People

Biography: Dancer with Ballet Rambert 1952-1980; Associate Director of Ballet Rambert 1970-1974; Artistic Director of Ballet Rambert 1974-1980.

John Chesworth began his studies at the Rambert School of Ballet in 1950, following service in the Royal Air Force. Chesworth joined Ballet Rambert as a dancer in 1951. Following the reinvention of Ballet Rambert as a contemporary ensemble in 1966, Chesworth was appointed Assistant to the Directors. His first choreography for the company, 'Time Base', had its premiere that year. Chesworth made seven dance works for Ballet Rambert and two experimental films using the dancers ('Imprints' and 'Dancers - a film'). Chesworth became Associate Director of Ballet Rambert in 1970 and succeeded Norman Morrice as Artistic Director in 1974.

After stepping down from his role at Ballet Rambert in 1980, Chesworth became the founding Artistic Director of the National Youth Dance Company, which he led from 1985 to 2003. He appeared as a guest artist in Rambert's revival of 'Cruel Garden' in 1998. Chesworth was awarded an OBE in 2003.

Archive catalogue: DS/UK/13

Works

Ad hoc
John Chesworth, 1972

Dancers - a film
1978

Four According (Chesworth, 1970): Marilyn Williams, Christopher Bruce. Photo © Alan Cunliffe. RDC/PD/01/219/1

Four According
John Chesworth, 1970

'H' (Chesworth, 1968): reproduced from contact sheet. Photo © Alan Cunliffe. RDC/PD/01/201/1

'H'
John Chesworth, 1968

Imprints (film)
1974

Pattern for an Escalator (Chesworth, 1972): Sandra Craig, Gideon Avrahami, and Christopher Bruce in rehearsal. Photo © Alan Cunliffe. RDC/PD/01/236/1

Pattern for an Escalator
John Chesworth, 1972

Pawn to King 5 (Chesworth, 1968): Gideon Avrahami, Sandra Craig. Photo © Alan Cunliffe. RDC/PD/01/208/2

Pawn to King 5
John Chesworth, 1968

Project 6354/9116 Mk. 2 (Chesworth, 1974): Lenny Westerdijk, Joseph Scoglio, 1974. Photo © Alan Cunliffe. RDC/PD/01/253/1

