August 15
Born Today:
John Cranko
Ballet dancer and choreographer John Cranko (1927-1973) was born in South Africa and performed with the Sadler’s Wells Ballet (later Royal Ballet) before devoting himself to choreography for the Stuttgart Ballet in Germany beginning in 1961, elevating the company into a stellar and autonomous performance troupe. His 1962 premiere of ballet Romeo and Juliet brought worldwide acclaim to the company and he encouraged fledgling choreographers John Neumeier (1939-), later with the Hamburg Ballet, and Jiří Kylián (1947-), later with the Nederlands Dans Theater, to create their own works. Cranko joins former ballet masters at the Stuttgart Ballet that includes luminaries Jean-Georges Noverre (from 1759 to 1766), Filippo Taglioni (1777-1871), and Oskar Schlemmer (1888-1943).