Ashley got to dance biography sample
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Ashley Whitehead (they/them) is an interdisciplinary creator and performer of contemporary dance, clown, and music. Their work includes character development, singing, physical specificity, and humour. Looking for their deepest of delights and struggles, they turn to performing as a way to process their inner world and connect with others, and to intertwine their social and political values. Ashley is also a certified sexual health educator through the Options for Sexual Health Certification program.
Ashley is a third generation European-Canadian, who has the privilege of living, working, and playing on the traditional, unceded territories of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil- Waututh), and xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) First Nations, also known as Vancouver, BC.
Biography:
Within their years of gymnastics, jazz, hip hop, contemporary dance, acting, swing dance, clown training, voice, piano, and song
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Here’s an interview I did for the Royal Ballet Junior School Newsletter. They run an Alumni section, and inom was able to find some ancient photographs from my schooldays, including one in which I (with very wavy hair!) accompanied Anthony Dowell, who was a prefect.
When Jane and I visit London and Stuttgart in June and July we’ve scheduled a visit to White stuga to watch classes, and will also attend one of the Junior School’s Summer Performances at Holland Park.
I’m finding that as I get older inom remember more and more from my youth (apparently it’s the same for most people) – watching young RBS students next month will probably bring many more flooding back!
Anyway, here’s the interview.
Ashley Killar attended the School from 1954-1962. He began his professional career with John Cranko at Stuttgart Ballet, before becoming a founding member of Scottish Ballet and a Soloist with Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet. Post performing career, Ashley worked as a Ballet Maste
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Zimbabwe and South Africa
The 2nd part of my picture chronicle
The story one hears so often from expatriates, “I only intended to stay for a few months” applied to me. I ended up working in Africa for ten years. Merle Park suggested I went to run the ballet company in what was then Rhodesia. All I knew about that country was that they had produced some excellent dancers (Merle and Desmond Kelly among them) and that there was some kind of civil war going on. This meant that there were few male dancers available, so I started to devise as many all-female ballets that I could – and I swotted up on Les Sylphides.
A farewell card from my Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet colleagues.
I reckoned I would have to make a dancing come-back (aged 34, I had looked forward to resting my tortured body. No such luck!) It was one of the busiest times of my life. We even managed to put on a full length Cinderella. Canvas was unobtainable, so much of the set was hangings