Jan McNulty Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 A dreadfully sad message from Elmhurst: A message from the Principal and Artistic Director of Elmhurst Ballet School Friday 15th June 2018 - It is with great sadness we share the news of the passing of our friend and colleague Errol Pickford (1966-2018) Renowned as a Principal ballet dancer in the UK (The Royal Ballet) and Australia (Western Australian Ballet), and following his retirement from dance performance, an inspirational teacher and Head of Graduate Placement & International Links at Elmhurst Ballet School, Errol passed away on Wednesday 13 June 2018 after a very sudden and short illness. Errol was born in Perth, Australia, and trained as a gymnast. After moving to England, he trained in ballet at the Hammond School, winning the Paul Clarke Memorial Scholarship and the Phyllis Bedells Award, and at the Royal Ballet School where he gained his Solo Seal and won the Adeline Genée Competition. He danced with The Royal Ballet, becoming a celebrated Principal dancer, working with and creating roles in ballets by Kenneth MacMillan, Frederick Ashton and David Bintley, amongst others. Whilst there, he danced alongside Rudolph Nureyev at the Margot Fonteyn Gala, in a version of the Mandolin Dance from Romeo and Juliet, specially created for him by Kenneth MacMillan. He also won the first-ever Erik Bruhn Competition in Canada, and he created history when he was the first Western dancer to partner Bolshoi ballerina Nina Ananiashvili, on the stage at Covent Garden for the Armenia Gala, in a performance that was broadcast live on national television. As a performer, Errol wowed audiences with his masculine presence, technical ability and fearless athleticism and during his professional dance career he received national and international critical acclaim, including: ‘A winner of the Erik Bruhn Prize, Pickford danced his solos with authority and, alone of the weekend Siegfrieds, added an optional sequence of entrechats (crisp, high, perfectly placed) to the Black Swan pas de deux…an ardent, considerate partner, he emphasized Siegfried's very human alienation from the realm of swans and sorcery: an effective, individual touch.’ (LA TIMES, 1991, for Swan Lake); ‘Errol Pickford, a rising talent with aptly springy entrechats in the 1948 Ashton-Stravinsky Scenes de Ballet.’ (THE NEW YORK TIMES, 1991); ‘Technical virtuosity was left to Errol Pickford, who excelled in the pas de trois of Act I.’ (THE NEW YORK TIMES, 1991, for Anthony Dowell’s Swan Lake) ‘There was fierce individuality as well among the new principals on Tuesday. Errol Pickford's classicism was stunningly pure and resilient.’ (THE NEW YORK TIMES, 1994 for David Bintley’s Tombeaux); Errol Pickford (with Deborah Bull) wonderful in arched leaps, were full of verve in the Bluebird Pas de Deux.’ THE NEW YORK TIMES, 1994 for The Sleeping Beauty); And in 1995, The Independent said ‘Pickford's acting deserved an Oscar’ in Peter Wright’s Giselle. Errol left The Royal Ballet in 1997 and became a Principal dancer with Western Australian Ballet. After retiring from dance performance, he passed his RAD Professional Dancers' Teaching Diploma with distinction. He taught at the London Studio Centre, the Arts Educational School in Tring and Bird College, and on RAD Summer Schools and Yorkshire Ballet Seminars, as well as classes for the RAD Phyllis Bedells Competition and the Cecchetti Society’s Barbara Geoghegan Award. He was Ballet Master and School Director for K Ballet in Japan for four years and was a guest teacher with Birmingham Royal Ballet, The Australian Ballet, Rambert, Adventures in Motion Pictures and English National Ballet. Errol joined Elmhurst Ballet School in 2008. He was charming, quick witted and generous of spirit and as a teacher he nurtured and inspired a generation of young dancers to excel and pursue their dreams. He was instrumental in creating the Outreach and Community work at the school and worked tirelessly to introduce the benefits of our art form to individuals who otherwise may not have been given the opportunity. Errol will always be a hugely inspirational figure at the school and will be sorely missed by all the staff and students, past and present. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Olivia and daughter Polly, and his family and friends at this very sad time. Jessica Wheeler and Robert Parker Photograph: Errol Pickford. Photography by Tim Cross Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted June 15, 2018 Author Share Posted June 15, 2018 Unbelievably sad new today. Sincere condolences to Errol Pickford's family, friends and colleagues. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 How awful - and so young. I think he had only recently been promoted to Principal when I started watching the Royal Ballet - or possibly slightly afterwards. My thoughts and prayers are with all those who mourn him. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Wall Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 NO!!! Far, FAR too young. RIP. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balletmum20 Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 So sad, and shocking news!! 