We are deeply saddened by the death of Sir Richard Alston, one of Britain’s most important choreographers and a defining figure in the history of The Place and London Contemporary Dance School.
Richard first came to The Place as one of the earliest students of London Contemporary Dance School (LCDS), returning as Artistic Director from 1994 - 2020 and establishing the Richard Alston Dance Company as resident company. Across more than half a century, he made over 200 dances and profoundly influenced generations of dancers and artists through his musicality, craftsmanship and unwavering belief in beauty.
We remember Richard and the extraordinary legacy he leaves behind in the tributes below.
Richard's incredible body of work is also celebrated and preserved through the Richard Alston Foundation. Find out more here.
We know Richard was admired and loved by many across our community. We will be gathering tributes to Richard and his work here on our website. If you would like to contribute your memories, please send your message to Suzanne.Frost@theplace.org.uk
I met Richard relatively late in his career through my work with the Columbia and then Cockayne Foundations, although I had been a fan of his intensely musical choreography for some time before that. Not having a formal background in dance, I admit to having been a little daunted at meeting him for the first time - but what struck me from the outset was how his unique mixture of authority and knowledge, combined with his natural sweetness, gentleness and warmth, rendered him at once both compelling and loveable. I remember, once taking the President of Cockayne Foundation to a performance of Richard’s Company at The Place during which Richard at one point walked around the stage reciting a text. When I asked my President (the same age as Richard) what he had thought of the evening, he told me that, while enjoying the dancers, he had ‘liked the old guy best’ because of his presence & authenticity. Cockayne Foundation was then honoured to provide support for RADC’s final programme, Shine On, and for the lovely book Alston/ Nash which commemorated Richard and his company’s 25 year collaboration with photographer Christopher Nash.
Not only a wonderful choreographer but a genuinely kind and generous soul, Richard, I soon learnt, had touched so many lives through his teaching, mentorship and art. In his work he had a rare gift for capturing joy and creating beauty - something we all need more of in an increasingly anxious and fractured world - I hope the next generation of dancers & choreographers are able to build on Richard’s legacy, not just as a choreographer but as a deeply humane spirit, ensuring the flame of Kindness, Beauty & Hope ‘Shine On’ for a new generation in dance.
Jo Hedley
Executive Director
Cockayne Foundation
I am so saddened by the death of Richard Alston. He has been part of the dance scene of the UK since I began my career and really did feel like the father figure to the scene somehow. In the past couple of decades when our paths crossed he was always so very kind and humble but also listened attentively. He had that way of making you feel comfortable and worth listening to - those impeccable gracefull manners - and he was in himself and as a dancer, so graceful.
I first saw him in the flesh when he taught open classes and I braved attending ( early to mid 1980s perhaps). I loved seeing dancers in his class that I admired from afar such as the beautiful Sue MacLennan (who I later went on to dance for) and Mary Evelyn. I could see he did too and they were not ballet trained or super athletic and this gave me such hope.
When we first began to chat to each other he was very complementary about my film ‘boy" and the intergenerational nature of my work which thrilled me. I had no idea he even knew the work. He seemed genuinely surprised but pleased that I rated and complimented his work, I think he felt his work might be viewed as dated by younger choreographers. Here was the humility. Both of us were touched because we both felt seen by the other and that felt rather beautiful and poignant.
Our last conversation was in the foyer of Sadlers Wells East where he was waiting for some of his past dancers to arrive and where we were both about to see Shobana’s new work Caliban. We talked about his delight and odd frustrations with some current projects of his, but you could see how the work was his life force all the while entangled with love as expressed today in the beautiful tributes. He told me how he noticed as he went through his past works how compelled he was to make the next work, then the next, a kind of compulsion. He felt if he had his time again he would have made less. He admitted there were a few gems within the canon that he was proud of and that he felt were good. I was again touched by him sharing this and fascinated by it too. He knew he was lucky to have been in that position to be able to keep creating like that and he was very thankful for those opportunities.
I will never forget his beautiful face, the creases his smile made and the twinkle in his eyes.
Something I hope will be noticed and remembered was how he loved his dancers, how he revealed their potential for us all to see, and how they loved him. He cared for his work, for his music and for his dancers and colleagues, loving care made manifest.
