Christopher Hampson
Christopher Hampson began his dancing life very early at the age of six at the Northern Ballet School in Manchester.
“It wasn’t actually dancing that gave me the bug…it was being in a grown-up theatre.
I loved ‘the theatre’ and used to play with pretend ones, and being in a real one was amazing. So dancing was just a vehicle I used for being in a theatre.”
At the age of 11 Hampson was accepted into the Royal Ballet School where he trained for eight years before auditioning successfully for the English National Ballet. There he was promoted into a number of main roles. Among his favourite were Balanchine’s ballets. “I had wanted to dance Balanchine for a long time. I just knew my body was right for it. The technique was right for me.”
Hampson made his first piece of choreography at the age of sixteen when he was still at the Royal Ballet School. “I didn’t want to do it but we all had to choreograph a piece…. “. He won prizes in a couple of choreography competitions.” I was gob smacked and kind of got the bug from then on.”
After 7 years with the English National Ballet Hampson decided to give up dancing altogether. “I didn’t leave because of illness or injury…… I could just see that I was really starting to enjoy the responsibility of choreography.”
Hampson has become a freelance choreographer working with different ballet companies all over the world. Now he is not dancing he stays fit by cycling and running. “I started running in New Zealand with a friend of mine; what appeals to me is that when you are running, that’s all you can do. In my life I am always surrounded by people, which I love, but I just love the peace and solitude of running. It clears my head and is a good antidote.”
REFERENCE:Christopher Hampson Choreographer by Simonetta Dixon
Ballet Magazine February 2008
Interview with Christopher Hampson
- Clip one - How I became a choreographer
- Clip two - The people who helped me become a choreographer
- Clip three - How I came to create Romeo and Juliet
- Clip four - The elements in the ballet
- Clip five - The setting of Romeo and Juliet
- Clip six - The relationship between the choreographer and the designer
- Clip seven - Working with the Porkoviev score
- Clip eight - My relationship with the RNZB