Tuesday, 22 November 2011

Sir Fredrick Ashton - Background Info




Sir Fredrick Ashton 1904-1988, was an important choreographer who restaged Giselle, his main aim was to concentrate on pleasing and entertaining the audience, eventhough he wasnt in the 'Romantic Era' he had the same themes running through his works. He was described as 'Graciously Lyrical' and his dance style was refined and polished to perfection, everything he did was perfect.


Ashton grew up in peru where he fell in love with dance when he saw the russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova in 1917, later on in his life he was sent off to england to go to school there, and in 1921 worked in an office, but his passion was to dance. His brother then paid for his classical training when Ashton was 17, this is a very old age to start training. He trained from 1925-1935, and Dame Marie Rambert, who trained with Enrico Cecchetti, she was convinced of his talent but steered him toward choreography as she though he was too old for a performer.


His first choreographed work was 'The tragedy of fashion', which starred he and rambert as a couturier and his cigar smoking partner.


In 1928-1929, Ashtons influences changed from Pavlova, when in paris to Bronislava Nijinska, she was a russian, petit and strong ballerina, successful with the Mariinsky Ballet, who also is the sister of Valslav Nijinski.


In the year 1935 Ashton moved from rambert to work with Ninette De Valois and The Vic Wells Ballet, which is now know known as The Royal Ballet.


Fredrick Ashton was heavily influenced in his dance technique and style by Enrico Cecchetti as Cecchetti either influenced or trained with the four ballerinas (Pavlova, Rambert, Najinska, Valois.) who influenced Ashton.

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