Rosemary Lee
Richard Dearest,
On meeting you when we were both students at Berner's Place, then at The Place we choreographed together a comedic dance for you, what fun we had!
Then 1968 (yikes) all those years ago and even up to this year 2026 you were saying I was an “emotional” Well... Richard dearest, I am giving that ‘emotion' full reign in saying you will reside in my heart forever.
Saddened that I won’t be hearing your truths, wit and humour, sleep sweet dear one.
Cathy Lewis
As a young dancer with London Contemporary Dance Theatre, I had the pleasure of dancing in some of Richard’s earliest works. Cold,Tiger Balm, Layout (later Blue Schubert Fragments) Nowhere Slowly and later Double work and Rainbow Bandit. As well as being choreographically and musically challenged, getting to grips with some intricate footwork, we always had fun.
Outside of the studio,(many years ago) Richard, Sue (Davies) and I would get together at Sue’s Mum’s house for eats drinks and much hilarity and laughter. He was a great raconteur with a terrific sense of humour.
He will be sadly missed by the many dancers colleagues and friends, whose lives and careers were enriched by knowing and working with him.
Rest in peace, dear Richard.
Linda Gibbs.
Richard's influence was far-reaching for generations of dancers, choreographers, educators, and audiences.
He was influential on me as a young dancer and as a teacher too. I was fortunate to benefit from his deep understanding of music and musicality, his structuring and crafting of phrases of movement and flow through breath. His generosity to go over and try different ways of sharing and creating material. My experience of Richard was that he was kind, encouraging, genuinely interested and always thoughtful and perceptive.
More recently, I invited Richard to be an external examiner for a PhD by publication as choreography. He said he was thrilled to be asked, and this was a wonderful experience as Richard brought a wealth of knowledge and passion as a choreographer and artist, from the dance industry and as a researcher, to the role. Here I learned more about Richard the academic and his ability to interrogate, synthesise and again his perceptiveness to prompt and question, with kindness.
Angela Pickard
Although I only met Richard a few times, he was a huge inspiration to me in following dance at a young age. I can clearly recall seeing Soda Lake on TV and having my mind blown at the simplicity and measured elegance let alone the idea that dance could be in dialogue with sculpture. In fact, on hearing of his passing so many wonderful memories came back to me - of discovering contemporary dance and new works and other artists and even music I hadn't heard before were all introduced to me by Richard Alson and set me on the path to where I am now.Thank you Richard,
Kyla Booth-Lucking
Richard has given me two strong and personal memories. Many years ago I attended a big dance residential in Dunfermline for everyone from professionals to ‘once-a-week’ dancers like me. Richard and I were accommodated in adjacent rooms so I was included in evening drinks with him and colleagues.
He was teaching a Cunningham class for professional dancers but said it seemed unfair that the less experienced did not receive the same level of teaching and invited me to attend. When the sequence across the diagonal in pairs came, he whispered to me to watch carefully and come at the end. When I was the only one left, he appeared beside me and said ‘go’ and Richard and I flew across the floor together, leaping and spinning and I didn’t make a mistake! I have never forgotten that moment. Who else of his status would take such care of a random person?
Many years later I took my partner to an evening of Alston choreography. He had never been to a dance performance before but was immersed in and knowledgeable about music. He was thrilled, talking about how the dancers had responded to subtleties in the music that I wasn’t even aware of. Thanks to Richard, we still attend dance performances together.
Gillian Symonds
I am immensely grateful for my time as a dancer in Richard's Rambert. He was warm-hearted, gracious and witty, and fostered a thriving supportive and creative company culture. Richard curated an exhilarating postmodern feast of a repertoire with a generous serve of historical work , bringing together a company of awesome dance artists and creative collaborators - choreographers, painters, sculptors, composers, filmmakers... totally exciting.
Performing in Richard's works, my memory is of being airborne most of the time - so much jumping! - and 'eating space'. Watching (and rewatching) Richard’s works, I find them always engaging, compelling and joyful.
I am so lucky to have known and worked with him. Vale Richard.
Dr. Sue Hawksley
Richard Alston...was very nice to me. I had joined London Contemporary Dance Theatre in 1993 and Richard cast me as the lead for 'rumors and vision' which was kinda his only or last emotional led dance drama. (kinda like the equivalent of pina's last abstract dance: 'the rite of spring', if you get my drift). i wouldn't say that he pushed my carreer as a dancer but he recognised me when not so many others in britrain did.
