1987 – 1998

Artistic Director: Christopher Gable

The appointment of the third Artistic Director owed something to both chance and good fortune. In 1987, the centenary of the birth of the painter L.S. Lowry, Salford City Council commissioned Gillian Lynne to create a new ballet for NBT which would celebrate the life and work of this Salford born artist.

Gillian Lynne was determined in her choice of dancer for the role of L.S.Lowry, enticing ex-Royal Ballet star Christopher Gable back to the dance stage – for the first time in over 20 years. She knew of no other dancer whose experience could master the complex and sensitive character of Lowry.

Christopher Gable's experience as a dancer, most significantly his notable career with the Royal Ballet, was followed by an equally distinguished career as an actor, on stage, as well as in film and TV. His association with Ken Russell led to some of his most memorable film credits including the title role in The Boyfriend, in which he co-starred with Twiggy, and D.H. Lawrence's The Rainbow, co-starring Glenda Jackson. His TV work included the much acclaimed insight into the life of Delius, as seen through the eyes of Eric Fenby played by Gable, again directed by Russell and his acting on stage included successful seasons with the Royal Shakespeare Company and The Royal Exchange Theatre.

Gable was the popular choice of the company and, following his appointment by the Board of NBT, it soon became clear that Gable would focus as much on the ‘theatre’ as the ‘ballet’ in the company's title. In a relatively small UK theatre circuit, being visited by a number of classical ballet companies, he saw a unique role for NBT, that would entice a new audience to dance through the theatricality and emotional contact of dramatic, narrative dance theatre.

With the emphasis on classical dance drama the popular success of A Simple Man was followed by full length productions of Swan Lake, Romeo & Juliet, A Christmas Carol, The Brontes, The Amazing Adventure of Don Quixote, Dracula, Giselle and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Many of which have been award winning and huge box office hits, making NBT one of the most successful touring companies in the UK.

Gable's impact was remarkable. In his eleven years as Artistic Director, NBT developed a strong audience following, who relished NBT's innovative and accessible productions. The rewards extended beyond the box office and ran throughout the company. The dancers particularly benefiting from Gable's theatrical experience as their new performance skills were carefully nurtured through a programme of workshops on acting, singing, and mime. Their ability to communicate with an audience was finely tuned and slowly but surely NBT's dancers were recognised not just for their expertise as classical dancers but for their skill as actors.

Throughout his time at NBT Gable remained Artistic Director of Central School of Ballet, a school he co-founded with Ann Stannard in London in 1982. He had already brought his performance experience to the curriculum of the school when he joined NBT in 1987 and the school became a source of dancers for the company.

In Gable's words:

NBT and CSB provide classical dance training and experience that is unique to the United Kingdom. It is narrative, theatrical and dramatic and is accessible to a wide range of audiences who would not otherwise see the highest quality of dance.

When Christopher Gable died in 1998 he left a company that was now gaining a world-wide reputation with NBT productions requested by Norwegian National Ballet, Atlanta Ballet and The Royal New Zealand Ballet. In 1996 Gable was awarded a CBE, for services to British Dance; however, his contribution, far outweighed any physical award – he had taught a whole generation of dancers to think differently about their craft and through his philosophy attracted a new audience to dance theatre and made NBT the flagship for change.

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