Project 6354/9116 Mk 2
John Chesworth, 1974

Tic-Tack
John Chesworth, 1968

Time Base (Chesworth, 1966). Photographer unknown. RDC/PD/01/192/1

Time Base
John Chesworth, 1966

Performances

Date ↿⇂	Dance Work ↿⇂	Role ↿⇂	Venue ↿⇂
8 Jul 1952 Evening	Nutcracker Suite	Chinese Dance	Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod
8 Jul 1952 Evening	Bar aux Folies-Bergère	Le Vieux Marcheur	Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod
29 Oct 1952 Evening	Swan Lake Act II	Benno, his friend	Arts Theatre Cambridge
17 Nov 1952 Evening	Nutcracker Suite	Chinese Dance	Her Majesty's Theatre, Brighton
17 Nov 1952 Evening	Carnival of the Animals^*	Introduction by the Lion	Her Majesty's Theatre, Brighton
17 Nov 1952 Evening	Carnival of the Animals^*	Mazurka	Her Majesty's Theatre, Brighton
17 Nov 1952 Evening	Bar aux Folies-Bergère	Le Vieux Marcheur	Her Majesty's Theatre, Brighton
15 Jan 1953 Evening	Past Recalled^*	Her Friend	Connaught Theatre, Worthing
15 Jan 1953 Evening	Plaisance	Dancer	Connaught Theatre, Worthing
15 Jan 1953 Evening	The Gala Performance	Conductor	Connaught Theatre, Worthing
21 Apr 1954 Evening	The Bartered Bride (dances in the opera)^*	Dancer	Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth, England
24 Apr 1954 Evening	The Bartered Bride (dances in the opera)	Dancer	Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth, England
17 May 1954 Evening	Winter Night	Dancer	Oxford Playhouse
17 May 1954 Evening	Façade (The Original Version)	Yodelling Song	Oxford Playhouse
17 May 1954 Evening	Façade (The Original Version)	Popular Song	Oxford Playhouse
20 May 1954 Evening	Swan Lake Act II	Benno, his friend	Oxford Playhouse
20 May 1954 Evening	Simple Symphony	Dancer	Oxford Playhouse
20 May 1954 Evening	The Life and Death of Lola Montez (1816-1861)^*	Dancer	Oxford Playhouse
21 Jun 1954 Evening	Gala Performance	Cavalier	Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
21 Jun 1954 Evening	Winter Night	Dancer	Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
21 Jun 1954 Evening	Variations on a Theme^*	Chorus	Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
20 Oct 1954 Evening	Giselle Act I	The Prince	Stoll Theatre, London
20 Oct 1954 Evening	Ballet of the Game of Cards (Scene 6 of the play ‘Joan of Arc at the Stake’)^*	Duke of Bedford	Stoll Theatre, London
28 Jun 1955 Evening	Past Recalled	Her Friend	Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
28 Jun 1955 Evening	Persephone^*	Shade	Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
28 Jun 1955 Evening	The Gala Performance	Cavalier	Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
30 Jun 1955 Evening	The Life and Death of Lola Montez (1818-1861)	Dancer	Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
4 Jul 1955 Evening	Giselle	The Prince	Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
4 Jul 1955 Evening	Laiderette^*	Guest	Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
7 May 1956 Evening	Judgment of Paris	Dancer	Arts Theatre Cambridge
7 May 1956 Evening	Swan Lake (Act II)	Benno, his friend	Arts Theatre Cambridge
7 May 1956 Evening	Winter Night	Dancer	Arts Theatre Cambridge
7 May 1956 Evening	Coppélia (Act III)^*	Peasant Dance (Hymen)	Arts Theatre Cambridge
10 Jul 1956 Evening	Winter Night	Dancer	Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod
10 Jul 1956 Evening	Façade	Yodelling Song	Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod
10 Jul 1956 Evening	Façade	Popular Song	Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod
24 Sep 1956 Evening	Swan Lake (Act II)	Benno, his friend	King's Theatre, Southsea, Portsmouth
24 Sep 1956 Evening	Coppélia (Act III)	Peasant Dance (Hymen)	King's Theatre, Southsea, Portsmouth
24 Sep 1956 Evening	Judgment of Paris	Dancer	King's Theatre, Southsea, Portsmouth
24 Sep 1956 Evening	The Mirror^*	Guest	King's Theatre, Southsea, Portsmouth
17 Jan 1957 Evening	Coppélia^*	Csardas and Mazurka	Theatre Royal, York
22 Jul 1957 Evening	Plaisance	Dancer	Theatre Royal, Exeter
22 Jul 1957 Evening	Variations on a Theme	Perpetual Movement	Theatre Royal, Exeter
22 Jul 1957 Evening	Conte Fantastique^*	Courtier	Theatre Royal, Exeter
22 Jul 1957 Evening	The Gala Performance	Cavalier	Theatre Royal, Exeter
12 May 1958 Time unknown	Falstaff (dances in the opera)	Dancer	Théâtre Sarah-Bernhardt, Paris, France
