Biography

ROBERT DE WARREN – A PROFILE

by  Corrado G. Letta PhD

Distinguished amongst ballet directors for his high professionalism, backed by specialized study and over four decades of experience, Robert de Warren is probably unique the achievments he has brought the companies he has directed.

Whether establishing  new organizations or evolving imaginative policies for their development, fostering young talent amongst dancers and choreographers, building audiences or just spreading his passion for dance, de Warren shows a quiet strength coupled with a ferocious apetite for work.

Since his years with the Royal Ballet at Covent Garden, Robert has developed a varied career as dancer, director, choreographer and designer which has progressed through carefully controled stages to his present position. No capricious changes of directorship but the satisfaction of leaving a job well done to accept further challenges.

Dame Ninette de Valois (founder of the Royal Ballet), saw in the young dancer the gifts for directing and choreographing and encouraged his development from the outset. De Warren readily admits having learned his trade from this great lady. As a dancer with the Royal Ballet he soon learned the entire productions of the great classical repertoire and can, today, reproduce them in the most authentic versions. He has also created many original works performed around the world. (see OPUS)

At La Scala, Milan, where he was appointed by recommendation of Rudolf Nureyev, de Warren brought a new sense of discipline to a company notorious for the lack thereof. As an Italian I know what I speak of!  He changed the entire operating policies and promotion system for the dancers. He was the first director to bring American Choreographers to present full evenings of their works, such as Alvin Ailey and Paul Taylor. He also brought “Fall River Legend” by Agness DeMille for the legendary Carla Fracci who previewd the performance at the Metropolitan Opera House with ABT in New York. De Warren’s own creations at La Scala include an enlarged “A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM” which was the best selling ballet that season, COPPELIA, LA BOUTIQUE FANTASQUE, SOIREES MUSICALES and A YOUNG PERSONS GUIDE TO THE ORCHESTRA. He also collabotated with many international personalities first of which was Rudolf Nureyev, Riccardo Mutti, Andrea Gavazzeni who invited him to choreograph the dances in ADRIANA LECOUVREUR which La Scala inaugurated at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. Franco Zeffirelli, Gianni Versace, Pavarotti, Mirella Frenni, have all shared the stage with his creations , as designers and performers. De Warren also insured the most notable Ballet Stars guested with his company. www.euroarts.com/script/whatsnew.php

His arrival at La Scala had been preceded by eleven years at the head of the Northern Ballet Theatre (who owe their name to him). This fledgling company became the major touring ballet in Britain and presented smaller versions of the classics as well as an eclectic repertoire that became its trade mark and basis of its enormous success. De Warren obtained the royal patronage of the Princess Margaret and Rudolf Nureyev, who had worked often with de Warren and frequently danced with the company, became ARTIST LAUREATE, a distinction no other organization has ever enjoyed. NBT performed over 200 shows a season all over the country and in London at the Sadler’s Wells Theatre. Many international choreographers contributed to their reprtoire, notably: Birgit Cullberg, Fleming Flindt, Michael Corder, Geoffrey Cauley, and Gillian Lynne (Cats). Dame Alicia Markova assisted in coaching Giselle and Les Sylphides. De Warren himself choreographed many original works that had hundreds of performances all over Britain and Ireland and were later produced by companies in France, Italy, Hong Kong and USA. www.northernballettheatre.co.uk/history1976.html

Not happy to run a company with such commitments, de Warren, in his quest for new talent helped found the Northern Ballet School now in its 30th year. He also founded the National Ballet Academy in Montevideo, the Pre-Professional College Course at la Scala in association with the Cathoilic University, The National Folklore Society and College in Iran. Dancers and choreographers de Warren has mentored are now themselves sought after directors and choreographers which gives this dedicated man a sense of fulfillment.

It was on a visit to New York to discuss production details with Agness DeMille that Robert was invited to Sarasota by Danish dance critic Bent Schoenberg and his wife. Bent introduced him to the founder of Sarasota Ballet and he was asked to meet the Board of Directors to advise on a search for a new Artistic Director. The meeting ended with him being offered the post!  Having another three years contract in Milan Robert did not think this would happen. However, he was so impressed by Sarasota, a small resort city with already an opera, symphony, ballet and six theatre groups, so he actually considered leaving La Scala with its constant strikes and political turmoil. I recall meeting Robert in Milan excited with what he thought was a city to become the Montecarlo of USA! In hindsight he was absolutely right!

Much has been written about the eleven years Robert and his wife Jacqueline spent in Iran from 1965 to 1976 when dame Ninette de Valois sent him to become ballet master and his wife his assistant, to the National Ballet of Iran at the behest of the Shah. They found a very basic setup with a school and some dancers at semi professional level. The Shah had ordered the construction of a new opera house, the Rudaki hall, which would open the year of his coronation. De Warren was asked to advise on final details. I was in Iran as  representative of the United nations, and this is where we first met.

True to character, Robert brought the ballet to a high standard so that for the inauguration of the opera house they performed for the Shah and Empress Farah. Through his brother in law, the Shah instructed Robert to research all mystic, tribal and ceremonial dance in the country.

Thus they founded the National Folklore Society of Iran and the Mahalli Dancers of Iran who became ambassadors of Iranian culture and toured the world. Robert freely travelled the country with his assistants, cameraman and sound technician recording everything he found. The theatrical performances were based on this research. He laso created the national archives for all this material.  I saw all their presentations in Teheran, London and Washington where they performed for President and Mrs Ford for the Bicentennial Ceremonies. In this capacity the de Warrens attended many state and courrt occasions and prepared numerous performances for the Shah’s guests. On their third tour of USA for the Bicentennial they performed at Bovary Theatre at UCLA where de Warren was assaulted on stage by anti-shah demonstrators. Pandemonium broke out and it took american security some time to restore order. This was a warning signal Robert and Jacqueline did not ignore, so on their return to Iran they stopped in London and discussed the latest happenings. Colleagues from The Royal Ballet  insisted they not return to Iran, but Robert, loyal to those who had given them such welcome, did return. However he had been offered the direction of Northern Dance Theatre with a free hand to develop and grow that organization. This is how Northern Ballet Theatre was born.

Robert had already experienced much animosity being organized towards the Shah, which made it obvious peace would not last. A year later the Shah invited Robert to create a special performance for a celebration at the summer palace. The Empress greeted Robert warmly and soon the Shah arrived. It was obvious he was a sick man. Violent manifestations were already apparent in the sprawling city. As it resulted, this was the last court ceremony before the Imperial family had to leave in exile.

Thus Robert de Warren enriched his already outstanding gifts with experiences that few others have had.  Now, when I see his creations, be they classical, contemporary, mystical or pure theatre, I marvel at the imagination that can bring together such disparate experiences and blend them to produce true and original works of art.

Corrado Letta, Rome, 2000