ROBERT de WARREN in Spring Season residence with Presidio Dance Theatre of San Francisco. Mr. de Warren is available for interviews April 25-May 24, please call to arrange (415-561-3958 ask for Bryan or email bryan@presidiodance.org). Robert de Warren will be creating “Dance of the Qajar Court” for SF Artist Sherene Melania, who will perform at Presidio Dance Theatre’s 2009 Dancing Across Cultures™ international dance mosaic at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre on May 22, 7pm.
Robert de Warren of Iran-Das Foundation, an international Artistic Director of Ballet, Opera, and Musical Theater will be in San Francisco during Presidio Dance Theatre’s 2009 Spring Season. He is best known for choreography in multiple styles and as Master Teacher to the stars (including Nureyev). He is classical, contemporary, mystical or pure theatre, and brings together such disparate experiences and blends them to produce true and original works of art. In the most prestigious venues throughout the world, Mr. de Warren is also known for creating original theater set and costume designs.
Distinguished amongst ballet directors for his high professionalism, backed by specialized study and over four decades of experience, Robert de Warren brings unique achievements to the companies he has directed and/or choreographed for, including Royal Ballet of London; Iranian National Ballet & Mahali Dancers of Iran under the patronage of His Imperial Majesty the Shah of Iran and Her Imperial Majesty, the Empress Farah; La Scala Theatre of Italy; and Sarasota Ballet of Florida.
BACKGROUND:
Robert de Warren
Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, of British/Italian parents, Robert de Waren is a citizen of the World. From an early age he developed a great love of music and dance. At 12 years old he founded a MILONGA in the town of Chacabuco, in Argentina where he lived. He learned the TANGO and PASO DOBLE and the Argentine National Dance EL PERICON at that early age. After completing high school in Montevideo, where he also studied ballet with Vera Dalton and later Boris Kniasef, he travelled to England at 17. His invitation to the Arts Educational Schools and later The Royal Ballet launched his career, as Dame Ninette de Valois (founder of the Royal Ballet), saw in the young dancer the gifts for directing and choreographing and encouraged his development from the outset. De Warren readily admits having learned his trade from this great lady. As a dancer with the Royal Ballet he soon learned the entire productions of the great classical repertoire and can, today, reproduce them in the most authentic versions. He has also created many original works performed around the world.
At La Scala, Milan, where he was appointed by recommendation of Rudolf Nureyev. He was the first director to bring American Choreographers to present full evenings of their works, such as Alvin Ailey and Paul Taylor. He also brought "Fall River Legend" by Agness DeMille for the legendary Carla Fracci who previewed the performance at the Metropolitan Opera House with ABT in New York. De Warren's own creations at La Scala include an enlarged "A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM" which was the best selling ballet that season, COPPELIA, LA BOUTIQUE FANTASQUE, SOIREES MUSICALES and A YOUNG PERSONS GUIDE TO THE ORCHESTRA. He also collabotated with many international personalities first of which was Rudolf Nureyev, Riccardo Mutti, Andrea Gavazzeni who invited him to choreograph the dances in ADRIANA LECOUVREUR which La Scala inaugurated at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. Franco Zeffirelli, Gianni Versace, Pavarotti, Mirella Frenni, have all shared the stage with his creations , as designers and performers. De Warren also insured the most notable Ballet Stars guested with his company. http://www.euroarts.com/script/whatsnew.php
His arrival at La Scala had been preceded by eleven years at the head of the Northern Ballet Theatre (who owe their name to him). This fledgling company became the major touring ballet in Britain and presented smaller versions of the classics as well as an eclectic repertoire that became its trade mark and basis of its enormous success. De Warren obtained the royal patronage of the Princess Margaret and Rudolf Nureyev, who had worked often with de Warren and frequently danced with the company, became ARTIST LAUREATE, a distinction no other organization has ever enjoyed. NBT performed over 200 shows a season all over the country and in London at the Sadler's Wells Theatre. Many international choreographers contributed to their reprtoire, notably: Birgit Cullberg, Fleming Flindt, Michael Corder, Geoffrey Cauley, and Gillian Lynne (Cats). Dame Alicia Markova assisted in coaching Giselle and Les Sylphides. De Warren himself choreographed many original works that had hundreds of performances all over Britain and Ireland and were later produced by companies in France, Italy, Hong Kong and USA. www.northernballettheatre.co.uk/history1976.html
Not happy to run a company with such commitments, de Warren, in his quest for new talent helped found the Northern Ballet School now in its 30th year. He also founded the National Ballet Academy in Montevideo, the Pre-Professional College Course at la Scala in association with the Cathoilic University, The National Folklore Society and College in Iran. Dancers and choreographers de Warren has mentored are now themselves sought after directors and choreographers which gives this dedicated man a sense of fulfillment.