13 May 1958 Time unknown	Falstaff (dances in the opera)	Dancer	Théâtre Sarah-Bernhardt, Paris, France
15 May 1958 Time unknown	Falstaff (dances in the opera)	Dancer	Théâtre Sarah-Bernhardt, Paris, France
16 May 1958 Time unknown	Falstaff (dances in the opera)	Dancer	Théâtre Sarah-Bernhardt, Paris, France
27 May 1958 Time unknown	Falstaff (dances in the opera)	Dancer	Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Lewes
29 May 1958 Time unknown	Falstaff (dances in the opera)	Dancer	Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Lewes
30 May 1958 Time unknown	Alceste (dances in the opera)^*	Dancer	Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Lewes
31 May 1958 Time unknown	Falstaff (dances in the opera)	Dancer	Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Lewes
1 Jun 1958 Time unknown	Alceste (dances in the opera)	Dancer	Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Lewes
4 Jun 1958 Time unknown	Falstaff (dances in the opera)	Dancer	Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Lewes
5 Jun 1958 Time unknown	Alceste (dances in the opera)	Dancer	Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Lewes
6 Jun 1958 Time unknown	Falstaff (dances in the opera)	Dancer	Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Lewes
7 Jun 1958 Time unknown	Alceste (dances in the opera)	Dancer	Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Lewes
8 Jun 1958 Time unknown	Falstaff (dances in the opera)	Dancer	Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Lewes
10 Jun 1958 Time unknown	Falstaff (dances in the opera)	Dancer	Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Lewes
12 Jun 1958 Time unknown	Alceste (dances in the opera)	Dancer	Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Lewes
13 Jun 1958 Time unknown	Le nozze di Figaro (dances in the opera)^*	Dancer	Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Lewes
14 Jun 1958 Time unknown	Alceste (dances in the opera)	Dancer	Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Lewes
15 Jun 1958 Time unknown	Le nozze di Figaro (dances in the opera)	Dancer	Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Lewes
17 Jun 1958 Time unknown	Falstaff (dances in the opera)	Dancer	Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Lewes
18 Jun 1958 Time unknown	Le nozze di Figaro (dances in the opera)	Dancer	Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Lewes
19 Jun 1958 Time unknown	Alceste (dances in the opera)	Dancer	Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Lewes
20 Jun 1958 Time unknown	Falstaff (dances in the opera)	Dancer	Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Lewes
21 Jun 1958 Time unknown	Alceste (dances in the opera)	Dancer	Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Lewes
22 Jun 1958 Time unknown	Le nozze di Figaro (dances in the opera)	Dancer	Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Lewes
25 Jun 1958 Time unknown	Le nozze di Figaro (dances in the opera)	Dancer	Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Lewes
27 Jun 1958 Time unknown	Le nozze di Figaro (dances in the opera)	Dancer	Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Lewes
29 Jun 1958 Time unknown	Le nozze di Figaro (dances in the opera)	Dancer	Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Lewes
5 Jul 1958 Time unknown	Le nozze di Figaro (dances in the opera)	Dancer	Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Lewes
9 Jul 1958 Time unknown	Le nozze di Figaro (dances in the opera)	Dancer	Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Lewes
14 Aug 1958 Evening	Two Brothers^*	Young Man	Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury
25 May 1959 Evening	Giselle	The Prince	Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
25 May 1959 Evening	Hazaña^*	The Husband	Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
1 Jun 1959 Evening	Laiderette	The Host	Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
1 Jun 1959 Evening	Hazaña	The Husband	Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
1 Jun 1959 Evening	La Reja^*	Dancer	Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
1 Jun 1959 Evening	Czernyana	Se Habla Espagnol	Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
