Biographical Note
In addition to a career as a choreographer and ballet dancer, scholar Judith Chazin-Bennahum is the author of numerous books and articles on dance and dance research. She earned a doctorate in romance languages and the title of Distinguished Professor Emerita from the University of New Mexico. Many of the photos assembled by Chazin-Bennahum in this collection were acquired during research for her book The Ballets of Antony Tudor, published in 1994 by Oxford University Press.
Antony Tudor, born in London on April 4, 1908, was a choreographer and dancer. He was originally named William Cook. His teachers included Marie Rambert, Pearl Argyle, Margaret Craske, and Harold Turner. Tudor danced from 1930 to 1937 with the Ballet Club, later named Ballet Rambert. In 1937, he founded the London Ballet, for which he choreographed until 1940. From 1939 to 1950, he was resident choreographer for the American Ballet Theatre in New York. He taught with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet School beginning in 1950, and the Juilliard School from 1957 to 1963. In 1974, Tudor became associate director for American Ballet Theatre. Tudor displayed a comic sensibility in many of his ballets, but he is best-known for his psychological ballets that explored jealousy, despair, rejection, and other deep emotions. Throughout his lifetime, Tudor's choreographic work was performed by companies in Europe, Australia, and Japan; his achievements were marked by numerous awards. Tudor died April 19, 1987, in New York. The following chronology dates Tudor's most significant choreography.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1908, Apr. 4 | Born, London, England |
| 1930-1937 | Performed with and choreographed for Ballet Rambert Choreographed Cross Garter'd (1931), Lysistrata and Adam and Eve (1932), The Planets (1934), The Descent of Hebe (1935), Jardin aux Lilas (1936), and Dark Elegies (1937) |
| 1937-1940 | Founded and choreographed for the London Ballet Choreographed Soirée musicale and Gala Performance (1938) |
| 1940-1950 | Joined and choreographed for Ballet Theatre, which became American Ballet Theatre (ABT) Choreographed Goya Pastorale (1940), Pillar of Fire (1942), The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet and Dim Lustre (1943), Undertow and Day Before Spring (1945), Shadow of the Wind (1948), Nimbus (1950) Choreographed Time Table for American Ballet Caravan |
| 1951-1952 | Choreographed Lady of the Camillias (1951) and La Gloire (The Glory) (1952) for New York City Ballet |
| 1954 | Choreographed Offenbach in the Underworld for Catherine Littlefield's Philadelphia Ballet Company |
| 1957-1963 | Taught at the Juilliard School Choreographed A Choreographer Comments (1960) and Dance Studies (1961) for students at the Juilliard School |
| 1960 | Performed role of Hercules in Martha Graham's Alcestis |
| 1963 | Choreographed Fandango for American Ballet Theatre Choreographed Echoing of Trumpets for the Royal Swedish Ballet |
| 1967 | Choreographed Shadowplay for the Royal Ballet |
| 1969 | Choreographed The Divine Horsemen for the Australian Ballet |
| 1971 | Choreographed Continuo, Cereus, and Sunflowers for the Juilliard School with support of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts |
| 1974-1978 | Became Associate Director of American Ballet Theatre Choreographed Leaves Are Fading (1975) and The Tiller in the Fields (1978) for American Ballet Theatre |
| 1987, Apr. 19 | Died, New York City |