Richard Alston (choreographer) - Life and Career

Life and Career

He trained at the London School of Contemporary Dance, and then choreographed for the London Contemporary Dance Theatre before forming the UK’s first independent dance company, Strider, in 1972. In 1976 later he went to New York to study at the Merce Cunningham Dance Studio and in 1980 he was appointed resident choreographer with Ballet Rambert, serving as the company’s artistic director from 1986 to 1992. In 1981 Alston's dance company 'stride' merged with choreographer Siobhan Davies' company Siobhan Davies and Dancers to form 'second stride' During that time he created 25 works for Rambert as well as the Royal Danish Ballet (1982), the Royal Ballet (1983), and two solo works for Michael Clark (Soda Lake and Dutiful Ducks). He returned to Rambert in 2001, creating Unrest for the company’s 70th anniversary.

A revival of his Dangerous Liaisons (1985) was toured by Scottish Ballet in 2003. In 1994 Alston took up the post of artistic director at The Place and formed The Richard Alston Dance Company; since then he has made over 20 pieces for the company.

Alston was made an honorary Doctor of Philosophy (Dance) at the University of Surrey in 1992 and in 2003 he received an honorary MA from University College Chichester. In 1995 he was named Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in recognition of his work in France. In January 2001 he was awarded the CBE.