The Minutes of
the Annual General Meeting of the Ballet
Association
16 November 2005
6.30pm, Royal Ballet SChool
The Chairman, David Bain, welcomed everyone
to the Annual General Meeting.
1. Apologies
There were no apologies for absence.
2. Minutes
The minutes of the 2004 annual general
meeting were taken as read and adopted.
3. Matters Arising
There were no matters arising.
4. Chairman’s
Report
The Chairman had tabled his report for
2004/2005, but he drew attention to the
salient points.
During the previous season the Royal Ballet
Companies had celebrated the centenary
of the birth of Sir Frederick Ashton.
For many members this saw the return to
the repertoire of favourite ballets, whilst
newer dance enthusiasts were introduced
to some of Ashton’s great works.
Christopher Newton’s production
of Sylvia, a great success in the previous
season, was returning to the Royal Opera
House stage this week.
Membership had risen yet again to a record
level, 420. This in turn had led to improved
attendances at meetings (an average of
74 per meeting) and to healthy finances.
Membership badges had been produced and
were on sale for £1 each.
The Association was keen to support the
development of young choreographers and
had donated £500 to the Royal Ballet’s
First Drafts in the Clore Studio in February
2005. Similar donations will be made to
First Drafts in November 2005 and March
2006. In June, two of the First Drafts
choreographers and one from Inspired by
Ashton had spoken about the choreographic
process at an Association meeting.
The Association was delighted that one
of its Presidents, Desmond Kelly, Assistant
Director of the Birmingham Royal Ballet,
had been awarded the OBE in the New Year’s
Honours.
The Association continued to receive invitations
from time to time to rehearsals at Sadler’s
Wells Theatre and notices of other events
in London and at the Wales Millennium
Centre. Where invitations are received
at short notice, they can only be notified
to members with an e-mail address.
The Association had been saddened to learn
in the final week on the Royal Ballet’s
2004-05 London season of the deaths of
Pamela May, former principal ballerina
of the Royal Ballet, who had made her
debut in 1934, and of Ross Stretton, Director
of the Royal Ballet 2001-02, at the age
of 53. The Chairman paid tribute to both
of them and referred to the legacy of
their influence on the company.
The Association had marked the retirement
of principal pianist, Philip Gammon, who
had spoken at the final meeting of the
season. All present had enjoyed the occasion
very much.
One of the Association’s members,
Anat Rosenberg, was killed on the No.
30 Bus at Tavistock Square, during the
London bombings. Her boyfriend had written:
“I recall how she would tell me,
in great detail, about meetings and I
know she really enjoyed the dinner. The
Association meant a lot to her and she
would be pleased and proud if she could
know she was in your thoughts.”
Monica Mason, the Association’s
Patron, had suggested that the Association
put together a book of reminiscences of
members, to mark the 75th Anniversary
of the Company. The Chairman set out some
of the practicalities of collecting reminiscences
and publishing them.
The Chairman set out the list of speakers
during the previous year: Wendy Ellis
Somes, Christopher Saunders, Romany Pajdak,
Henry St. Clair, Ludovic Ondiviela, Michael
Stojko, James Wilkie, Marianela Nunez,
Darcey Bussell, Alastair Macaulay, Lauren
Cuthbertson, Federico Bonelli, Nao Sakuma,
Kosuke Yamamoto, Vanessa Fenton, Ernst
Meisner, Peter Quanz and Philip Gammon.
The Chairman expressed regret that some
members had been turned away from the
Darcey Bussell meeting, because the Swedenborg
Hall had unexpectedly reduced its capacity
to 100 as a response to new fire regulations.
For the forthcoming year, popular meetings
were planned for the Royal Ballet School
and the Clore Studio at the Royal Opera
House. Admission prices had to be increased
by £1 for the Clore Studio, to cover
the extra costs of hire. It was hoped
to hold some practical events in the new
venues.