I always enjoyed his classes most of all. His positive attitude, smiles and the rhythmic foot work he offered. His phrasing was 'easy' to get (accessible is a better word) but you had to bite into it, and in a way he did work similarly to Merce. Merce and Richard liked when you tried, when you approached. Of course perfection is good too, but as any creating artists, they were happy if you understood what it was about and translated it in your own body/realm.
Richard, and also John Ashford were just a few of the British mile stone figures that I happened to become friends with. I remember an evening where I was invited to celebrate Val's birthday. We were just 5: Richard , Michael (Clark), Ellen (van Schulenburch) and dear Val Bourne. It was funny and warming, because I never had any power, but they accepted me as one of them.
I bet many have stories like that. I have tons more. Like Bob's (Robert Cohan) 's and Richard's relation to Angelin Preljocaj or to The Place or to John Ashford. Very different yet in retrospect. handing it over smoothly.
I was happy to dance 'rainbow bandit' at the QEH in 2000. It was the piece I had watched in 1989 as a first year student, and I was in awe the swinging poles, the sound and of course the freedom of just jetee-ing endlessly.
Sue (Davies) and Richard, they were the mum and dad of true British creators to me.
Sending love from Berlin, to our beloved dance community,
Fred Gehrig
I was so shocked and saddened to hear this news. I knew Richard when working at the Place as wardrobe mistress for London Contemporary Dance Theatre in the 1970s. When I went freelance as a costume maker I worked with him on many occasions, especially during his tenure as artistic director at Rambert. My strongest memory is that he was great fun to work with, as well as his artistry. Attending rehearsals and watching his choreography develop was always a joy. I'm sure he will be greatly missed and my heart goes out to all who knew him.
Annie Guyon
Richard Alston was a renowned choreographer and company director and a remarkable human being in so many ways.
I first became aware of Richard’s choreography at an early stage in my training and career through his works for Rambert Dance Company and later for his own company.
When I worked as a dance animator in Berkshire, I met him at various conferences and training events and later at the University of Surrey’s Dance department, where he awarded an Honorary Doctorate.
But I came to know him personally when he agreed to be Chair of Youth Dance England (YDE) the national organisation created by Arts Council England (ACE), Department for Education and Department for Culture, Media and Sport to support young people’s dance (2004 - 2016). I was the Director of this new organisation with a huge remit and a high level of government and ACE expectation and scrutiny.
He was recommended as a possible Chair by his colleagues at The Place and was initially reluctant to take on the role because he felt that he had no experience to bring to chairing an organisation. With encouragement from his colleagues, and myself, he agreed to become Chair in 2009 and remained in the role during YDE’s merger with Dance UK, Association of Dance of the African Diaspora and National Dance Teachers Association to form One Dance UK in 2016.
He was a wonderful communicator and inspiration to the young people he met through the U.Dance, national youth dance performance programme, and Young Creatives, young choreographers’ programme. Never patronising he talked with them about their work to deepen their understanding. He treated them as fellow artists and shared his knowledge and passion for dance generously with them. I recall during an introductory speech at a U. Dance national festival he said to all the young dancers: ‘Remember, you are not the future of dance you are dance.’
He was treated as a revered celebrity by the young dancers, and their teachers, who took many hundreds of photos with him.
I could not have asked for a better person to support me through some challenging times forming this organisation. He had an ideal profile in the education and training world as he was known for his repertoire which was included in GCSE and A Level Dance syllabi and in training schools’ programmes. For my team and I we welcomed his kindliness, positivity and encouragement. Richard and I formed a strong partnership, which is not always experienced between Director and Chair.
After YDE merged into One Dance UK he remained in the role of Champion for U.Dance and Young Creatives. Our friendship grew as we met socially and talked about the dance world and I learnt more from his amazing dance knowledge. We shared an interest in ballet.
We were both delighted when The Royal Ballet School’s Affiliate Programme (for recreational dance teachers) decided to include some of his repertoire pieces in the programme.
His work was being recorded at the school this summer while he was in hospital.
In our last conversation he talked in detail about the youth dance pieces that had struck him the most. His recall was detailed and his choice showed the breadth of his interest and appreciation of dance forms and choreography. He said that he had learnt a great deal about himself through his involvement with YDE. Not as much as I did from knowing and working with him.
