Richard Alston Live and in Conversation

Join legendary British choreographer Richard Alston CBE for a night of conversation and dance as part of Southbank Centre’s (B)old festival.

Richard Alston’s insights as a choreographer and teacher come from a career spanning over four decades. At this talk, his knowledge is illustrated live by dancers Liam Riddick and Jenny Hayes.

After training in London, Alston went to New York to study at the Merce Cunningham Dance Studio, and in 1980 became Resident Choreographer with Ballet Rambert. He was later appointed Artistic Director, a position he held from 1986 to 1992, creating 25 dances for the company.

In 1992, Alston was invited to create a full evening of his own work, including Boulez’s Le Marteau Sans Maitre, for the Ballet Atlantique in France. He made another full evening for
London Contemporary Dance Theatre at the 1994 Aldeburgh Festival going on to form his own company when he became Artistic Director of The Place in 1994.

Richard Alston Dance Company started in the autumn of that year, and over the past 24 years Alston has made over 45 dances for the Company alongside numerous other significant commissions.

Alston was made Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France (1995) and received the CBE in the New Year Honours list (2001). He has also received the De Valois Award for Outstanding Achievement from the Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards (2008) and was presented with the Award for Excellence in International Dance by the International Theatre Institute (2012).

He was Chair of Youth Dance England, a position he held from 2009 until March 2016 when he became U.Dance Champion, and is a Trustee of the Dance Professionals Fund.

Alston is one of the few real dance makers in the world and he can show us how, when real dance comes along, it changes everything

The Dancing Times

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