1966 – Ballet Rambert, under the direction of Norman Morrice, becomes a modern dance company

Norman Morrice was born in Mexico in 1931. He studied at Marie Rambert’s school and joined Ballet Rambert in 1953, becoming a principal dancer. In 1962, Morrice travelled to the United States of America to learn about developments in modern dance, taking classes with Martha Graham. Upon his return to London, Morrice was instrumental in transforming Ballet Rambert into a smaller ensemble that concentrated on producing new work using the developments he had encountered. It marked a shift in direction for Rambert’s ensemble and established the company in the guise we recognise today. Morrice became associate artistic director and brought in works by choreographers including Glen Tetley, to be performed amongst significant works in Rambert’s history, such as Antony Tudor’s Dark Elegies and Vaslav Nijinsky’s L’Après-midi d’un Faune. Ballet Rambert later changed its name to Rambert Dance Company in 1987 and then, simply, Rambert in 2014.