It was on a visit to New York to discuss production details with Agness DeMille that Robert was invited to Sarasota by Danish dance critic Bent Schoenberg and his wife. Bent introduced him to the founder of Sarasota Ballet and he was asked to meet the Board of Directors to advise on a search for a new Artistic Director. The meeting ended with him being offered the post! Having another three years contract in Milan Robert did not think this would happen. However, he was so impressed by Sarasota, a small resort city with already an opera, symphony, ballet and six theatre groups, so he actually considered leaving La Scala with its constant strikes and political turmoil. I recall meeting Robert in Milan excited with what he thought was a city to become the Montecarlo of USA! In hindsight he was absolutely right!
Much has been written about the eleven years Robert and his wife Jacqueline spent in Iran from 1965 to 1976 when dame Ninette de Valois sent him to become ballet master and his wife his assistant, to the National Ballet of Iran at the behest of the Shah. They found a very basic setup with a school and some dancers at semi professional level. The Shah had ordered the construction of a new opera house, the Rudaki hall, which would open the year of his coronation. De Warren was asked to advise on final details. I was in Iran as representative of the United nations, and this is where we first met.
True to character, Robert brought the ballet to a high standard so that for the inauguration of the opera house they performed for the Shah and Empress Farah. Through his brother in law, the Shah instructed Robert to research all mystic, tribal and ceremonial dance in the country.
Thus they founded the National Folklore Society of Iran and the Mahalli Dancers of Iran who became ambassadors of Iranian culture and toured the world. Robert freely travelled the country with his assistants, cameraman and sound technician recording everything he found. The theatrical performances were based on this research. He laso created the national archives for all this material. I saw all their presentations in Teheran, London and Washington where they performed for President and Mrs. Ford for the Bicentennial Ceremonies. In this capacity the de Warrens attended many state and court occasions and prepared numerous performances for the Shah's guests. On their third tour of USA for the Bicentennial they performed at Bovary Theatre at UCLA where de Warren was assaulted on stage by anti-shah demonstrators. Pandemonium broke out and it took American security some time to restore order. This was a warning signal Robert and Jacqueline did not ignore, so on their return to Iran they stopped in London and discussed the latest happenings. Colleagues from The Royal Ballet insisted they not return to Iran, but Robert, loyal to those who had given them such welcome, did return. However he had been offered the direction of Northern Dance Theatre with a free hand to develop and grow that organization. This is how Northern Ballet Theatre was born.
Robert had already experienced much animosity being organized towards the Shah, which made it obvious peace would not last. A year later the Shah invited Robert to create a special performance for a celebration at the summer palace. The Empress greeted Robert warmly and soon the Shah arrived. It was obvious he was a sick man. Violent manifestations were already apparent in the sprawling city. As it resulted, this was the last court ceremony before the Imperial family had to leave in exile.
Following work with Northern Ballet Theatre, Mr. de Warren became Artistic Director of Sarasota Ballet in Florida, recently retiring to work on his Iran-Das organization.
