An Interview With Christopher Marney, Artistic Director London City Ballet (LCB)

Chris Marney, originally from Essex, now lives in London with broad experience of working internationally as a dancer and as Artistic Director. As a dancer Chris worked internationally in leading principal roles for many companies including Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures, Balletboyz, Gothenburg Ballet Sweden, Ballet Biarritz France and Bern Ballet Switzerland.
As a choreographer Chris has created works for Ballet Black, English National Ballet’s Emerging dancer, The Four Seasons for the Joffrey Ballet Studio Company, Nutcracker at the British Museum, Eve at Sadler’s Wells and Lady Macbeth at the New National Theatre in Tokyo. Here he talks about London City Ballet's trip to York Theatre Royal.

London City Ballet is now on tour for the first time in 30 years and will reach York Theatre Royal for two performances 6 &7 September. Will you also be performing internationally?

The Resurgence tour includes performances at many of the former company's beloved venues in the UK and we are all really looking forward to performing in York. Apart from performing in selected theatres in the UK, we have taken the tour internationally to Portugal, China and we will close at the Joyce Theater in New York.

We hear that there has been an enthusiastic response to the Resurgence tour so far.

Audiences have shown great interest in the chance to see repertoire not usually performed in regional theatres and we’ve received both 5 star (Bristol Post and Stage Talk) and 4 star reviews (The Times) to date. We have chosen works that showcase the dancers’ talent and skills with a mix of classical ballet and new contemporary work.

You have revitalised a dance company that last performed 30 years ago. What was your motivation? Why not start a completely new company in your name?

London City Ballet informed my own career. Seeing the company perform as a child stimulated my enthusiasm for the artform. I remember seeing the company perform in 1991 at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch Essex. When I saw LCB perform on stage I realised that was what I wanted to do too. The aim is to offer new audiences the chance to see a variety of dance styles performed and to be captivated as I was. LCB was formerly the resident company of Sadler’s Wells in London, patronised by the late Diana, Princess of Wales. After 18 years the original LCB closed in 1996 and, after a break of nearly 30 years, we will return to touring in the UK and internationally this summer.

As LCB was an important part of my motivation to become a professional dancer and I was fortunate to meet Harold King, LCB’s former director when I was training, the chance to revive a company so revered in the professional dance industry was exciting.

You are a former principal dancer with New Adventures and you were the Artistic Director of the Joffrey Ballet Studio Company Chicago and Central School of Ballet in London. How does this experience inform your selection of dancers for the company on this tour?

There are 14 dancers in LCB, many of whom are former principals from leading dance companies. I have deliberately selected uniquely talented dancers at different stages of career and experience to best perform the range of works we have chosen for the tour.

My aim was to select a range of dancers who reflect the present, a diverse group in ethnicity, experience, age and body type. They originate from countries worldwide including Brazil, South Korea, UK, Romania, Canada, Spain from companies including Scottish Ballet, Orlando Ballet, Ballet Black, San Francisco Ballet, Staatsballet Berlin and ENB. The dancers’ experience includes Scottish Ballet, Orlando Ballet, Ballet Black, San Francisco Ballet, Staatsballet Berlin and ENB. It is wonderful to see how they are working together, all passionate about the artform. Watching rehearsals is very exciting.

Tell me about the Resurgence tour

I am drawn to reviving past repertoire of influential choreographers alongside presenting dynamic new works from current dance talent. The aim is to pay homage to the original company while presenting engaging work for a new generation.

The title Resurgence refers to the revival of the company and the opportunity to see choreography rarely seen in the UK. We will be performing the revival of Kenneth MacMillan’s 1972 one-act ballet Ballade, unseen in Europe for over 50 years. The repertoire also includes Ashley Page’s Larina Waltz marking the ballet’s 30th anniversary, and Olivier award-winner Arielle Smith premieres a new creation Five Dances. I’ll also be presenting a full company work called Eve which I created for its premiere at Sadler’s Wells in 2022.

I hope that performing in York will encourage people who haven’t seen live dance performed to join us, as well as ballet fans. I’ve chosen works that are both beautiful and thrilling to watch on stage.

London City Ballet: Resurgence is at York Theatre Royal
on September 6 and 7.
Box office 01904 623558 | yorktheatreroyal.co.uk