Guide to the Papers of Ross Stretton

MS 9894

National Library of Australia


Date completed: July 2005
Last updated:


Table of Contents

Collection Summary

Introduction

Scope and Content

Arrangement

Access

Copying and Publishing

Preferred Citation

Provenance

Related Material

Biographical Note

Series List and Descriptions

Series 1 Personal correspondence, honours and other documents, 1962-2000

Series 2 Ballet Theatre of Canberra, Brian Lawrence School of Ballet, 1969-1979

Series 3 Australian Ballet School, 1969-1972

Series 4 Australian Ballet, 1974-1978

Series 5 Northern Ballet Theatre, 1979-1980

Series 6 Joffrey Ballet, 1979-1982

Series 7 Baryshnikov and Co., 1983-1986

Series 8 American Ballet Theatre, 1981-1995

Series 9 Australian Ballet, 1995-2001

Series 10 Royal Ballet, 2000-2002

Series 11 Photographs, c1962-1990

Series 12 Videos, 1980-2002

Series 13 Other programs, 1980-1993

Series 14 Publications, 1963, 1974-2000

Series 15 Miscellaneous, 1990

Container List



Collection Summary

Creator: Stretton, Ross, 1952-2005
Title: Papers of Ross Stretton
Date Range: 1962-2002
Collection Number: MS 9894
Extent: 4.4 metres (18 boxes, 2 folio boxes and 12 oversize items)
Repository: National Library of Australia

Introduction

Scope and Content

The papers consist largely of correspondence, programs, photographs, newspaper cuttings, articles and video tapes documenting Stretton's distinguished career as a dancer and dance administrator in Australia, the United States and England from 1974 to 2002. There are also photographs, newspaper articles, competition and exam results from Stretton's early years as a tap dancer and a student at the Ballet Theatre of Canberra and the Australian Ballet School.

Arrangement

The papers were received in a range of packets, albums and files and as loose accumulations of programs and other print material. Apart from the early album and some photographs, they were essentially grouped according to the various dance companies with which Stretton was associated, and this arrangement has been retained.

Access

The collection is partly available for reference, partly restricted and partly closed. Series 9.1 CLOSED until 2040. Access to Series 10.1, 10.2 and 10.3 only with the written permission of Michelle Potter and/or Janet Karin. Remainder of the papers available for research.

Provenance

The papers were purchased from Ross Stretton in December 2004

Copying and Publishing

Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.

Related Material

Two interview of Stretton, conducted by Michelle Potter in 2001 and 2003, are held in the National Library's Oral History collection (ORAL TRC 4712 and 4936), Biographical notes are also available online at http://www.nla.gov.au/ozlife

Preferred Citation

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Ross Stretton, National Library of Australia, MS 9894, [series and/or folder number]'.

Biographical Note

Ross Stretton, born in Canberra in 1952, trained as a tap dancer and was twice national champion before taking up ballet. He trained with Janet Karin and Bryan Lawrence at the Ballet Theatre of Canberra from 1969 and joined the Australian Ballet School in 1971. While at the Ballet School he was awarded the Nureyev Bursary (1971) and the Harold Holt Memorial Scholarship (1972), and graduated with honours in all practical subjects. He joined the Australian Ballet in 1973 and was promoted to soloist in 1974 and principal in 1978, dancing leading roles in the company's classical repertoire including Swan Lake, Giselle, La Fille mal gardee, Spartacus and Onegin.

In 1979 Stretton left Australia to pursue a career in the United States. He joined New York's Joffrey Ballet in 1979, then American Ballet Theatre (ABT) for the 1981-1982 season. In between these engagements he also danced briefly with Northern Ballet Theatre in Manchester. In 1983 he was appointed principal with ABT and during that time also toured during the summer months with Mikhail Baryshnikov's company, Baryshnikov &Co. Stretton retired from dancing in 1990 and acted as assistant to the directors of ABT. In 1991 he was appointed the company's regisseur and in 1993 assistant director.

Stretton became the sixth artistic director of the Australian Ballet in 1997. Under his direction the company's repertoire was expanded to include a range of contemporary ballets, including new commissions. It engaged in a number of collaborations with other theatrical organisations and companies, including the Australian Chamber Orchestra and Bangarra Dance Theatre, and produced its first full-length ballet with a commissioned score (1914, with music by Graeme Koehne and choreography by Stephen Baynes). Stretton's directorship was also distinguished by a tour to New York in 1999 when the company presented five previously unseen Australian works.

