All the superlatives: Anthony Dowell

A documentary on Anthony Dowell that was made by the BBC c.1976 -- and one I have been trying to get my hands on for over 30 years! I was recently contacted by Carles03 who had a video copy of a version that had been broadcast on Belgian TV. Carles03 sent it to me so I could convert it to DVD to post here. So please consider this a joint production from both of us.
Because this is from Belgian TV it has been overdubbed so the commentary is difficult to hear.
Many thanks to me German friend Andrea who has provided the transcript produced below. (If anyone knows a better way of doing this, please let me know!)

Part 1 of 6

Rudolf Nureyev
During a ballet perfomance, I told Ninette de V.: "Madame, there you can see a real classical dancer."
"Where," she asked.
"That young man over there, Anthony Dowell."

Sir Frederick Ashton
"His charisma, his movements and his whole appearance had something very aristocratic."


Dame Margot Fonteyn
"He had always gathered attention due to his excellent posture and technique."

Kenneth MacMillan
All the superlatives are true for him. He is enormously versatile, a fantastic dancer, a great actor and a wonderful colleague."

Subtitles: The best classical danger that has ever been produced by the Royal Ballet.

------

Anthony D.: Next week we're going to be in America and I have to be on stage the same evening. How shall I do that?
It's important not to overexert yourself. Only light training at the barre.

AD: ..., I'm just recovering from a knee injury and it went all very well, but then I felt tension in my neck. I was dancing with the Scottish Ballet in Scarlet pastoral for the first time and at first this neck business didn't faze me, but during the performance you always give everything you can give (the maximum/100%) and when the curtain fell, it had worsened.
And so I thought the best thing would be to get the hell out, to change the atmosphere. I flew to the Bahamas, and it was terrific.
Now, shortly before the rehearsals, I'm of course very nervous. Today's my first day. My greatest worry is the opening performance in New York. It's an incredinlly important performance for me, and I'm nearly at the end of my physical power/endurance, yet I should be in peak form for the rehearsals in NY.

Speaker:
Anthony Dowell, born 1943 in London. 8 years old at the school of the Royal Ballet, by 18 years in the Opera Ballet, by 19 in the company, by 21 leading part as Oberon in Frederick Ashton's Midsummer nigh'st dream. Begin of a successful partnership with Antoinette Sibley who was dancing the role of Titania.
January 31st, 1975. Four Schumann Pieces, a choreography by Hans van Manen to the string quartet A-major by Schumann with Anthony Dowell, Jennifer Penny, Lesley Collier, Wayne Eagling

Woman's voice:
A human on a certain step of evolution. An outcast looking/searching for love.

Man's voice:
A perfect interpretation by Dowell.

Hans van Manen
It didn't cause me any big problems to make a ballet for Anthony Dowell. His charisma is enigmatic. Everybody knows about his enormous technical abilities, which are visible even in the simplest of movements. That's why I was interested to do it in the most simple steps I could find. I wanted to have a sort of chamber music, which is very delicate music. It had to be exactly for him, because he's a star, and I had never worked for anybody as famous as Anthony before.

Anthony Dowell
I vaguely knew it would happen. I knew that I had a talent for dancing. It was easy for me and it became clear to me that I could become something after everything I was taught and experienced from my teachers.

I attended my first school, the June Hampshire school together with my sister. Mrs Hampshire thought I was talented. But because she took in only boys under the age of 8, I soon had to look for another school. The school of the Royal Ballet seemed to be the best for me. White Lodge in Richmond Park, a beautiful area. But even now I can feel my stomach turning when I walk through Richmond Park and see all those gnarled old oaks. Because I hated school, I really loathed this school.
The mere thought of going there scared me sometimes and I almost got sick. Many children feel that way, but it was a really unhappy time for me personally. The dancing was totally separated from the atmosphere of the theatre. It became a sort of sport at the end of the day. Of course it's necessary to reach a certain level of education as a young dancer, but I hated it. Thankfully this has changed by now. The children work very early with us together during performances. That way they can really learn - and experience - what the practical side of a performance is.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Anthony
• Dowell

[pediatrapaola]

@karenofbethany agree i am not a great fan of english maledancer,but sir dowell was really one of the best of his time,saw many times live in london

[ai51inn]

Absolutely fascinating - thank you so much for sharing this wonderful video

[karenofbethany]

FINALLY! I FOUND SOMETHING ON ONE OF THE BEST CLASSICAL DANCERS BRITAIN EVER PRODUCED! There should be much more on him out there. I love him!

[hnbballerina]

I do not think this is from Belgium TV, because in Belgium they speak either Dutch or French, and this is German... I love it tough, I am Dutch and Hans van Manen too, he is one of my favourite choregraphers!