Matthew Bourne (1960-). British dancer, choreographer and director

Born in London in 1960, Matthew Bourne was a late starter, but a natural for a life in dance. Although fascinated by many forms of entertainment in his youth, from film to stage and television, he had to wait until the age of 22 to start his dance training formally. He graduated from the Laban Centre (now Trinity Laban) in London with a degree in dance theatre in 1985. After this, as choreographer and artistic director of his first company, Adventures in Motion Pictures, he took the dance world by storm with productions such as Spitfire, Highland Fling, Deadly Serious, Town and Country and Nutcracker!

Of the many works created for the company, his 1995 version of Swan Lake, which included male swans instead of female, stands out. Before and since this landmark production he has mounted many adaptations, re-interpretations and up-datings of works from the classical ballet repertoire and the popular theatre. Inventive, theatrical and highly musical, he has had enormous success, both in Britain and internationally. His range and ability have earned him critical acclaim and many awards and nominations. Adventures in Motion Pictures closed in 2002, but Bourne launched a new company, New Adventures, that same year. This new company opened with Bourne’s Play Without Words at the National Theatre. New Adventures continues to present his groundbreaking work. He also works on other projects, in the theatre and in films and television. Whatever reactions Matthew Bourne’s work may stimulate, there is no denying he has found a new and individual idiom for dance, and that he continually reaches audiences who might not initially go to traditional ballet performances.