I, and many others will miss him dearly.
With my heartfelt gratitude, Sir Richard.
Linda Jasper, MBE, Founder Director of Youth Dance England
Four years ago this week, we were deeply privileged to be fulfilling a dream working with Richard Alston.
I had seen Blue Schubert Fragments (1972/4) three years before in the final tour of the Alston Company. As a work “of our time”, I recognised
the presence and assuredness of “together alone” could find different depth in/on older bodies. I had conversations with Richard about broadening horizons for and with older dancers.
Covid clattered everything, but surprising creative opportunities emerged. Our growing relationship with company dancer Jenny Hayes enabled new online dance connections - Richard gave his blessing to learning this piece individually at home on Zoom.
With an opportunity to come together in person to perform in September 2022, appreciative relationships blossomed. Towards performance we were blessed with his presence, attentive, encouraging critical feedback, generous impromptu masterclasses as the pinnacle of a process of technically adroit teaching and development with Jenny that we will never lose - emotionally or physically. As we were tested with a tricky counterbalance in the final sequence, requiring serenity, control and a signature off-balance into control, I’ve heard his voice - “sink into your armchair” . . .
In his farewell at Sadler's Wells he said love is the foundation of all to which he aspired - we felt it; it’s just as warm this week as that precious time stays embodied.
Light footsteps, Sir Richard 🤍
Vicky Lant
In the early 1990s I was running Warwick Arts Centre, and having been an admirer of Richard’s work for years I was thrilled that Rambert Dance Company was making its first visit for 13 years in February 1993, with a programme that included Richard’s joyful Clapping Music and Rainbow Ripples. So it was a no-brainer to offer to present the first ever performances of the newly formed Richard Alston Dance Company in November 1994, as part of the Arts Centre’s 20th anniversary season. Of course, the all new, all Richard programme was beautifully danced, looked really wonderful and was very enthusiastically received. Richard graciously always acknowledged the support the venue had offered his fledgling venture and when the company visited the Arts Centre in Autumn 2019 as part of its farewell tour, Richard sweetly invited me to return to take part in a pre-performance conversation with him.
Apart from his extraordinary skill as a choreographer and teacher and his immense musicality, I shall always remember his artistic curiosity, gift for human connection and that twinkle in his eye. Farewell dear Richard, you were the embodiment of "a verray, parfit gentil knyght”.
Jodi Myers
I first met Richard at the studio in Berners Place, Fitzrovia, W1. Having completed my course at Arts Educational School, I was working in a number of West End Theatre wardrobe departments.
Richard magically helped me to combine my developing interests when, in 1968 he asked me to make the costume/s for "Transit". In the days of non- stretch tricel jersey, when it came to making the sleeves the issue of the gussets arose, it became apparent they still needed refining to enable the dancer to move with ease.
This was the spark which ignited the start of my wonderful adventure of creating costumes for Contemporary Dance, full of learning , problem solving, exploring with the dancers, and so much more, all of which enriched my entire life.
I continue to feel blessed that I had this life in wardrobe, costume making, touring with LCDT and later teaching the dance students at The Place.
Thank-you Richard, for not only the wonderful adventure, but also for sharing part of my early 'growing- up',
And for relating all those wonderful stories in the costume room which kept the costume team going and made us giggle...
Jenny Henry-Hunter
I trained at LCDS and to have Richard and RADC in the building of The Place, was very special.
To have experienced the privilege of working and dancing along side Richard, was a true and very generous gift, that will always be treasured within my heart.
Richard supported the Peggy Hawkins Fund and shared many of his magical works to be performed by the students at LCDS in honour of the Peggy Hawkins Fund, founded by myself and Anthony Van Laast.
There is just a little personal memory I have of Richard.
We were looking through the dance studio window at The Place when The Centre of Advanced Training students were in class.
Richard tapped me on the shoulder and said , ‘Is that one of yours’ it was indeed our youngest child of five children dancing for joy!
My love thoughts and prayers rest with Richard and his family and all the hearts that he touched with his care, kindness and endless generosity and above all to treasure the times spent with such an extraordinary and inspirational Dance Artist and a wonderful friend.
Pernille Charrington
Very sad moment ....... to acknowledge the death of Richard Alston.
