Australia Dancing - Spink, Ian

Spink, Ian

Stringer, Walter: Portrait of Ian Spink, the Australian Ballet, c.1970

Ian Spink trained at the Australian Ballet School, graduating in 1968. He subsequently danced with the Australian Ballet, Australian Dance Theatre and the Dance Company (NSW) under the direction of Jaap Flier. During the 1970s he made works for Australian Ballet choreographic workshops, as well as for Ballet Australia choreographic competitions. He twice won the Ballet Australia choreographic award with Figurescape in 1973 and Duet in 1976. In 1976 he was awarded a grant to tour with Merce Cunningham Dance Company during its Australian tour.

Following participation in the 1977 International Course for Choreographers and Composers in England, Spink settled in London. In London he worked with Richard Alston before founding the Ian Spink Group in 1978. On a brief return visit to Australia in 1979 he choreographed the dance sequences for the State Opera of South Australia's Death in Venice. In 1982 he co-founded, with Siobhan Davies, Second Stride. During this time he also began working with director Tim Albery on a series of theatre works and opera productions. When Davies formed her own company Spink became sole director of Second Stride, a position he held till 1998.

Spink continues to freelance in the United Kingdom as a director and choreographer in theatre, opera and dance. His choreography includes Jesus Christ Superstar (English Theatre, Frankfurt), Les Troyens (Welsh National Opera/ Scottish Opera/Opera North), Lives of the Great Poisoners (Second Stride), Death in Venice (Glyndbourne Opera Festival), Heaven Ablaze in his Breast (Channel 4), Angel Magigk (BBC Proms), Escape at Sea (Second Stride), Eugene Onegin (Opera North), Orfeo (Purcell Sinfonia), Julius Caesar (Royal Shakespeare Company), Macbeth (Albery Theatre). In 2004 he created a re-interpretation of Frederick Ashton’s A Tragedy of Fashion as a contribution by Ballet Rambert to the celebration of the centenary of Ashton’s birth. The production was performed to a commissioned score by Australian composer Elena Kats-Chernin.

Bibliography:

Jan Murray, ‘Another tragedy of fashion’, Dance Australia, 132 (June/July 2004), pp. 40-43.

Research Materials

Other resources

Find more about Spink, Ian in:

Internet - Google
Articles - New York Public Library Dance Collection
Pictures - Picture Australia