Mikhail Baryshnikov presented with Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation Award

[Odyssey]

Mikhail Baryshnikov has been presented with The Royal Academy’s highest honour for dance, the Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation Award by Queen Camilla.This is in recognition of his contribution to ballet and the wider world of dance.

Many congratulations to him and thoroughly well deserved. As the award was presented yesterday, we now know why he was spotted  in the audience for the Diamond Celebration of the Friends of the Royal Opera House  last night. 

[Sophoife]

Congratulations to Mr Baryshnikov whose dancing I've always loved...he joins former AD of AusBallet David McAllister on the honour roll at RAD headquarters. Other recipients include Marie Rambert, Frederick Ashton, Monica Mason, Rudolf Nureyev, Carlos Acosta, Ninette de Valois (the inaugural recipient), Anton Dolin, Tamara Karsavina, Robert Helpmann, Phyllis Bedells, Alicia Markova, Peggy van Praagh, Ruth French, Norman Morrice, Pamela May, Kenneth MacMillan, Glen Tetley, Michael Somes, Rudolf and Joan Benesh, Merle Park, Antony Tudor, John Lanchbery, Peter Wright, Clément Crisp, Maina Gielgud, Princess Margaret, Alexander Grant, Matthew Bourne, both Sibley and Dowell, and Karen Kain. I suppose Dame Margot Fonteyn never got it as she was President of the RAD from 1954 (the year after the award's instigation) until her death...

[FionaM]

Thank you @Sophoifefor that list of names.  An impressive list to join.  Though UK centric. Until now?   

[Jan McNulty]

The award to Mr Baryshnikov was reported in Today’s Links…

[Sophoife]

36 minutes ago, FionaE said:

Thank you @Sophoifefor that list of names.  An impressive list to join.  Though UK centric. Until now?   

 

UK centric? Fairly naturally, as the RAD was, until 1983, entirely headquartered in England. In that year the first overseas headquarters, in Sydney, was opened.

 

However, the second winner was Karsavina (Russian). Rambert was born in Poland, Ashton in Ecuador. Helpmann was Australian, Grigorieff and Tchernicheva Russian, Idzikowski Polish, and Pamela May was born in Trinidad. Tetley (American), Nureyev and Baronova (Russian), Park (born in Rhodesia), Alexander Grant (a New Zealander), Victor Hochhauser (Czech), Rachel Cameron (Australian), Monica Mason (born in South Africa), Acosta (Cuban) and Karen Kain (Canadian) also not UK in origin. Kain's career was Canadian, as McAllister's was Australian.

[FionaM]

International born for sure!

 

I meant UK centric in that they contributed primarily to ballet in Britain.   I’d think McAllister and Kain might be RAD trained in their respective counties of birth.  
 

Baryshnikov seems different to the prior names.  
 

Maybe the RAD is taking a more international perspective.  

Edited November 17, 2022 by FionaE
More info

[Sophoife]

1 hour ago, FionaE said:

I’d think McAllister and Kain might be RAD trained in their respective counties of birth.  

 

At the risk of being even more pedantic than I have already been, and having done my research, neither the Australian Ballet School nor Canada's National Ballet School are RAD institutions. Each uses what they describe as "an unique method" combining a number of different pathways.

 

McAllister's early training however was definitely RAD, Kain's likewise.

 

Incidentally Karsavina's dancing career was largely outside Britain, as were the careers of Grigorieff, Tchernicheva, Idzikowski, Tetley, Baronova and Cameron, who trained initially with a disciple of Phyllis Bedells, but then with the Borovanskys, who were Moscow-trained. She did eventually move to the UK and wound up working with Sokolova and Karsavina, becoming the guardian of the Karsavina syllabus in the RAD teacher training course. I'm having so much fun going down these rabbit holes and finding out new-to-me stuff! Thanks Fiona!

[bangorballetboy]

The full list of recipients is here and it makes fascinating reading.

[bridiem]

I hope that Sir David Bintley gets this award soon.

[Sophoife]

Ooh, I apologise to the late Clement Crisp for my phone having inserted an accent aigu into his name and my not checking it! I'm nitpicking my own post.

[MJW]

From YouTube - 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nDpamTCdv4&t=12s

[FionaM]

@Sophoifethank you for all this great info.  Disappearing down ballet ‘rabbit holes’ is my idea of fun too 😉

[FionaM]

3 hours ago, MJW said:

From YouTube - 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nDpamTCdv4&t=12s

lovely speech by Misha 👏