Ashley Page
Artistic Director
After graduating from the Royal Ballet School, Ashley Page joined the Royal Ballet in 1976, becoming a Principal dancer in 1984. He danced most of the leading roles in the classical repertoire and in the ballets of Ashton and MacMillan, who both created roles for him. He was increasingly cast in modern works by Tetley, Alston and Bintley in a wide ranging series of parts that displayed his strong technique, and dramatic and partnering skills. His first choreography for the Royal Ballet was A Broken Set of Rules in 1984. It was immediately apparent that an interesting and startling new voice was being heard. To understand the choreography of Ashley Page one has to examine the powerful cross-currents at the confluence of classical ballet and Cunningham technique. The turbulence one would expect to find at such an unlikely juncture is all evident in Page’s work: in the surging dynamics; unpredictable configurations of dancers; and the sense that his choreography draws upon a diverse and limitless vocabulary of steps. Certainly the Cunningham influence is not blatantly apparent, nor is the strong danse d’ecole tradition in which Page was steeped throughout his training as a dancer. What confronts the viewer is a brilliant hybrid: exotic, dramatic and full of natural innovation.
His burgeoning reputation led to choreographic commissions for the Turkuaz Modern Dance Company; Second Stride; Western Australian Ballet; and significantly, the Dutch National Ballet in 1992, where his piece Touch Your Coolness To My FeveredBrow marked a looser and less classical style. The Royal Ballet commissioned many pieces, of which the most notable were Pursuit (1987) Piano (1989) Now Langourous, Now Wild (1996) Room of Cooks (1997) Cheating, Lying, Stealing (1998) and HiddenVariables (1999). The hugely successful Fearful Symmetries won a Time Out magazine award in 1994 and an Olivier in 1995.
Page is justly famed for his collaborations with important composers and visual artists in pursuit of the philosophical ideal of the gesamtkunstwerk (total work of art). The list of contemporary music makers is an impressive one: Michael Nyman; Colin Matthews; David Lang and Michael Gordon; Orlando Gough and John Adams. The artists, no less so: Howard Hodgkin; Deanna Petherbridge; Jack Smith; Bruce McLean; Jon Morrell; Stephen Chambers; and most felicitously, in terms of Scottish Ballet: Antony McDonald.
When Ashley Page was appointed as Artistic Director of the Company in 2002 he gave a commitment to apply his considerable energy to developing the boundaries of Scottish Ballet. In an astonishingly short time he has formed a repertoire of modern classics: Ashton, Balanchine, (four works to date) Alston, Davies, Petronio, van Manen and Forsythe. His own choreography has formed an important part among the works designed to stretch the abilities of his dancers such as: Nightswimming into day (2004); 32Cryptograms (1996); Acrid Avid Jam (2001); The Nutcracker (2003); The Pump Room (2005), Room Of Cooks (1997), and most recently, the critically acclaimed Cinderella (2005).
By 2004 critical recognition of the Company’s resurgence under Ashley Pagewas forthcoming from several quarters. Most notably Scottish Ballet received the TMA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance, as well as a nomination for the Critics Circle Company Prize for Outstanding Repertoire. The triumphant return to Edinburgh International Festival 2005 garnered not only praise but a coveted Herald Angel Award, as did the Fringe Festival performance of Page’s own work by two of the Company’s contemporary performers. Scottish Ballet was for the second year running nominated for the Critics Circle National Dance Award for Outstanding Repertoire, while dancer Eve Mutso was nominated for the Richard Sherrington Award for Best Female Artist. Ashley Page was also nominated in the dance category at the South Bank Show Awards 2005 for his work with Scottish Ballet.
In 2006, the Company made its much-anticipated and hugely successful return to the London stage (Spring Season 2006), seven years since the Company last toured to London and for the first time under the direction of Page.
Ashley Page was awarded OBE for services to dance in the Queen's 2006 birthday honours list.
The difficult balance between tutus and pointe shoes and the barefoot demands of the modern school is being carefully held under his artistic leadership, which he rightly describes as “our exciting new adventure.”
Mike Dixon
Quotes
“Ashley Page’s rescue of Scottish Ballet, creating a virtually new company in his first two seasons as artistic director, is a triumphant success.”
The Sunday Times, 01/01/06
“The arrival of Ashley Page as artistic director in 2002 has turned our national ballet company into a force to be reckoned with.”
The List, 15/12/05
“[Scottish Ballet’s] morphing from dead duck to fledgling swan is the work, above all, of Ashley Page. The former Royal Ballet principal dancer and acclaimed post-modern choreographer took up the reins there just over three years ago, and since then, he has not only created two full length works for the company: he has turned it almost completely around.”
Daily Telegraph, 11/03/06
“Ashley Page took over as artistic director in 2002, and he clearly arrived brandishing a magic wand. Attracting dance talent from around the world, Page has re-invented Scottish Ballet almost beyond recognition.”
The Scotsman, 10/12/05
"What Page achieved in just under a year was miraculous.”
Leopard Magazine, December 2005
“Within a year, Page seemed to have succeeded in accomplishing the impossible: a motivated, enthusiastic band of dancers with support from the Board and government; and an eclectic, exciting modern repertoire.”
Balletanz, December 2005
Paul Tyers
Deputy Artistic Director
Paul was born in Leicester, training at the Rambert and Royal Ballet Schools. As a Principal dancer with Scottish Ballet, Paul has danced many leading roles for the Company. He subsequently became Répétiteur, and then Ballet Master in 1986. Paul was promoted to the role of Assistant Artistic Director in 2002 and Deputy Artistic Director in 2005.
Maria Jiminez Arrechea
Ballet Mistress
Maria trained at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and Dance of Madrid, Spain. She was Ballet Teacher at School of Dance Maria de Avila in Zaragoza between 1991-2001, and during this time was Official Teacher for III, IV, and V National Dance Competition of Torrelavaga, Spain. She then became Ballet Mistress and Repetiteur for Ballet de Zaragoza where she remained until 2004.
Maria studied Benesh Notation at the Benesh Institute, Royal Academy of Dance, London, and in addition, she is qualified in Therapeutic Massage. During her career Maria has worked with choreographers such as Maria de Avila, Antonia Francheschi, Mark Baldwin and Richard Alston. Her own choreographies include Allegro Vivace, 2000, Suite Holberg, 1997 and Sinfonia n. 1 1994.
Amanda Eyles
Ballet Mistress
Amanda trained at the ArtsEducationalSchool, Tring and at RambertAcademy, London. She spent a year teaching ballet and contemporary dance before taking the Professional Diploma in BMN at the Benesh Institute. Her career in notation started with The Royal Ballet and continued with Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet, which became the Birmingham Royal Ballet. She joined English National Ballet as a Benesh notator and was promoted to Ballet Mistress.
Throughout her career she has worked closely with many choreographers on new work, including Peter Wright, Derek Deane, Michael Corder, Mauro Bigonzetti and Richard Alston. She has also been closely involved with reviving and rehearsing existing works, as well as all the classics. Amanda joined the Royal Academy of Dance as Benesh Lecturer and Assistant Director of the Benesh Institute in 2000 and returned to English National Ballet as Rehearsal Director in 2001.