I send my felt prayers for his rest in peace, love and harmony. Thank you Richard for sharing your talent with this world and for all your contributions to the dance world............you will be greatly missed.
Laura D'Italia
I was so sad to hear about Richard and fondly remember reviewing Rainbow Bandit back in 1977.
At the time I didn't quite know what had hit me, and if I close my eyes I can see this lanky young man doing the most amazing contortions with his body. I remember seeing Strider and Second Stride over the years here in Yorkshire and picture his inimitable style.
I last saw him at the funeral of Nadine Senior, founder of the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, where I later became a governor. We had a good chat and I always found him twinkly and witty. I guess that the choreographer and the critic have an odd symbiosis really.
So farewell and away over the rainbow, Richard. You will be sadly missed.
Stephanie Ferguson
The Critics' Circle
I fell in love with Richard’s work whilst a student at the Place. In 1981 I made the long trip across London from where I lived to see the first performance of Soda Lake at Riverside Studios. I was captivated. It seemed perfect: brave, bold, spare, yet mesmerising in its dance vocabulary and with a enduring emotional resonance. And so musical: a piece danced in silence which sang with its finely honed phrasing. I had never seen anything like it and the next night I once again made the long trip across London to see this six minute masterpiece.
Some years later I was lucky to work with Richard in the role of Company Animateur for Rambert Dance Company (1988-1991) when Richard was Artistic Director. The repertoire was thrilling - not only his own dances but the body of work he curated from innovative choreographers along with some gems from Rambert’s past. Merce Cunningham, Trisha Brown, Lucinda Childs, Siobhan Davies, Ashley Page, Antony Tudor - these were dances to exhilarate and excite contemporary dance lovers. This was such a fabulous cutting edge period for contemporary dance in the UK and had a huge impact on the next generation of dancers and choreographers.
The Richard I encountered truly was a gentle man. An intelligent, warm and funny human being, sensitive, encouraging, caring and concerned. My love affair with Richard’s work continued, through Hymnos, Strong Language, Pulcinella and the ever uplifting Roughcut during the time I remained at Rambert and then endured in the impressive number of dances he made for RADC. I would always be amazed at the breathtaking architecture of bodies in space as well as his inherent musicality.
Whilst a Senior Lecturer at Middlesex University (1991-1997) I enjoyed teaching excerpts from Richard’s work to the dance degree students who embraced the fleet footedness, phrasing and joy of his choreography.
I am extremely saddened by Richard’s passing but feel immensely privileged to have worked for such an important visionary artist of the contemporary dance world.
Helen Clarke (nee Sykes)
To Richard,
Heard about your departure. Waves of sorrow. Waves of memories.
As a young rather lost person arriving in London at the The Place I was met by warmth and kinship from kindred spirits among them You Richard. Thank you for all the laughters all the fun of exploring!Thank you for introducing me to Raymong Chandler and for giving me a beautiful silk kimono that has been with me for my life travelling. Most of all thank you for your friendship and for letting me understand that the impossible is possible maybe not all the time but some of the time. Such a helpful knowledge that led too a life in the difficult field of Contemporary dance. RIP wonderfull creative spirit!
Yours sincerely
Eva Lundqvist
Choreographer
Sweden
Although only a small cog for a short time, I appreciate every moment spent with RADC. Richard managed to be not only a genius, but truly down to earth at the same time.
David McDade
I was surprised at how deeply I felt the news. I realised that Richard had been a big part of my life journey.
He taught me so very much, supportive and extremely kind.
Above all an inspiration and visionary for so many and a pioneer for the industry.
Rest well dear Richard ❤️
Sam Wilkinson
I first met Richard when he came to create a new work called Midsummer for The Royal Ballet in 1983. I was lucky enough to be cast in a leading role so I got to work closely with him in the studio, and through this we quickly became close friends. But my artistic enlightenment (literally) via him goes back to the previous year when, quite by chance as it happened, I watched the South Bank Show arts programme on television which devoted an entire hour-length feature on him and his work. I had heard a little about him but had not yet seen any of his pieces but, listening to him talk about his work and watching the various sequences used to illustrate his conversation with Melvyn Bragg, I was completely transfixed. I had never really heard anyone speak about dance and movement in such a clear and illuminating way, and by the end of the programme I resolved to see as much of his work as possible. This began a period during which I devoured pretty well everything that was happening in contemporary dance in London at that time - mainly at Riverside Studios and The Place - and led to a sudden and complete immersion into the range of work that was being shown in that early-mid 80s period.