💗💗💗 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieW Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 Far too young and so sad for his wife and daughter as well as the many others who will miss him. My son loved being taught by him, and enjoyed some socialising too! RIP Errol 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 That's so sad! Very shocking. He was a wonderful dancer. RIP 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancing unicorn Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 RIP Errol you will be sadly missed by loads of children who you inspired with your teaching. My own dd included. Gone but never forgotten 🌹🌹 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farawaydancer Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 Shocking news, and devestating for his wife and daughter, as well as the many students and staff at school who are understandably so sad today. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 Gosh, so sad. I remember watching him dance when I first started going to the ROH in the late 70s when I was a university student here in London. Condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and students. 😢 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 We heard this very sad news yesterday. Am shocked & saddened. We knew his wife more so than him (she’s the reason Dd is still dancing) but he was a lovely, lovely man. Our thoughts are with his wife & little girl. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loulou Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 Absolutely devestated, my dd has been taught by Olivia for several years and she also had some classes and summer schools with Errol, we are all in shock. A great loss to the dance world and particularly Elmhurst. Olivia has helped my dd so much and is an amazing teacher. So very sad 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 What a tragedy and a terrible shock. Most sincere condolences to all Mr Pickford's family, frends, colleagues and students. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stardancer Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 Omg what sad news,the pickfords have always been,so very kind to us,and there are not many teachers, who care 100%for there students like errol,my heart goes out to beautiful Olivia,and her georgeous daughter polly. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harwel Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 I am so,so sad by this dreadful news. My deepest sympathy to Olivia and their gorgeous daughter. Such a lovely family and so dedicated to helping dancers. Heartbroken! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixiewoo Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 Oh my, I am so sad to hear this. He taught DD at OPES last year, and she loved him and his classes. sending much love and sympathy to his family. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 Devastated when I heard this news yesterday. He was not only an exceptional teacher but the most wonderful man with the biggest heart. He will be sorely missed by many in the dance world whom he inspired, encouraged and mentored. My heart goes out to Liv and Polly I can’t imagine how they are feeling😥❤️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuziQ Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 Such sad news. My daughter attended Malvern Ballet Seminars and Opes with the Pickfords. A lovely family, kind and thoughtful teachers. He inspired many. Sincere condolences to Olivia and Polly and all those whose lives he touched x 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArucariaBallerina Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 😓 such a lovely man and amazing dancer and wonderful teacher. My thoughts are with all his equally lovely family. I'm glad I had the pleasure to be taught by him. RIP Errol Pickford ❤️ 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balletmum55 Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 Incredibly sad news. Rest in Peace Errol 💙 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoglett Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 Just dreadful...DD was taught by him at Opes...genuinely lovely guy. Feel so much for the ballet family at this very sad time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ti62 Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 RIP one special teacher. Thinking of Olivia, Polly, family and friends at this very sad time xx 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Macmillan Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 There is an official Royal Ballet tribute, with pictures, here: http://www.roh.org.uk/news/remembering-former-royal-ballet-principal-errol-pickford-1966-2018 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balletdream Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 My thoughts go out to his lovely wife , daughter and family . You will be missed by so many , but remembered by many many more . RIP . 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 RIP Errol and my deepest condolences to his family and friends. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCL Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 Very sad news. Just went on to YouTube and watched him dancing the magnificent pdd from DQ with Anianashvili - wonderful 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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