Ross Stretton

On Stretton's death, David McAllister, his successor as artistic director, stated Stretton "brought the company bounding into the 21st century."

During his tenure at the Australian Ballet, his catchphrase was "creativity, energy and passion".

He had the reputation of being a demanding artistic director and was known for having a short temper which meant that he often did not have good relations with his dancers.

Stretton's success with the Australian Ballet led to an offer to take over as artistic director at the Royal Ballet with the intention of bringing new works to the company.

His first and only season at the Royal Ballet was criticised with the Daily Telegraph's ballet critic describing it as feeble.

In particular, the productions of Don Quixote and Sleeping Beauty were strongly criticised, as was his staging of a Gala for the Queen's Golden Jubilee.

Productions of Carmen, choreographed by Mats Ek, John Cranko's Onegin, and Tryst, a new work by Christopher Wheeldon, received more favourable reviews.

Ross Stretton (6 June 1952 – 16 June 2005) was an Australian ballet dancer and artistic director.

As a dancer, he performed with the Australian Ballet, the Joffrey Ballet and the American Ballet Theatre.

Ross Stretton was born in Canberra in 1952.

He started his dancing career as a tap dancer, winning the Australian national tap-dancing championships twice and winning numerous other awards.

At the age of 11, he won a Channel Seven Junior Talent Quest, with a judge comparing him to Fred Astaire.

In his pre-teenage years, he studied dance with Katrina Druzins, in a small studio at her home in Yarralumla – when dance for young males, particularly in Canberra in the 'sixties, was regarded with curiosity, even suspicion.

Druzins, who was a postwar Eastern European emigree to Australia, and who specialised in teaching ballet with a fine degree of discipline, eased Stretton into that form of dance.

Stretton, who sacrificed his scholastic studies for his art, did not, however, start studying and performing ballet exclusively until he was 17, when he began taking classes with Bryan Lawrence and Janet Karin, former principals of the Australian Ballet.

He successfully auditioned for a position at the Australian Ballet School in 1971.

In his first year, he won the Nureyev bursary and received a Harold Holt Memorial Scholarship in his second year.

He graduated from the Ballet School in 1972 with honours in all of his practical and danced the leading male role as the prince in the School's production of Cinderella.

Stretton joined the Australian Ballet in 1973 and became a soloist the following year.

After winning a Robert Helpmann Scholarship in 1975, he undertook a study trip to the US.

During his time at the Australian Ballet, he danced all the classical roles in the company's schedule.

In the 1977 production of Swan Lake, he developed a strong partnership with Michaela Kirkaldie although he had to be taken to hospital after miscalculating the spectacular leap into the lake in a performance at the Canberra Theatre and missing the mattress behind the scenes meant to break his fall.

In 1978, he became a principal dancer with the Australian ballet.

In 1979, he decided to leave Australia for the US to establish an international reputation.

Stretton initially joined the Joffrey Theatre before a brief stint at the Northern Ballet Theatre in Manchester.

He debuted with the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) in 1980–81.

In the following season, he became a soloist with the ABT and a principal the following season.

He also worked with Mikhail Baryshnikov in Baryshnikov and Co as part of a select group of ABT dancers.

During his dancing career, Stretton developed a reputation as a great classical dancer although the New York Times stated in a news report on his death that "acting was not his forte".

He retired as a dancer in 1990.

Stretton started his new career as a regisseur with the ABT combining administrative duties along with responsibilities for casting, teaching and coaching.

In 1993, he was promoted to an assistant director position.

He was later Artistic Director of the Australian Ballet (1997–2001) and the Royal Ballet (2001–2002).

He returned to the Australian Ballet in 1997 as successor to Maina Gielgud.

Stretton brought new works into the company's repertoire from a range of choreographers including Twyla Tharp.

He also commissioned collaborations with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Bangarra Dance Theatre.

Rites, choreographed by Stephen Page in 1997, featured dancers from the indigenous Bangarra company along with dancers from the Australian ballet.

In 1999, Stretton took the Australian Ballet on a US tour featuring Australian dance works not previously seen in North America.

The New York Times described it as a "company reborn" based on that tour.

Following Sir Anthony Dowell's retirement as Artistic Director of the Royal Ballet in 2001, the board of the Royal Opera House announced Stretton as his successor, with a three-year contract, however he resigned the post after 13 months, in September 2002.