Antony Tudor (1908-1987). British dancer and choreographer

Antony Tudor was one of the most important and original choreographers of his time. Coming late to ballet, William Cook, as Tudor was originally named, was born in the East End of London. It was only in 1928 that, as a result of seeing the Ballets Russes and then Anna Pavlova, that Tudor introduced himself to Cyril Beaumont, as a result of which he began taking classes with Marie Rambert. He was soon dancing with her company, and in 1929 became general assistant to her Ballet Club. In the next few years Tudor created many ballets himself, starting with Cross Garter’d in 1931. Other early works for Rambert included Lysistrata, The Planets, and two undoubted masterpieces, Jardin aux lilas (Lilac Garden) and Dark Elegies, in all of which he danced himself. In 1938, he founded London Ballet, taking with him a number of Rambert dancers, including Andrée Howard, Peggy van Praagh, Maude Lloyd and Walter Gore.

In 1939, with the onset of World War Two, Tudor was invited, along with his partner Hugh Laing, to join Lucia Chase’s Ballet Theatre in New York, which went on to become American Ballet Theatre (ABT). Tudor retired from dancing in 1950 but continued to choreograph and teach in a number of places in the United States of America, including New York City Ballet and the Philadelphia Ballet Guild, which he founded.

He was involved, in one way or another with ABT, from the 1940s until his death, and it was for ABT that he created Pillar of Fire, Romeo and Juliet, The Leaves are Falling and Tiller in the Fields (his last ballet). Tudor is noted for the psychological intensity of his work, and for the way he aimed to strip his dancers of the veiling idiosyncracy of personality. He was also noted for his commitment to Zen Buddhism, which many see reflected in works such as Shadowplay, created for The Royal Ballet in 1968. Tudor died in New York in 1987.