1 Jun 1959 Evening	Czernyana	Nuages	Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
1 Jun 1959 Evening	Czernyana	Trop Symphonique	Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
16 Jun 1960 Evening	The Lilac Garden	Her Lover	Essoldo Theatre, Brighton
16 Jun 1960 Evening	The Wise Monkeys^*	His Less Conscientious Monkey	Essoldo Theatre, Brighton
16 Jun 1960 Evening	The Gala Performance	Cavalier	Essoldo Theatre, Brighton
20 Jul 1960 Evening	The Sylph^*	Gurn, a farmhand	Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
20 Jul 1960 Evening	The Sylph^*	Gurn	Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
20 Jul 1960 Evening	Two Brothers	Young Man	Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
18 Jul 1961 Evening	Night Shadow^*	The Baron	Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
25 Jul 1961 Evening	A Place in the Desert^*	The Village Elder	Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
28 Jun 1962 Evening	Don Quixote^*	Don Quixote	Empire Theatre, Liverpool
29 Jun 1962 Evening	Don Quixote	Don Quixote	Empire Theatre, Liverpool
30 Jun 1962 Evening	Don Quixote	Don Quixote	Empire Theatre, Liverpool
30 Jun 1962 Matinee	Don Quixote	Don Quixote	Empire Theatre, Liverpool
23 Jul 1962 Evening	Night Shadow	The Poet	Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
23 Jul 1962 Evening	Winter Night	Dancer	Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
23 Jul 1962 Evening	Conflicts^*	Dancer	Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
23 Jul 1962 Evening	Façade (The Original Version)	Tango Pasodoble	Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
27 Jun 1963 Evening	Conflicts	Dancer	Teatro Nuovo, Spoleto, Italy
27 Jun 1963 Evening	Gala Performance	Cavalier	Teatro Nuovo, Spoleto, Italy
17 Jun 1964 Matinee	Sweet Dancer^*	He who loves her	New Theatre, Oxford
17 Jun 1964 Matinee	Gala Performance	Cavalier	New Theatre, Oxford
13 Jul 1964 Evening	Laiderette	The Host	Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
13 Jul 1964 Evening	Cul de Sac^*	Person from the Crowd	Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
13 Jul 1964 Evening	Façade	Tango Pasodoble	Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
15 Apr 1965 Evening	Façade	Tango Pasodoble	Theatre Royal, Nottingham
15 Apr 1965 Evening	Giselle^*	Hilarion, a gamekeeper	Theatre Royal, Nottingham
23 Jun 1965 Evening	The Realms of Choice^*	Dancer	Coventry Theatre
23 Jun 1965 Evening	La Sylphide	Gurn (a farmhand)	Coventry Theatre
27 Jan 1966 Evening	Diversities^*	Air	Richmond Theatre, London
1 Dec 1966 Evening	Lilac Garden	Man she must Marry	Jeannetta Cochrane Theatre, London
1 Dec 1966 Evening	Diversities	Air	Jeannetta Cochrane Theatre, London
1 Dec 1966 Evening	Judgment of Paris	Dancer	Jeannetta Cochrane Theatre, London
20 Nov 1967 Evening	Ziggurat^*	Dancer	Jeannetta Cochrane Theatre, London
14 Feb 1968 Evening	Ziggurat	Dancer	Phoenix Theatre, London
16 Sep 1971 Evening	Rag-Dances^*	Dancer	Jeannetta Cochrane Theatre, London
20 Sep 1971 Evening	Solo^*	Dancer	Jeannetta Cochrane Theatre, London
25 Mar 1975 Evening	The Parades Gone By^*	Dancer	Leeds Playhouse
26 Mar 1975 Evening	The Parades Gone By	Dancer	Leeds Playhouse
22 Mar 1977 Evening	Window	Dancer	Wyvern Theatre, Swindon
23 Mar 1977 Matinee	Take a Running Jump	Speaker	Wyvern Theatre, Swindon
23 Mar 1977 Evening	Window	Dancer	Wyvern Theatre, Swindon
24 Mar 1977 Evening	Window	Dancer	Wyvern Theatre, Swindon
30 Mar 1977 Evening	Window	Dancer	Theatre Royal, Glasgow
5 Jul 1977 Evening	Cruel Garden^*	The Lizard	The Round House, London
5 Jul 1977 Evening	Cruel Garden^*	The Black Guard	The Round House, London
11 Jul 1977 Evening	Smiling Immortal^*	Dancer	The Round House, London
11 Jun 1986 Evening	Judgment of Paris	Customer	Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
16 Mar 1999 Evening	Cruel Garden	The Inquisitor	New Victoria Theatre, Woking
17 Mar 1999 Evening	Cruel Garden	The Inquisitor	New Victoria Theatre, Woking
17 Mar 1999 Matinee	Cruel Garden	The Inquisitor	New Victoria Theatre, Woking
18 Mar 1999 Evening	Cruel Garden	The Inquisitor	New Victoria Theatre, Woking
25 May 1999 Evening	Cruel Garden	The Inquisitor	Sadler's Wells Theatre, London

Performance database

Works

Performances

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