Mark Baldwin (1955?-). Fijian-born dancer, choreographer and director

Mark Baldwin was born in Fiji, and educated in New Zealand. He took a degree in Fine Arts at the University of Auckland, where his interest in choreography began. He was involved in founding Limbs Dance Company, and then danced with the New Zealand Ballet, EMMA Dance Company and Australian Dance Theatre. He danced with Ballet Rambert (later Rambert Dance Company) from 1979 until 1992, dancing in a wide-range of works by choreographers such as Glen Tetley, Richard Alston and Christopher Bruce. Baldwin established the Mark Baldwin Dance Company in 1993, which ran until 2001. In 1996 he became resident choreographer for Scottish Ballet, and in 2002 became artistic director of Rambert Dance Company (later Rambert). He held the post until 2018 when he left to devote himself to freelance choreographic work.

As a choreographer Baldwin created over 40 works for his own company, Rambert, The Royal Ballet, Scottish Ballet and for other companies around the world. A particular high point in his career was his staging of Joseph Haydn’s The Creation for Rambert dancers and students, along with an opera chorus and orchestra. During his tenure at Rambert he commissioned over 60 works for the company, including eight of his own. He was instrumental in Rambert’s move to its new premises on London’s South Bank in 2013, and also behind the establishment of a music fellowship and of a scientist in residence post at Rambert.

Mark Baldwin won the Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance in 2010. In 2011 Rambert, under Baldwin’s direction, won the Critics’ Circle National Dance Award for the Outstanding Company of 2010, and in 2019 he won the De Valois Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance. Baldwin was appointed an OBE for his services to dance in 2016.