Norman Morrice- As Artistic Director Flashcards
What year did Norman Morrice become artistic director for Rambert?
1966 he was associate artistic director
1970 he was artistic director
What year was Norman Morrice replaced as artistic director and who by?
1974- by John Chesworth
What was Morrcie’s major role as artistic director?
He was responsible for Rambert’s reform, changing from a ballet company to a small scale modern dance company
1.State one development that Morrice made to the company as artistic director, and explain the impact this had on the company.
-He downsized the company and reduced their orchestra
= the company could no longer compete with the other large scale ballet companies in terms of financial difficulties and the dancers technique and standards, so they made the change from a classical ballet company hierarchy to the American Modern Dance Model, where all dancers were of soloist standard. Also, the new venues they were performing at didn’t all have orchestra pits, and there were no big ballet scores, but instead recorded music
- State another development that Morrice made to the company as artistic director, and explain the impact this had on the company.
-introduced the new Graham (modern) technique
=Morrice received a bursary to go and study the Graham technique in America with Martha Graham’s company in New York, after the success of ‘Two Brothers (1958). He then brought this style into England for the first time and began teaching it to the dancers, blending it with their familiar ballet technique
- Give one development that Morrice made to the company as artistic director, and explain the impact this had on the company.
-Brought in American choreographers Glen Tetley and Anna Sokolow into the company
=Tetley helped teach the dancers the new blend of styles and helped developed the company’s diversity of repertoire, contributing to their success as a small scale modern dance company. Anna Sokolow introduced new, popular music to dance to, again guiding them in their transition as a company
- Give another development that Morrice made to the company as artistic director, and explain the impact this had on the company.
-received a £60,000 Arts council grant
=this is a lot of money for this period of time and this would have been very beneficial to the development of Rambert’s new set and costume designs etc, aiding their success
- What is one development that Morrice made to the company as artistic director, and explain the impact this had on the company.
-he engaged young audiences through the Bertram Batell’s Slideshow in 1970
-this was an innovative programme designed for children and young people, made to educate and introduce the new works and style of the company, helping British audiences make this transition in dance genre, and increasing the awareness
- Give another different development that Morrice made to the company as artistic director, and explain the impact this had on the company.
-moved to Chiswick high road
=the company was finally thriving again and was drawing in larger audiences to watch their performances. This enabled the company to move to a new, permanent premises which remained theirs until 2013
