Reid Anderson, Artistic Director of the Stuttgart Ballet since September 1996, can look back on a long and successful career in the dance world as dancer, teacher, coach, producer and ballet director.
Born in the Canadian town of New Westminster, British Columbia, Anderson trained at the Dolores Kirkwood Academy in Burnaby, B.C. At age 17 he went to the Royal Ballet School in London, on a scholarship. A year later, he joined the Stuttgart Ballet under Cranko.
During his 17-year career with the Stuttgart Ballet, Reid Anderson worked with
John Cranko and some of the leading choreographers of the 20th century, including
Sir Kenneth MacMillan,
Glen Tetley,
John Neumeier,
Jiří Kylián and
William Forsythe.
On leaving the Stuttgart Ballet, he became artistic director of Ballet British Columbia in Vancouver from August 1987 until June 1989, and was appointed artistic director of the National Ballet of Canada in Toronto in July 1989. Reid Anderson returned to the Stuttgart Ballet as artistic director in 1996. In his first season, he reduced the average age of the company with 21 new talented dancers, prompting critics to coin the term "The New Stuttgart Ballet".
Reid Anderson's repertoire policy meets with great success amongst audience and critics alike – a policy that tends to John Cranko's heritage and includes masterpieces from the 19th and 20th century repertoire, whilst simultaneously having a clear focus on new contemporary works.
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