John Gregory (1914-1996). British dancer, director, teacher and writer

John Gregory was born in Norwich in 1914, and his early career was as an actor and visual artist. While working in the theatre he became fascinated by ballet after seeing de Basil’s Ballet Russe perform at Covent Garden. In the 1930s, as well as acting, Gregory worked as personal assistant to the painter Edward Seago, whose subjects included figures from the ballet world, such as Alicia Markova and Mikhail Fokine. Gregory took ballet classes with Igor Schwezoff, and became a devotee of the Russian tradition of schooling.

During the 1940s, Gregory toured with the Carl Rosa Ballet and joined the Anglo-Polish Ballet, where he met Barbara Vernon, who had been taught by Nicholas Legat, and was to become Gregory’s wife. While continuing to work in the theatre, with Vernon he planned and launched the School of Russian Classical Ballet in 1949. The school was followed in 1959 by the Harlequin Ballet company, whose patrons included Markova, Anton Dolin and Diana Gould (Menuhin), and where Tamara Karsavina sometimes taught and advised on productions. Harlequin Ballet folded in 1969 when it ceased to receive funding from The Arts Council. Gregory then combined teaching with writing both books and articles for the national press and dance journals, including Dancing Times. In 1995 he and Barbara instituted the Legat Foundation to perpetuate Legat’s teaching. John Vernon died in London in 1996.