The thing which struck me while watching that tv programme was how much of Richard’s work was more relevant to classical ballet than some of the work I was dancing in the Royal Ballet repertoire at that time. The purity of phrasing and musicality and the subtlety and complexity (and internal logic) of the movement, coupled with the boldness and context of the ideas behind it, was a revelation. I had been lucky enough to dance in some wonderful ballets by great choreographers, but this was something very fresh and completely new to me. It came very much out of the blue for me and I resolved there and then to totally rethink my approach to making work and to investigate, without delay, the broad range of dance that was available to see and which this programme and Richard’s words and work had awakened me to.
Most of Richard’s work that I saw at this time was with Rambert, but he also showed some pieces independently at Riverside (with Michael Clark dancing) and as part of the first two programmes by Second Stride, a unique ‘collective’ of established/experienced dancers, with choreography by Richard, Siobhan Davies and Ian Spink, and design, music and lighting by several key figures with whom I worked closely later on (among them Antony McDonald, Craig Givens, Peter Mumford and Orlando Gough). Second Stride would develop into a trailblazing company which made increasingly sophisticated work through the 80s and into the 90s (I eventually worked with them in 1993) which also had a profound impact on me and my work, particularly later on when I began working with Antony McDonald. But at Rambert, Richard was making new work at a startling rate and I went to see everything!
From the moment we worked together on Midsummer in the autumn of 1983 we became close friends, and that coincided with meeting Bryan Robertson (formerly and most notably the groundbreaking director of the Whitechapel Gallery during the 50s and 60s), a good friend of Richard’s who had recently been appointed by The Royal Ballet to advise on design, particularly for the then young group of choreographers who were emerging from within The Royal Ballet Choreographic Group. This was the beginning of a gradual accumulation of new friends and inspirational figures for me, but Richard remained the core of that group, encouraging me in my own work and opening up my musical palette to include the contemporary classical music of that era. Through Richard’s guidance I discovered so many new things and he became a mentor, emboldening me to think ambitiously about making work, esp as I approached my first professional piece on the main stage at the Royal Opera House in the summer of 1984.
Later that year, Richard made a short duet for Bruce Sansom (an RB colleague) and me called Coursing (to music by Ollie Knusson), which we performed as part of Dance Umbella at Riverside in November ’84. It was exciting and fulfilling to work closely with him for a second time within a year.
Two years later Richard became the artistic director of Rambert, just in time to put together a special season to celebrate the company’s 60th anniversary in June 1986, commissioning new work from several of the choreographers that had made a decisive impact on me as well as inviting me to create a piece (Carmen Arcadiae). It was only my second professional work, and Richard suggested a score by Harrison Birtwistle (at that time probably Britain’s foremost composer) and asked Bryan to suggest a fine artist to design the piece. Richard’s love of the visual arts had led to his friendship with Bryan (who also introduced him to several artists he collaborated with) and one of the defining elements of Richard’s time as artistic leader of Rambert was the use of fine artists (as opposed to theatre designers) collaborating with choreographers. Much is made, and rightly so, of Richard’s passion for music and his highly individual use of it in his work, but I would say that his collaborations with visual artists during this period is almost equal to his relationship with music and composers. For me personally, it was the fostering of close collaborative work between choreographers, composers and fine artists that was the most significant trait of Richard’s time at Rambert, and it was certainly very successful.
Richard continued to invite me to create work for Rambert, in 1988 (Soldat) and in 1990 (Currulao), and to be a part of that flowering of creativity was incredibly exciting and allowed me to develop much faster than I might have done without those opportunities. To have my work shown in repertory alongside choreographers such as of Siobhan Davies, Michael Clark and Trisha Brown (as well as Richard) was extraordinary for me, but it was Richard’s faith that gave me the courage to have confidence in what I was doing. This confidence flowed over into the work I was making for The Royal Ballet at the same time, and I was also invited to make a series of pieces for Dance Umbrella during this period, by Val Bourne whom I also met through Richard. So this was a period in which I was meeting many significant people within the dance, music and visual arts worlds, and Richard and Bryan Robertson were primary the instigators of all that.
