Sir Peter Wright, RAD Vice-President and former President of the Benesh Institute, has entered his 100th year. Ten years ago, Dance Gazette marked his 90th birthday with an interview about his extraordinary career – here are some highlights.
What’s marvellous now is that it seems to have become accepted for men to pursue a career in dance. I had considerable difficulty. When I was 16 I was very good at ballroom dancing and loved hopping around. Then my mother took me to see the ballet and I loved it. I saw Henry Danton in the spotlight, surrounded by beautiful women, and thought, that’s what I want to do.
Then the trouble began, because my father was dead against it. He was a chartered accountant and a Quaker, and sent me to Bedales. Eventually, I ran away from school with a friend. It was February, freezing cold, and we had no money – we lasted two nights in a cow field. It was hell. But my father realised how much I wanted to dance and said he would give me my blessing, but no money.
I never went near a ballet school. As an apprentice with Ballet Joos, I spent all day in the theatre. I learned about all facets of theatre, but it was a hopeless way of training, because there was never enough time.
I didn’t plan to stage the classics – John Cranko pushed me into it. He gave me marvellous opportunities at Stuttgart Ballet, and told me to stage Giselle. I said, ‘I don’t like Giselle, I never have.’ But he gave me six weeks to research and I came back to Stuttgart dead keen. I was lucky to have Marcia Haydée as Giselle, and it caused a big stir.
I love the classics, but was able to look at them from the outside. If there was anything I found boring I found ways to change it. You’ve got to be fairly brutal. Theatre should never ever be boring.
Running a company isn’t easy, but I found a good way of communicating with the staff, which is essential. You have to know the dancers well and not be afraid of honesty. It’s no good leading people on.
It took a long time, but finally getting the Sadler’s Wells Ballet up to Birmingham (as Birmingham Royal Ballet) in 1990 was absolutely wonderful. I was on quite a high. I reluctantly had to leave BRB due to serious illness, but it was well on the way to becoming a great company.
I was President of the Benesh Institute, and am a great champion of Benesh Movement Notation. What it’s done for ballet is marvellous, and I always encourage dancers to learn it. Ultimately, I hope the day will come when dancers learn their parts before rehearsals start.
My wife, the dancer Sonya Hanna, was a great help. She put everything in proportion: ‘For God’s sake, Pete, it’s only a ballet!’
