Antoinette Sibley and Anthony Dowell in the glamorously exotic Méditation from Thaïs, choreographed by Frederick Ashton, with costumes by Dowell. At the first performance in 1971, applause was such that Sibley and Dowell danced it again; Marie Rambert immediately hailed it as one of Ashton’s masterpieces.
© Anthony Crickmay/Victoria and Albert Museum, London
In 1986, principal dancer Anthony Dowell succeeded Norman Morrice as director of The Royal Ballet. During his tenure Dowell produced new productions of Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and Don Quixote that were considered controversial. He also oversaw a new generation of dancers, including Darcey Bussell, Viviana Durante, Irek Mukhamedov, Adam Cooper, Sarah Wildor, William Trevitt and Michael Nunn, as well as introduce guest artists such as Sylvie Guillem, Laurent Hilaire, Altynai Asylmuratova and Nina Ananiashvili.
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