All meetings included the popular raffle
and the Chairman thanked artist, Phil
Bremner, for providing some of the prizes
for tonight’s raffle.
28 guests and 138 members had attended
the Annual Dinner at the Rubens Hotel.
The guests were Monica Mason, Jeanetta
Laurence, Kevin O’Hare, Gail Taphouse,
Philip Mosley, Leanne Benjamin, Federico
Bonelli, Roberta Marquez, Tamara Rojo,
Viacheslav Samodurov, Zenaida Yanowsky,
Belinda Hatley, Sarah Lamb, Jose Martin,
Yohei Sasaki, Cindy Jourdain, Hikaru Kobayashi,
Kenta Kura, Emily Low, Ernst Meisner,
Andrej Uspenski, Tara-Brigitte Bhavnani,
Yuhui Choe, Celisa Diuana, Ryoichi Hirano,
Paul Kay, Ludovic Ondiviela and Henry
St. Clair. The Chairman had spoken at
the dinner and Monica Mason had replied.
The Chairman thanked Melanie Shipton,
the Treasurer, and Peter Mahrer, the Auditor.
He also thanked the other members of the
committee, Liz Bouttell, Geoffrey Griffiths,
Rachel Holland, Mandy Kent, Kenneth Leadbeater,
Joan Seaman, Belinda Taylor and Sylvia
Tyler, for their work during the year.
The Chairman made reference to the Association’s
surpluses of £2,347 in 2003-04 and
£2,610 in 2004-05. The Committee
were recommending that The Ballet Association
become a member of the Royal Ballet’s
75th Anniversary Syndicate, with a donation
of £2,500 to the Royal Ballet in
each of the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons.
Members resolved accordingly and unanimously,
by a show of hands.
David Bain told the meeting that it was
a privilege being Chairman of The Ballet
Association and he thanked those who had
made positive comments about the Association
during the year.
Members can choose whether to receive
the newsletter by e-mail or hard copy.
Some members wished to received communications
through both media, to ensure that they
received short notice of invitations to
rehearsals and events elsewhere. In response
to questioning, the Chairman agreed to
implement this arrangement for those who
wished it.
Kenneth Leadbeater paid tribute to the
leadership and hard work provided by David
Bain in his role as Chairman and the meeting
made appropriate acknowledgement.
5. Financial
Report
The Financial Statements had been tabled
and were put to the meeting and adopted
nem con. No questions were raised.
6. Election of Committee
Mandy Kent, who had been co-opted on to
the committee in 2004, had stepped down
due to other commitments. The remaining
nine members of the committee had expressed
a willingness to continue in office. No
further nominations had been received.
Accordingly David Bain, Kenneth Leadbeater
Joan Seaman, Melanie Shipton were elected
unopposed respectively as Organising Secretary,
Meetings Secretary, Membership Secretary
and Hon. Treasurer. Liz Bouttell, Geoffrey
Griffiths, Rachel Holland, Belinda Taylor
and Sylvia Tyler were elected unopposed
to the Committee.
The Committee will elect the Chairman
and Deputy Chairman at its next meeting.
8. Any Other
Business
The Chairman agreed to post the constitution
of The Ballet Association and his Chairman’s
Annual Report on the website. The draft
minutes of this meeting will be posted,
when available.
The meeting acknowledged that Michael
Broderick, Chairman of the London Ballet
Circle, was stepping down after 40 years
in office. The Chairman undertook to write
appropriately to him.
It was reported that Fernando Bujones,
one of the finest male dancers of the
20th century, former principal dancer
of American Ballet Theater and lately
artistic director of the Orlando Ballet,
Florida, had passed away on 10 November
2005 at the early age of 50, following
a very brief and unexpected battle with
malignant melanoma.
It was noted that speakers may or may
not stay after the meeting for photographs,
according to their own wishes.
The meeting closed at 7.24 pm.
Kenneth Leadbeater
18 November 2005
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