David Adams,OC(16 November 1928 – 24 October 2007) was a Canadian ballet dancer and a founding member of theNational Ballet of Canada.
David Adams | |
|---|---|
 David Adams asPeer Gynt | |
| Born | 16 November 1928 |
| Died | 24 October 2007(aged 78) Stony Plain,Alberta,Canada |
Early career
editAfter his training underGweneth Lloydat theRoyal Winnipeg Ballet,[1]David began his performing career with England's Metropolitan Ballet. Here he metCelia Franca,who would become the founding Artistic Director of theNational Ballet of Canada.He also shared the stage with Eric Bruhn,Sonia ArovaandJohn Taras,performingDesign With Strings,Dances from Galantaand other works in a tour of Scandinavia.
Career
editHe returned to Canada in 1949 and after a brief musical theatre diversion inVancouverand California, moved toTorontoto join Celia Franca during the formative years of Canada's National Ballet. He became the company's first principal male dancer in 1951 and remained with the company until 1963.[1]He used his knowledge of classical dance and stagecraft to build an audience for the company, and introducing Canada's first home-grown principal ballerina, his wifeLois Smith.A brilliant amateur cinematographer, his "in-camera" videos from the 1950s are a significant part of theCelia Franca Tour De Forcedouble DVD set. Adams also played a part in the birth of television in his native country, directing and performing in weekly productions for the fledglingCanadian Broadcasting Corporation(CBC).
In 1961, David moved to England, dancing with theLondon Festival Ballet(1961–69) andRoyal Ballet(1970–1976).[1]During his time with Festival Ballet, he became known in Europe as "Peer Gynt"because of the familiarity of ballet audiences with his appearance in that role. He danced withMargot Fonteyn,Galina Samsova,Toni Lander,Lynn Seymour,Svetlana Beriosovaand others during a long and distinctive career which brought him to the Middle East, South America and Japan.
David's contributions to "the art" include a body of choreography. Two of his own works,Suite in GandWalpurgisnacht,became part of the repertoire with Festival Ballet.Pas de deux Romantique(1961),Barbara Allen(1961),Pas de Six(1960),The Littlest One(1959),Pas de Chance(1956),Ballet Behind Us(1952) andMasquerade pas de deux(1951) are part of his contributions to the National Ballet of Canada.
In 1977, David relocated toEdmonton,Alberta, where he turned his talents to choreography and teaching and the occasional performance. He joined theAlberta Ballet Companyunder Brydon Paige, alternating between the roles of choreographer, ballet master, technical director and principal dancer. In 1980, David played a key role in the creation of both the dance and theatre programmes atGrant MacEwan College.His 1994 version ofDon Quixoteis unique in its presentation of Quixote's perspective, paralleling a psycho-drama to the dance story.
Adams also worked to preserve Canadian choreography. In 1983 he worked with Lawrence Adams andMiriam Adams,his brother and sister-in-law, to reconstruct and archiveBoris Volkoff'sRed Ears of Corn.[2]
Adams retired from active teaching in 1998 and began work on a range of historic, artistic and technical memoirs.
Awards
edit
In 1966 Adams won the Festival de la Opera Gold Medal in Madrid for his performance inGiselle.[1]
In 2004, he was made an Officer of theOrder of Canada.[1]On 2 September 2005, he was presented the insignia of Officer of the Order of Canada by theGovernor GeneralAdrienne Clarksonduring a private ceremony held nearStony Plain, Alberta.
References
edit- ^abcdeAnthony, Pamela (3 April 2015)."David Adams".The Canadian Encyclopedia.Historica Canada.Retrieved6 April2016.
- ^Debra Craine; Judith Mackrell (19 August 2010).The Oxford Dictionary of Dance.OUP Oxford. pp. 3–.ISBN978-0-19-956344-9.