Jan McNulty Posted August 9, 2023 Share Posted August 9, 2023 The Royal Ballet has reported that Monica Parker, the former Principal Dance Notator, has passed away at the age of 80. https://www.roh.org.uk/news/remembering-monica-parker-1943-2023 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irmgard Posted August 9, 2023 Share Posted August 9, 2023 (edited) I was so very sad to hear of the death of Monica Parker, who had been in ill health for some years. She was Director of the Benesh Institute (now Benesh International) when I did the professional dance notation course and, on completion, she hired me to run the library of Benesh Movement Notation scores, which I did for nine years at the lovely premises in Barons Court, behind the old Royal Ballet premises on Talgarth Road. It was also thanks to her that I met Mary Skeaping and became her assistant, now being responsible for her beautiful production of "Giselle". Monica's dynamism was amazing, as she was principal choreologist for the Royal Ballet at the same time as she was running the Institute. This meant that notation students at that time had the unique privilege of notating rep classes at the Royal Ballet School, watching stars of the future! Monica mostly worked with Kenneth MacMillan, to whom she was invaluable, but other choreographers whose works she notated included Glen Tetley, and I remember her demonstrating a fiendish section of his "Voluntaries" for us to notate. As the Royal Opera House obituary says, she was a wonderful ambassador for notation and was highly respected by choreographers and dancers alike for her incredible eye for detail and her clarity and no-nonsense approach in rehearsals. The last time I saw her was when she staged an immaculate production of "Manon" for English National Ballet in 2008, which may have been the last ballet she staged, as I know her health began to fail soon afterwards. However, at that time, her energy and her irrepressible enthusiasm for her work were still very much in evidence, and that is how I will remember her. Edited August 9, 2023 by Irmgard grammar correction 8 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted August 9, 2023 Share Posted August 9, 2023 Rest in peace, Monica Parker. ☹️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted August 10, 2023 Author Share Posted August 10, 2023 What a beautiful tribute @Irmgard. Thank you so much. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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