Donald MacLeary
Donald Whyte MacLeary OBE (born 22 August 1937) is a retired British ballet dancer, a former principal dancer and a ballet master with the Royal Ballet, where he was a member of the company for 48 years.
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Born in Glasgow, Donald MacLeary studied with Sheila Ross from 1950–51 and at the Sadler's Wells Ballet School. He joined Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet in 1954.[1] In 1955, he was promoted to soloist.[2] In 1959, he became the Royal Ballet's youngest principal dancer, when Svetlana Beriosova requested that he become her regular partner.[1][2]
According to Encyclopædia Britannica, MacLeary was "noted for his strong finesse and natural romanticism".[2]
MacLeary created roles in:
- Works by John Cranko
- The Angels (1957)
- Antigone (1959)
- Brandenburg 2 & 4 (1966)
- Works by Kenneth MacMillan
- Solitaire (1956)
- The Burrow (1958)
- Baiser de la fée (1960)
- Diversions (1961)
- Symphony (1963)
- Images of Love (1964)
- Checkpoint (1970)
- The Poltroon (1972)
- Elite Syncopations (1974).[1]
MacLeary was ballet master of the Royal Ballet from 1975[2] or 1976 to 1979 and repetiteur to principal dancers from 1984.[1] MacLeary retired at the end of the 2001/2002 season after 48 years with the Royal Ballet.[3] He was appointed OBE in the 2004 New Year Honours.
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Donald MacLeary. |
- "Donald MacLeary". Oxford Dictionary of Dance. OUP. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
- "Donald MacLeary". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
- "Donald Macleary". Ballet.co.uk. Archived from the original on 17 October 2014. Retrieved 17 October 2014.