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 Christopher Hampson was born in Middleton, Manchester, and trained at the Royal Ballet School. After graduating in 1992 he joined English National Ballet (ENB), and was made a soloist in 1996. His roles with ENB included Drosselmeyer in Deane's Nutcracker, Paris in Nureyev's Romeo and Juliet, the Headmistress in Graduation Ball and the lead role in Balanchine's Square Dance. He has danced in works by Frederick Ashton, Kenneth MacMillan, Robert North, Mauro Bigonzetti, Ben Stevenson, Ronald Hynd, Glen Tetley, Michael Corder, Hans Van Manen and Wayne Sleep. Christopher's choreographic work started at the Royal Ballet School
after winning the 1992 Ursula Moreton Choreographic Competition.
On joining English National Ballet he continued to produce many
works for the company's workshops, soirées and galas and
received the first of many commissions from Derek Deane, artistic
director of ENB, in 1997.
Christmas 2000 saw the première of his first full-length work, A Christmas Carol, at London's Royal Festival Hall, followed by Saltarello, a new ballet for the Royal New Zealand Ballet in Spring 2001. In July of the same year he created Esquisses for English National Ballet School and Songs Without Words for Images of Dance. Double Concerto, to Poulenc's Concerto for Two Pianos (1932) had its première at the Opera House, Manchester, in November 2001 and was the first new ballet to open in London in 2002 at the Coliseum. His Nutracker for English National Ballet, with designs by Gerald Scarfe opened in October 2002, and was presented at the London Coliseum in December 2002/January 2003. Christopher has also co-directed galas at Her Majesty's Theatre and the Sadler's Wells Theatre. He was Ballet Master for City Ballet of London's VIVA! Tour and Wayne Sleep's Dash and Aspects of Dance tours. Christopher enjoys working with children and continues to do so whenever time allows. He has created works for English National Ballet School, Royal Ballet School, Central School of Ballet, National Youth Ballet and the Royal Academy of Dance. All of Christopher Hampson's work is documented in his popular monthly Internet Diaries that he has been writing for three years, commissioned by ballet.co.uk. In 2003, his Double Concerto won the Laurence Olivier award for Best New Choreography (Classical), and his Romeo & Juliet for Royal New Zealand Ballet has been nominated for the 2005 Laurence Olivier Awards (best new dance). Read more List of works to date Perpetuum Mobile (June 1997) ENB Press Quotes "A work of pure dance...carried by the captivating momentum,
from its opening statement...to the playfully upbeat climax for
the full cast. And to vary the tone in the middle, Hampson has made
a beautifully sculpted slow duet". "Perptuum Mobile" is sunshine and gentle dusk...skilfully
paced...imaginative and musically apt...bouncy beaten steps freezing
into poses" "A revelation...a very English ballet - polite, tasteful and
restrained...light, bright, clean and pure" Hampson has an undoubted talent for choreography. In writing about his choreographic style, many critics have compared him with precisely the choreographers he most admires; Balanchine for his grounding in the classical vocabulary with which he finds new ways and means and MacMillan for his inventiveness. He is also noted for his skill in handling different ensembles, teasing the audience with unexpected entrances and exits. He is able to please an audience with this gentle blend of classicism and invention and he is applauded as an innately musical choreographer. |
