Anthony Dowell

Sir Anthony James Dowell, CBE (born 16 February 1943 in London, United Kingdom) is a famous ballet dancer and was Artistic Director of Britain's Royal Ballet from 1986 to 2001, when he officially retired. He studied at the Hampshire School and The Royal Ballet’s Lower and Upper Schools. In 1961 he joined The Royal Ballet and only two years later was chosen by choreographer Sir Frederick Ashton to create the role of Oberon in "The Dream". It was in this ballet that he first danced with Dame Antoinette Sibley, who created Titania, and a great ballet partnership was formed.

Roles

Proving to have a strong technique, lyrical quality, and extraordinary dramatic sensibilities, by 1966 Dowell was promoted to the rank of principal dancer and created other roles in Ashton's works including Beliaev in his "A Month in the Country", Troyte in "Enigma Variations", and Lo Straniero in "Varii Capricci". For Sir Kenneth MacMillan, he created Des Grieux in "Manon", Benvolio in "Romeo and Juliet", Kchessinska’s partner in "Anastasia", the Boy in "Triad" and Autumn in "The Four Seasons". He also created the Boy with Matted Hair in Antony Tudor’s "Shadowplay", Prospero in Nureyev’s "The Tempest" and the leading role in Hans van Manen’s "Four Schumann Pieces", for which he was the inspiration. Roles in which he was particularly praised include the leads in Ashton’s "La Fille Mal Gardée", "Cinderella", "Daphnis and Chloë" and "Symphonic Variations"; MacMillan’s "Song of the Earth", "Ondine" and "Romeo and Juliet"; "La Bayadère", Jerome Robbins’ "Dances at a Gathering" and "In the Night" and Balanchine’s "Agon". That "he is, without a doubt, the finest Drosselmeyer who has ever danced the role....is without question. Sir Anthony is a consummate man of the theater...one of the last we shall know....We should rejoice in the recorded legacy of his work onstage." -Michael Maglaras

In demand

In the late 1970s he danced with both The Royal Ballet in London and American Ballet Theatre in New York where his extensive repertory included the role of Solor in the first performances of Natalia Makarova’s production of "La Bayadère". One of his last full dancing roles was as "Palemon" in a revival of Sir Frederick Ashton's ballet, "Ondine" in the late 1980s. While Artisic Director of the Royal Ballet, Dowell presented a new version of "The Sleeping Beauty". The production was filmed and features Dowell in the character role of "Carabosse".

A new career

In September 1986 he was appointed Director of The Royal Ballet, a post he held until August 2001, (having become Assistant to the Director in September 1984 and Associate Director in 1985).