Important also to mention (I believe) that both Richard and Bryan were lovers of good food and excellent wine, so I also received a highly enjoyable epicurean education from them, as well as all the fabulous ‘arty' stuff!!
My friendship with Richard continued into the 90s, when he founded his own dance company and became artistic director of The Place, and he continued to encourage, advise and support my own work at The Royal Ballet and elsewhere, even though (inevitably) I gradually evolved and found my own choreographic ‘voice’. Later in the 90s Richard’s company dancers performed the choreography I had made earlier for a production of the opera Cherubin (at the ROH, directed by Tim Albery and signed by Antony McDonald), and it was very satisfying to see my work performed by dancers steeped in Richard’s ethos.
Later still, when I went to Glasgow to direct Scottish Ballet, my opening programme to re-launch the company in 2003 (after a period of necessary regrouping) included pieces by Richard (Dangerous Liaisons) and Siobhan Davies (White Man Sleeps), both of which came from that explosion of creativity in the late 80s. This was partly to acknowlegde my influences as I began my journey as an artistic director, but also because I felt the need to send a message that said ‘this was important work at the time and is still relevant…to ignore it/forget it is to belittle our inheritance'.
Even while I was based in Glasgow (for 15 years) Richard and I kept in touch, and his own company toured regularly to Scotland so I continued to see his new work and maintain our connection. In 2009 I invited him to create a new Carmen for Scottish Ballet, and he made a wonderful production to the Rodion Shchedrin score for string orchestra and percussion, with designs Antony McDonald and Peter Mumford lighting the work. As part of my final programme for Scottish Ballet in 2012, I commissioned a new work from Martin Lawrence (Run For It / 2012), a young choreographer whom Richard was developing (and who had been a key dancer in his company) and whose choreographic voice echoed Richard’s, yet was very much his own. This work was designed by then recent Turner Prize winner Martin Boyce and was set to music by the Americam composer John Adams…a combination which was wonderfully redolent of Richard’s ethos all those years ago at Rambert, yet felt fresh and entirely contemporary.
Richard and I were also part of the panel of judges for an annual visual arts award set up by Bryan Robertson and launched (after Bryan's death) in 2005, so we were able to see each other in London every year and to enjoy the sumptuous post-judging dinner that Bryan stipulated we must observe in his memory!!!
On returning to live in London in late 2017 I was able to see rather more of Richard, and the closing performances of his company at The Place in the winter of 2019 and Sadler’s Wells the spring of 2020 were an emotionally charged mixture of highly enjoyable dance and sadness and uncertainty over when, if ever, we would see another new Alston work. I know that Richard was deeply affected by the loss of opportunity to continue creating work on his own dancers, but typically he took this in his stride and found just enough to keep him ticking over, some new work and some revivals, and this was a great example to me of how to be gracious in such circumstances.
I saw Richard in May this year, at the Tring / Encore Company annual show at the Shaw Theatre, and he seemed on good form…enthusing about some dance performances he’d seen recently and making the occasional naughty comment with that ‘twinkle’ in his eye that I knew so well - he was always a great raconteur and regaled us all with many amusing stories over the years - and I invited him to come to dinner soon. Fast-forward to August and the last time I saw him was just over a week ago at the Royal Free hospital in Hampstead, looking very frail and in soft voice, yet the ‘twinkle’ was still there…..it was still very much Richard. The suddenness of his departure barely a week later is shocking, and signals (for me) the end of an era in which I had the good fortune to know such a wonderful, generous and inspirational man whose guidance and friendship I count as one of the most important I have ever enjoyed. I am very fortunate to have known him for such a long time, and I can’t quite believe he’s gone.
Ashley Laverty
So sad to hear of Richard’s passing this week!
It feels very strange to be writing this where Richard used to sit and his presence is still felt in the office’s, studio’s & corridors as I’m sure it will be for many years to come.
It was a privilege to know and work with Richard for many years, he was such a lovely man who always made me feel very welcome and I always enjoyed hearing his stories about dance.
I loved Richard’s choreography! There was no gimmick’s just pure dance and music with wonderful dancers to bring it alive and he always amazed me that he was able to carry on creating such beautifully crafted pieces for so many years.
He will be greatly missed!
Kevin Widgery