Bruce Sansom (1963-). British dancer, coach, teacher and director

Bruce Sansom was born in 1963 in Newbury, Wiltshire. He trained at The Royal
Ballet School and danced Colas in Frederick Ashton’s La Fille Mal Gardée at The Royal Ballet School matinée at the Royal Opera House in 1982. He joined The Royal Ballet in 1982 and was promoted to principal after only five years in the company. Sansom was a dancer of tremendous range and sensitivity, equally suited to the classical repertoire as well as the established great British choreographers of the 20th Century. He also responded to a range of new and daring choreographers with whom he was much in demand. He was at home with any amount of virtuosity or drama, finding new depths in past works and bringing vitality and intelligence to the new. He retired from the stage in 2000. After four years as director of Central School of Ballet, Bruce Sansom went to San Francisco Ballet in 2009 to be work as ballet master and assistant director. His life now is outside of ballet, pursuing his artistic talent in weaving and basket making.