Michael Corder
Choreographer
Michael Corder is one of Britain's most prolific and outstanding choreographers. He was born in London, studied at the Royal Ballet School and became a member of the Royal Ballet at Covent Garden in 1973. His dancing career spanned 20 years during which he performed many principal roles with some of the world's finest classical ballet companies, in ballets created by Petipa, Bournonville, Fokine, Ashton, Macmillan, Cranko and Balanchine.
The creator of over 50 original works, his ballets have been performed by the Royal Ballet, Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, The Royal Danish Ballet, The Dutch National Ballet, The Boston Ballet and The Norwegian National Ballet amongst many others.
Amongst his most successful works have been Rhyme Nor Reason (1978 The Royal Ballet); St. Anthony Variations (1983 Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet); L'lnvitation au Voyage (1982 The Royal Ballet); The Wand of Youth (1985 Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet), both of which were nominated for Laurence Olivier awards; Ancient Airs and Dances (1986 Northern Ballet Theatre); Romeo and Juliet (1992 Norwegian National Ballet); Danses Concertantes (1993 Hong Kong Ballet and The Boston Ballet) and Masquerade (1999 The Royal Ballet).
Michael Corder choreographed his production of Prokofiev's Cinderella for English National Ballet in 1996. Cinderella won the 1997 Laurence Olivier award for Best New Dance Production and the 1996 Evening Standard Award for Outstanding Production. In 1997 Corder's Cinderella entered the repertoire of The Boston Ballet and The National Ballet of Portugal with new designs by Yolanda Sonnabend.
MELODY ON THE MOVE for English National Ballet was received with standing ovations and universal critical acclaim at its world premiere at Sadler's Wells Theatre, London in July 2003, and was presented by the company at the Lyceo Opera House, Barcelona in April 2004. MELODY ON THE MOVE was revived on tour and at Sadler's Wells in Spring 2007.
Michael choreographed an act of HOMAGE TO THE QUEEN for the Royal Ballet, which premiered in June 2006 at Covent Garden with a Gala to mark The Queen's 80h Birthday and the Royal Ballet's 75th Anniversary.
Michael was commissioned by English National Ballet to choreograph THE SNOW QUEEN for an Autumn 2007 premiere and a Christmas Season at the London Colisseum, and has forthcoming commissions with The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and the Royal Ballet of Flanders.