Paul Liburd

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1) What is your favourite ballet? Or role?
My favourite ballet is Ghost Dances by Christopher Bruce, which I have danced. I saw the ballet in the early eighties and it had a great impact on me. It inspired me, and I wanted to dance the role of one of the ghosts.

 

2) How do you relax whilst on tour?
I like to listen to music; I like anything and everything – my taste is very eclectic. I also like to watch films, and so when we are on tour I take a portable DVD player with me so I always have films at hand.

 

3) What is your favourite meal/type of food?
I eat a lot of fish – mackerel, tuna, salmon. I normally steam fish, and I would eat it with maybe spinach – it’s good because it’s quick and easy. If I go out however I like to eat Thai food.

 

4) What made you take up dance as a career?
I went to a school which had dance as part of the PE curriculum. I also did athletics, but I continued with dance because I didn’t have to train outside in the cold!

 

5) Which is your favourite ballet company?
I really enjoyed seeing Culberg, from Sweden. I saw them in Germany about two years ago, their style of work is really interesting. Mats Ek, who was the director, does a lot of narrative work, such as Swan Lake, which I find interesting.

 

6) What is or has been your favourite venue to perform in?
I do enjoy dancing at Sadlers Wells in London, because I have danced there my whole career. I danced in the old theatre and then re-opened with Rambert, and it is very familiar.

 

7) What is your greatest extravagance?
Buying electrical things; I have had to replace everything because I was broken into when I was still in London. I like to have Home Cinema and DVD’s, and also my music is important.

 

8) If you hadn’t taken up dance as a career, what else would you be doing?
Dancing has been a part of my life since I was nine years old, so I cant really say.

 

Biography

 

 

Born in Leeds, Paul trained at the London School of Contemporary Dance.  During his career he has danced with London Contemporary Dance Theatre and Irek Mukhamedov & Dancers.

 

He was awarded the Cosmopolitan/Scholl Award in 1985 and in 1992 received the BBC Yorkshire Black Achievers Award. He also represented Great Britain in the 1987 Eurovision Young Dancer of the Year.

 

Paul joined Rambert Dance Company in 1992. He has danced in work by some of the world's finest contemporary choreographers. Amongst those are Christopher Bruce, Jiri Kylian, Mats Ek, Merce Cunningham, Wayne McGregor, Twyla Tharp, Hans van Manen, Paul Taylor, Ohad Naharin and Rafael Bonachela.

 

He joined Scottish Ballet in Autumn 2004 and has appeared in Page’s The Nutcracker, 32 Cryptograms, Refurbished Behaviour and The Pump Room, Room Of Cooks,Cinderella (The Dancing Master), Fearful Symmetries and The Sleeping Beauty (The King), Balanchine’s Agon, The Four Temperaments (Melencholic/Phlegmatic), Rubies and Episodes, Forsythe’s Artifact Suite, Ashton’s Façade, Robbins’ Afternoon Of A Faun, Pastor’s In Light And Shadow, Petronio’s MiddleSexGorge and Ride The Beast, and Loosmore’s Chasing Ghosts. 

 

In January 2005, he received the Dance Critics’ Circle award for Best Male Dancer (Contemporary).

 

Quotes

 

SPRING 2007
Page’s Room Of Cooks
. Daily Telegraph, 13 April 2007 - Room Of Cooks also features the company’s most powerful dancer, Paul Liburd. Now here is a genuine all-rounder, a man of molten moves and muscular steel. He is more than just precision, he is perfection.

 

. Evening Times, 12 April 2007 – The domestic disharmony between Diana Loosmore and Jarkko Lehmus is mesmerising, while Paul Liburd is a dream to watch. It’s hard to tear your eyes away from this trio whenever they are on stage – amazing.

 

. The Scotsman, 16 April 2007 – Diana Loosmore, Jarkko Lehmus and Paul Liburd keep the atmosphere crackling with adulterous passion

 

. Sunday Herald, 15 April 2007 – In Paul Liburd, we see Scottish Ballet’s most powerful performer

 

. Glasgow University Guardian, May 2007 – Liburd’s performance here stands out. As one of the cast’s older members, he now wields a masterful control over his considerable power, which allows him to temper his movements with grace… Again, Paul Liburd steals the show with a high-tensile solo, which is demanding, and in his hands, elegant.

 

. Criticaldance.net, April 2007 - Diana Loosmore, Paul Liburd and Jarkko Lehmus were outstanding.

 

Pastor's In Light and Shadow
.Dancing Times, June 2007 - The concentrated hypnotic beauty of Paul Liburd was truly memorable

 

CINDERELLA 2006/2007
. Criticaldance.net, 10 Dec 2006 – Glauco Di Lieto and Paul Liburd almost stole the show as the prancing equerry and dancing master

 

. Ballet.co.uk, Jan 2007 – Mention ought to be made for Paul Liburd’s splendidly camp Dancing Master

 

EIF 2006
Krzysztof Pastor’s In Light And Shadow
 . ballet-dance.com, Aug 2006 – The star here was undoubtedly Paul Liburd.

 

. The Independent, Aug 2006 - …with Paul Liburd and Soon Ja Lee showing particular attack.

 

Robbins’ Afternoon Of A Faun
 . Daily Telegraph, 24 Aug 2006 – Paul Liburd is spellbinding.

 

SPRING 2006
. Ballet.co.uk, March 2006 - .. and although there were individuals it would be impossible not to notice – Paul Liburd, Patricia Hines, Erik Cavallari, Eva Mutso and several others…

 

Balanchine’s Episodes
. The Daily Telegraph, 20 March 2006 - … a meditative piece that boasted some strong individual performances (Eve Mutso, Sophie Martin, Paul Liburd)…

 

. The Times, 21 March 2006 – The nine dancers look smart and sexy, although Paul Liburd’s riveting performance towers over the ensemble.

