1963 – Balletmakers Limited created

Established as a facilitator for the creation of new dance pieces outside of established companies, Balletmakers Limited grew out of Teresa Early’s desire to choreograph despite her understanding she wouldn’t succeed as a professional classical dancer. Teresa was the sister of The Royal Ballet dancer Fergus Early.

Showing an enterprising nature, Early operated her company with an open-door policy – anybody could pay the yearly membership fee to take advantage of spaces, classes and workshops that culminated in annual performances at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith and Richmond Theatre. The company afforded not only individuals like Early herself, but opportunities for dancers within British ballet companies to experiment with new choreography whilst connecting with musicians and designers who shared this common interest in new work.

Initially classically based, Balletmakers Limited gradually absorbed a strong modern dance flavour, with people such as Robert North creating pieces whilst London Contemporary Dance Theatre was still in its genesis. Though the group closed in 1968 (in part caused by its existence within unsupported means), Balletmakers Limited remains an important prototype within British dance of a collective of artists generating new ideas and perspectives. Early’s group held a tone of development and exploration, rather than finesse of creative output, at its heart.