in MacMillan’s work - and discover what parallels might be drawn between his personal anguish and creative brilliance.
Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) promotes knowledge, understanding and practice of dance internationally. The RAD seeks to accomplish its mission through promoting dance, educating and training students and teachers, and providing examinations to reward achievement.
With over 13,000 members spread across 79 countries the RAD is one of the largest and most influential dance education and training organisations in the world . Membership supports the advancement of dance and includes professional dancers, students, teachers, benefactors and friends.
For more information visit:
http://:www.rad.org.uk
The Institute of Psychoanalysis is the main UK professional organisation for psychoanalysts in the UK and a global centre of excellence in the provision of psychoanalytic training, education, publication and clinical practice.. It is the home of the London Clinic of Psychoanalysis, which offers consultations and help finding an analyst, in selected cases at a low fee.
It administers these activities on behalf of the British Psychoanalytical Society and is a member institution of the British Psychoanalytic Council. The Institute is also a member of the International Psychoanalytical Association, which safeguards standards
in psychoanalysis and ensures a rigorous training process.
For more information visit
http://www.psychoanalysis.org.uk
Luis Rodríguez de la Sierra, Fellow of the British Psychoanalytical Society, has had a long-standing personal and professional interest in ballet and dance in general as well as in the vicissitudes of the artistic creative processes.
Laura Etchegoyen, Fellow of the Institute of Psychoanalysis, has a long-standing interest in ballet and modern dance: she danced in a semi-profesional capacity until she started her medical studies. As a Psychoanalyst she has had the fortune of being involved in the treatment of dancers and artists and is very interested in the sources and difficulties of creative processes.
Marcus Johns is a psychiatrist and Fellow of the British Psychoanalytical Society. He has a great interest in the psychological aspects of classical ballet and of all unconscious creative processes.
Alejandra Pérez, member of the British Psychoanalytic Society, has a long-standing admiration of ballet.
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