Liam Scarlett
Liam Scarlett is a British choreographer, who works mainly with The Royal Ballet, but who has also choreographed new works for Miami City Ballet, Norwegian National Ballet, the BalletBoyz, English National Ballet, the San Francisco Ballet and American Ballet Theater.
Early life
Scarlett was born in Ipswich, and started dancing aged four.[1] He trained at the Linda Shipton School of Dancing, followed by The Royal Ballet Lower School, which he entered at the age of eight[2] and then the Upper School.[3]
Choreographer
His first work for the main stage at Covent Garden was Asphodel Meadows in 2010. It was a work for 20 dancers set to Poulenc's Concerto for Two Pianos.[4] In 2008 the work was commissioned by the Royal Ballet's then director, Monica Mason, who was eager to develop his choreographic abilities.[2]
Edward Villella, the then director of Miami City Ballet, saw the dress rehearsal and commissioned Scarlett there and then. Viscera critically acclaimed premiere took place in January 2012.[4] As well as further work for the Royal Ballet and Miami City Ballet, Scarlett has created, or is creating new works for the Norwegian National Ballet, the BalletBoyz, English National Ballet, the San Francisco Ballet and American Ballet Theater.[4]
In November 2012, aged 26, Scarlett gave up his dancing career as a First Artist with The Royal Ballet, to become their first Artist in Residence, a post created especially for him by the Ballet's director, Kevin O'Hare.[1][3]
On 29 April 2014, Scarlett's Hummingbird, inspired by Philip Glass's Tirol Concerto for Piano and Orchestra premiered at the San Francisco Ballet.[2] In its review, theartsdesk critic thought that it stood "above offerings from Wheeldon, Morris and Liang", and that Scarlett created "a fabulous, compelling visual and emotional world ... stirring stuff, and beautiful."[5]
Works
All for the Royal Ballet, unless otherwise noted:
- Despite (2006)
- Vayamos al Diablo (2006)
- Consolations and Liebestraum (2009)
- Asphodel Meadows (2010)
- Viscera (2012) (for Miami City Ballet)
- Sweet Violets (2012)
- Metamorphosis: Titian (2012)
- Hansel and Gretel (2013)
- Hummingbird (2014) (for San Francisco Ballet)
Awards
- Kenneth MacMillan Choreographic Award (2001)
- Ursula Moreton Choreographic Award (2003 and 2004)
- De Valois Trust Fund Choreographers’ Award (2005)[6]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Duchen, Jessica (11 December 2012). "Liam Scarlett: Dance's hottest property". The Independent. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Hunt, Mary Ellen (28 April 2014). "Liam Scarlett's smooth leap from corps to choreography". SFGate. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Liam Scarlett, Choreographer". Royal Opera House. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Sulkas, Roislyn (26 January 2014). "Hot Hand: Liam Scarlett Creates a Work for City Ballet". New York Times. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
- ↑ Weibye, Hanna (24 January 2014). "theartsdesk in Paris: San Francisco Ballet 2". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
- ↑ Colombus, Katie. "The rise and rise of Liam Scarlett: En pointe". The Stage. Retrieved 28 August 2014.