 

. The Times, 27 March 2006 – Eve Mutso, Robert Doherty, Patricia Hines and Paul Liburd give two fascinating pas de deux…

 

. The Herald, 31 March 2006 – The fleeting bemusement on Robert Doherty’s face when he apparently mislays partner Eve Mutso (she’s behind him!) or the frisky, elusive actions of Patricia Hines when Paul Liburd is clearly convinced they’re in mi-duet, totally enrich a classic piece which (set to Webern) is cool, pure and intricately modern.

 

. Londondance.com, 11 April 2006 – The distinctive Balanchine style flowed through the company but was especially personified in the remarkable Paul Liburd, looking so much like I imagine the young Arthur Mitchell to have been.

 

Petronio’s MiddleSexGorge
. The Times, 27 March 2006 - … but the cast – especially Liburd and Jarkko Lehmus, with their powerful (and bare-bottomed) physiques – dance with rigour and vivacity.

 

. The Scotsman, 11 April 2006 – When Ashley Page arrived at Scottish Ballet, one of his aims was to create “star” performers, much like Royal Ballet. In Patricia Hines, Claire Robertson, Paul Liburd and Sophie Martin, he’s got them.

 

. Londondance.com, 11 April 2006 – Here, the dancing simmered with erotic energy and I was particularly impressed by the controlled power and physicality of Jarkko Lehmus and Paul Liburd.

 

. Ballet-dance.com – 20 April 2006 – And without a doubt it is well-suited to displaying the company’s collection of fine contemporary talents, especially Paul Liburd, Patricia Hines, Martina Forioso and Jarkko Lehmus.

 

CINDERELLA 2005-2006
Page’s Cinderella
. The Herald, 3 January 2006 – Paul Liburd and Glauco di Lieto, in cahoots (and a relationship), add to the humour as knowingly camp courtiers.

 

. Ballet.co.uk, March 2006 – Particular honours here go to Paul Liburd as the dancing master, resplendent in a leopard skin print coat lined with shocking pink satin, who enlivened every scene he was in.

 

. Onlinereviwelondon.com – 12 April 2006 – The latter, pranced enthusiastically by (leopard-clad) Paul Liburd; along with Eve Mutso’s elegantly-pointed stepmother (in Schiparelli pink); proved outstanding movers in this scene.

 

AUTUMN 2005
Balanchine’s Episodes
. Dance Scene International, October 2005 – Paul Liburd and Patricia Hines are finest of all in the third section, to Webern’s Concerto Opus 24, bringing their contemporary dance experience to a still startlingly modern ballet.

 

Page’s The Pump Room
. The Herald, 12 September 2005 – Pump Room – danced by its original quartet of Diana Loosmore, Jarkko Lehmus, Sophie Martin and Paul Liburd – now feels like a thrumming pressure cooker where each heat exchange bodies threatens to blow the roof off. Utterly brilliant…

 

. Ballet-Dance Magazine, October 2005 - Patricia Hines and Erik Cavallari (in jazz shoes), and Sophie Martin (on pointe) and Paul Liburd all gave an excellent showing of smooth virtuostic contemporary dance.

 

EIF 2005
Balanchine’s Episodes
. The Herald, 27 August 2005 – …Patricia Hines and Paul Liburd excel here…

 

. The Independent, 1 September 2005 – Concerto, Op 24, sees a fine pairing of Paul Liburd and Patricia Hines…

 

SPRING 2005
Balanchine’s The Four temperaments
. Criticaldance.com, 13 April 2005 – However, the highlight of the ballet was Paul Liburd’s solo in Melancholic. Liburd, who joined the Scottish Ballet after years with the Rambert Dance Company, may be in the twilight of his performing career, but what a sunset this is!… And, possessed of a body that seems to have no joints, Liburd flowed through the choreography all the way to the final arch-backed retreat from the stage.

 

. The Herald, 14 April 2005 – Paul Liburd, new to melancholic, squares up to the glooms with stoic-heroic mien.

 

. The Guardian, 16 April 2005 - … Paul Liburd provides a manful masterpiece…

 

. The Independent, 19 April 2005 – Paul Liburd makes a dry Plegmatic, with a fine sense of contrast.

 

. Evening News, 21 April 2005 – Paul Liburd is a phenomenally physical dancer, who can be both strong and precise…

 

. The Herald, 25 April 2005 - Watching ex-Rambert dancer Paul Liburd engage with the quirkiness of Balanchine is a voyage of discovery for us as well as him.

 

. The Observer, 1 May 2005 – Liburd makes an extraordinary hieratic figure as the melancholic temperament, a brooding Paolozzi sculpture in motion.

 

Page’s The Pump Room
. Criticaldance.com, 13 April 2005 – … Page highlights two of the company’s fascinating male talents, Paul Liburd and Jarkko Lehmus.

 

. The Herald, 14 April 2005 – His new piece, The Pump Room – to pistoning rhythms by Aphex Twin – celebrates the physicality and technical prowess of four dancers: Diana Loosmore (off pointe), with Jarkko Lehmus and Sophie Martin (on pointe) with Paul Liburd.

 

. The Observer, 1 May 2005 - The Pump Room is for two powerful men – Jarkko Lehmus and Paul Liburd (both with contemporary dance background) – interacting with rogue particle women, Diana Loosmore and Sophie Martin.

 

THE NUTCRACKER 2004-2005
Page’s The Nutcracker
. Dance Europe, February 2005 – But in the rank comes Rambert’s wonderful Paul Liburd.