Gary Avis Explained

Gary Avis
Honorific Suffix:MBE
Birth Place:Ipswich, England
Education:Bird College
The Royal Ballet School
Occupation:ballet dancer
Partner:Tim Holder
Current Group:The Royal Ballet
Former Groups:K-ballet
English National Ballet

Gary Avis MBE is an English ballet dancer who is currently a Principal Character Artist and Senior Ballet Master with The Royal Ballet, London.[1]

Early life

Avis was born in Ipswich. He was first trained in musical theatre, and had performed in the Royal Variety Performance.[2] He did not start ballet until he was 12. He then studied musical theatre at Bird College in Kent. Avis later started training at The Royal Ballet School in London after a teacher from Bird College filled in the application form for him.

Career

Avis joined The Royal Ballet in 1989, and became a soloist in 1995. In 1999, he co-founded K-ballet in Japan.[3] In 2002, he joined the English National Ballet as a First Soloist before returning to the Royal Ballet in 2004. He was made Principal Character Artist the following year. In 2007, he was appointed Assistant Ballet Master, and was named Ballet Master in the 2009/10 season.[4] In 2019, Avis was made Senior Ballet Master.[5] He had portrayed character roles such as Drosselmeyer in The Nutcracker, Von Rothbart in Swan Lake and Prince Gremin in Onegin. His role creations include Woolf Works, for which he danced with Alessandra Ferri.[6]

Avis is a frequent partner of Darcey Bussell. In her final performance, which was broadcast live, Avis danced with Bussell and Carlos Acosta in Song of the Earth.[7] Avis later danced in Bussell and Katherine Jenkins's tour, Viva la Diva[8] and on Strictly Come Dancing, where Bussell was a judge. In 2012, Avis performed at the London Olympics closing ceremony,[9] in a sequence titled 'Spirit of the Flame', choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon and composed by David Arnold. Bussell flew to the stage on a flaming phoenix and when landing was met by Avis, Jonathan Cope, Edward Watson, Nehemiah Kish and over 200 ballet dancers, after which the Olympic Flame was extinguished.[10]

Avis won the National Dance Awards for Outstanding Male Performance (Classical) in 2011 and 2019.[11] [12] He was made an MBE in 2018. He also has an honorary doctorate from the University of Suffolk, and had worked with the Art and Culture Fund at Suffolk Community Foundation.[13] [14]

Personal life

Avis is in a civil partnership with Tim Holder.[15] They live in rural Suffolk.[6]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Gary Avis — People — Royal Opera House. 2021-11-29. www.roh.org.uk.
  2. Web site: GARY AVIS MBE "In Conversation". 2021-11-29. The London Ballet Circle.
  3. Web site: Gary Avis 2007. 2021-11-29. The Ballet Association. en.
  4. News: Gary Avis. Royal Opera House. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200503194010/http://www.roh.org.uk/people/gary-avis. 3 May 2020.
  5. News: The Royal Ballet announces promotions, leavers and joiners for the 2019/20 season. Royal Opera House. Black. Becky. 12 July 2019.
  6. News: Gary Avis: 'No one's ever lonely in a dance class'. The Telegraph. London. Webber. Christine. 11 May 2015.
  7. News: Suffolk dancer stars in Darcey farewell. East Anglian Daily Times. 7 June 2007. 27 June 2020. 30 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200630064906/https://www.eadt.co.uk/ea-life/suffolk-dancer-stars-in-darcey-farewell-1-83846. dead.
  8. News: Glamour gig for Gary. East Anglian Daily Times. 29 April 2008. 27 June 2020. 27 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200627141413/https://www.eadt.co.uk/ea-life/glamour-gig-for-gary-1-188533. dead.
  9. Web site: Gary Avis Official Website - Spirit of the Flame - Olympic Closing Ceremony 2012. 2021-11-29. www.garyavis.com.
  10. Web site: Spirit of the flame. London 2012.
  11. News: 2011 UK National Dance Awards – Winners Announced. Dance Tabs. 23 January 2012.
  12. News: The National Dance Awards 2019/20. Dancing Times. 20 February 2020.
  13. News: Suffolk ballet star Gary Avis receives MBE at Buckingham Palace. East Anglian Daily Times. Gibbon. Amy. 12 October 2018. 27 June 2020. 27 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200627141411/https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/queen-presents-ipswich-dancer-gary-avis-with-mbe-1-5734880. dead.
  14. News: Ballet Star Gary Avis in conversation with Christine Webber. Ipswich Star. Mortimer. Lynne. 4 April 2019. 27 June 2020. 28 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200628221537/https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/what-s-on/an-evening-with-gary-avis-in-conversation-with-christine-webber-1-5978128. dead.
  15. News: I know how hard being a boy who loves ballet can be. The Telegraph. London. Lambert. Victoria. 30 August 2019.