Christopher Bruce
One of Britain’s leading choreographers, with an international reputation, Christopher Bruce trained at the Ballet Rambert School. He joined Ballet Rambert in 1963 where he was acclaimed as one of the most gifted performers of his generation, and remembered particularly for his performances in Glen Tetley’s Pierrot Lunaire and his own Cruel Garden. He is recognized as the last major choreographer to have been nurtured by Marie Rambert.
In addition to performing and choreographing, Christopher was Associate Director of Ballet Rambert from 1975 – 1979 and in 1980 became its Associate Choreographer. In 1994 he returned to the Company as Artistic Director until 2002. Among his best-known works are Cruel Garden, Ghost Dances, Requiem, Intimate Pages, Sergeant Early’s Dream, The Dream is Over, Swansong, Rooster, Moonshine and Four Scenes all of which have been televised.
Christopher has choreographed for many companies around the world and has enjoyed close associations with Australian Dance Theatre, Nederlands Dans Theater, Cullberg Ballet, the Royal Danish Ballet, the Gulbenkian Ballet, Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève, English National Ballet (where he was Associate Choreographer from 1986-91) and Houston Ballet (where he was Resident Choreographer from 1989-98 and subsequently Associate Choreographer until 2023). He has choreographed for musicals, plays, operas television and videos.
His most recent works include Three Songs, Two Voices (2005), A Steel Garden (2005), Hush (2006), Shift (2007), Dance at the Crossroads (2007), Ten Poems (2009), Fur Alina (2011), Dream (2012), Shadows (2014), Morning and Moonlight (2015), and Mya (2016).
Awards include Evening Standard Award, 1974 and 1997; Prix Italia (for Television Production of Cruel Garden), 1982; International Theatre Institute Award for Excellence in International Dance, 1993; De Valois Award for Outstanding Contribution to Dance at Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards, 2003; Rheinische Post Theater Oscar for ‘An Evening of Work by Christopher Bruce’ at Theater Krefeld-Mönchengladbach 2004; Best Choreography, Critics’ Circle Awards, 2009. Christopher Bruce was awarded a C.B E in 1998; Honorary Doctor of Art from De Montfort University, 2000; Honorary Doctor of Letters from University of Exeter, 2001; Honorary Life Membership of Amnesty International, 2002. Honorary Visiting Professor, Exeter University 2009.
Christopher was made a Patron of the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance in 2023.