History
1987
- 1998
The appointment of the third Artistic
Director owed something to both chance and good fortune. In
1987, the centenary of the birth of the painter L.S. Lowry,
Salford City Council commissioned Gillian Lynne to create
a new ballet for NBT which would celebrate the life and work
of this Salford born artist.
Gillian Lynne was determined in her
choice of dancer for the role of L.S.Lowry, enticing ex-Royal
Ballet star Christopher Gable back to the dance stage - for
the first time in over 20 years. She knew of no other dancer
whose experience could master the complex and sensitive character
of Lowry.
Christopher Gable's experience as a
dancer, most significantly his notable career with the Royal
Ballet, was followed by an equally distinguished career as
an actor, on stage, as well as in film and TV. His association
with Ken Russell led to some of his most memorable film credits
including, the title role in The Boyfriend, in which he co-
starred with Twiggy, and D.H.Lawrence's The Rainbow, co-starring
Glenda Jackson. His TV work included the much acclaimed insight
into the life of Delius, as seen through the eyes of Eric
Fenby played by Gable, again directed by Russell and his acting
on stage included successful seasons with the Royal Shakespeare
Company and The Royal Exchange Theatre.
Gable was the popular choice of the
company and, following his appointment by the Board of NBT,
it soon became clear that Gable would focus as much on the
'theatre' as the 'ballet' in the company's title. In a relatively
small UK theatre circuit, being visited by a number of classical
ballet companies, he saw a unique role for NBT, that would
entice a new audience to dance through the theatricality and
emotional contact of dramatic, narrative dance theatre.
With the emphasis on classical dance
drama the popular success of 'A Simple Man' was followed by
full length productions of Swan Lake, Romeo & Juliet,
A Christmas Carol, The Brontes, The Amazing Adventure of Don
Quixote, Dracula, Giselle and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Many of which have been award winning and huge box office
hits, making NBT one of the most successful touring companies
in the UK.
Gable's impact was remarkable. In his
eleven years as Artistic Director, NBT developed a strong
audience following, who relished NBT's innovative and accessible
productions. The rewards extended beyond the box office and
ran throughout the company. The dancers particularly benefiting
from Gable's theatrical experience as their new performance
skills were carefully nurtured through a programme of workshops
on acting, singing, and mime. Their ability to communicate
with an audience was finely tuned and slowly but surely NBT's
dancers were recognised not just for their expertise as classical
dancers but for their skill as actors.
Throughout his time at NBT Gable remained
Artistic Director of Central School of Ballet, a school he
co-founded with Ann Stannard in London in 1982. He had already
brought his performance experience to the curriculum of the
school when he joined NBT in 1987 and the school became a
source of dancers for the company.
In Gable's words " NBT and CSB
provide classical dance training and experience that is unique
to the United Kingdom. It is narrative, theatrical and dramatic
and is accessible to a wide range of audiences who would not
otherwise see the highest quality of dance."
When Christopher Gable died in 1998
he left a company that was now gaining a world-wide reputation
with NBT productions requested by Norwegian National Ballet,
Atlanta Ballet and The Royal New Zealand Ballet. In 1996 Gable
was awarded a CBE, for services to British Dance; however,
his contribution, far outweighed any physical award - he had
taught a whole generation of dancers to think differently
about their craft and through his philosophy attracted a new
audience to dance theatre and made NBT the flagship for change.
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