Christopher Bruce

FeaturesChoreographers

Posted on

Photo: Christina Riley

Profile: Christopher Bruce trained at the Ballet Rambert School. He joined Ballet Rambert in 1963 where he was acclaimed as one of the most gifted performers of his generation, and remembered particularly for his performances in Glen Tetley’s Pierrot Lunaire and his own Cruel Garden. He is recognised as the last major choreographer to have been nurtured by Marie Rambert.

In addition to performing and choreographing, Bruce was associate director of Ballet Rambert from 1975 to 1979, and in 1980 became its associate choreographer. In 1994 he returned to the company as artistic director until 2002.

Bruce was awarded a CBE in 1998.

Choreography: Among his best-known works are Cruel Garden, Ghost Dances, Requiem, Intimate Pages, Sergeant Early’s Dream, The Dream is Over, Swansong, Rooster, Moonshine and Four Scenes, all of which have been televised.

Bruce has also choreographed for Tanz Forum, Cologne, Batsheva Dance Company, Australian Dance Theatre, Nederlands Dans Theater, Cullberg Ballet, the Royal Danish Ballet, the Gulbenkian Ballet, Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève, English National Ballet (where he was associate choreographer from 1986 to 1991), Houston Ballet (where he was resident choreographer from 1989 to 1998, and subsequently associate choreographer) and The Royal Ballet. He has choreographed for musicals, plays, operas, television and videos.