Australia Dancing - Ashbridge, Bryan (1924

Ashbridge, Bryan (1924 - 1995)

Stringer, Walter: Bryan Ashbridge in 'Don Quixote', the Australian Ballet, 1979

Bryan Ashbridge was born in Wellington, New Zealand, and educated at Auckland Grammar School where he excelled at sport. He began learning ballet from the age of nine under Joseph Knowsley and in 1938 travelled to Sydney to spend a year training at the Frances Scully school. Whilst in Australia he appeared on stage with the de Basil Ballets Russes.

Returning to New Zealand, Ashbridge finished school and then joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force. He performed with the Borovansky Ballet during its tour of New Zealand in 1944/1945 and then in 1946/1947, along with fellow dancers Paul Hammond and Peggy Sager, travelled to England to pursue a career in ballet.

In London, Ashbridge studied at the Sadler's Wells Ballet School and won an Adeline Genee gold medal in 1947. The following year he performed as a featured soloist in the film The Red Shoes and joined the Sadler's Wells Ballet, going on to become a soloist and then, in 1957, a principal with the company.

During his years with Sadler's Wells (which became the Royal Ballet in 1956), Ashbridge returned to Australia and New Zealand on several occasions. In 1954 he danced in New Zealand at the Auckland Festival of Arts with fellow New Zealander Rowena Jackson who had also won Genee gold in 1947 and was a colleague at Sadler's Wells. In 1957 the pair again visited New Zealand, this time with dancers Pearl Garden and Derek Westlake from Ballet Rambert. In the same year they came to Australia with fellow Royal Ballet principals Michael Somes and Margot Fonteyn as guests of the Borovansky Ballet during Fonteyn's first Australian tour. Ashbridge and Jackson were particularly acclaimed in the Don Quixote pas de deux and the Black Swan pas de deux from Swan Lake during this tour. Ashbridge then partnered Svetlana Beriosova during the Royal Ballet's inaugural Australian tour the following year. In 1960 he performed in New Zealand with Beryl Grey, and in 1962 he again toured Australia and New Zealand with eight dancers from the Royal Ballet affectionately dubbed the 'Fonteyn Follies'.

Ashbridge was a guest artist with the Bolshoi Ballet during his time with the Royal Ballet. He had the honour of being the first British danseur to perform behind the Iron Curtain, dancing the role of Prince Siegfried in the Bolshoi production of Swan Lake.

On his retirement from the Royal Ballet in 1965, Ashbridge undertook the BBC production course and subsequently produced ballet for BBC television. In 1966 he returned to New Zealand where he joined the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation and produced ballet, gardening, sports, music and religious television programmes.

Ashbridge was invited to come to Australia to produce La Fille mal gardee for the Australian Ballet and in 1969 joined the company as assistant and then associate artistic director. In 1971 he took brief leave of absence to direct the Royal New Zealand Ballet. He toured extensively with the Australian Ballet, coaching and producing as well as appearing as guest artist in many ballets including the title role in Rudolf Nureyev's Don Quixote. He also directed a number of ABC television productions including The Fool on the Hill, a ballet specifically choreographed for television by Gillian Lynne, and was assistant director of the 1973 filmed version of Don Quixote directed by Rudolf Nureyev. In 1980 he was appointed inaugural director of the Dancers Company.

Ashbridge resigned from the Australian Ballet in 1983. He continued his involvement in dance through various television productions and teaching.

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