After four and a half years at the helm of the Australian Ballet Stretton accepted an appointment as artistic director of the Royal Ballet, London. He took up that position in September 2001 and held it until September 2002. Following differences with the company and Board, he returned to live in Melbourne, where he died in June 2005.

Abbreviated from the online entry by Michelle Potter on Australia Dancing: the complete article can be located at http://www.australiadancing.org/subjects/104.html



Series List and Descriptions

Series 1 Personal correspondence, honours and other documents, 1962-2000

Folder 1 Eisteddfod results (tap dancing), 1962-1968
Folder 2 Receipts for guest performances on ABC television, 1978
Folder 3 Applications, references and contracts, 1978-1988

Includes application for audition with American Ballet Theatre, December 1978 and for position of Director, Boston Ballet Co., 1984; contracts; references in support of his application for U.S. green card, 1981; proposed engagement for the Australian Ballet Foundation's 1988 bicentennial gala program.

Folder 4 Personal cards, letters and invitations, 1973-2000

Includes letters, cards and telegrams of appreciation, good wishes and thanks; invitations (including from President Reagan to the White House 1986 and 1990); and Christmas cards from Prime Minister John Howard 1997 and 1999-2000.

Folder 5 Passports
Folder 6 Warrant for Centenary of Federation; plaque of appreciation for contribution to Universal Ballet Co., 1986; and certificate of appointment as Aide-de-camp on staff of Governor of New Mexico, 1981, 1981-1986

Series 2 Ballet Theatre of Canberra, Brian Lawrence School of Ballet, 1969-1979

Folder 1 Ballet Theatre of Canberra program, November 1969
Folder 2 Brian Lawrence School of Ballet 10th anniversary performance souvenir program, September 1979

Series 3 Australian Ballet School, 1969-1972

Folder 1 Correspondence, 1971-1972

Letters welcoming Stretton to the Australian Ballet School; award of 1970 Nureyev bursary, Commonwealth Technical Scholarship and Holt Memorial Scholarships, 1972; congratulations on appointment to the Australian Ballet; exam results, 1972

Folder 2 Program of graduate performance, 1972
Folder 3 program of 21st annual gala performance, 1985

Series 4 Australian Ballet, 1974-1978

Folder 1 Programs, 1973-1978
Folder 2 Newspaper cuttings, 1974, 1978

Series 5 Northern Ballet Theatre, 1979-1980

Folder 1 Programs, calendar, poster and articles, 1979-1980
Folder 2 Newspaper cuttings, 1979-1980

Series 6 Joffrey Ballet, 1979-1982

Folder 1 Programs, 1979-1982
Folder 2 Newspaper cuttings, 1980-1981
Folder 3 Magazine articles, publication The Joffrey Ballet XXV, 1980-1982

Series 7 Baryshnikov and Co., 1983-1986

Folder 1 Programs, 1983-1986
Folder 2 Baryshnikov tour jacket, summer tour, 1983

Series 8 American Ballet Theatre, 1981-1995

Folder 1 Correspondence, memoranda and curriculum vitae, 1982, 1985-1986, 1990-1995

Includes performance and rehearsal schedules, contracts and lists of dancers; notes on responsibilities as regisseur, 1984-84 itinerary, appointment as assistant to the Directors, letters of congratulation on appointment as Assistant Director

Folder 2 Newspaper cuttings, 1981-1990
Folder 3 Programs, 1980-1991 including issues of ABT Magazine, On Point and Kennedy Centre and Lincoln Centre Stagebill,
Folder 4 Articles in Ballet News and other magazines;1989 Calendar; publications, 1989-1997

Publications include ABT at 50, ABT 1940-1990, ABT portraits by Nancy Ellison and American Ballet Theatre: 25 year retrospective by Elizabeth Kaye, 1997

Folder 5 American Ballet Theatre in Japan medal, 1984

Series 9 Australian Ballet, 1995-2001

Folder 1 Contractual matters and performance reviews, 1996-1998; staffing issues/disputes and related Board meeting minutes, 1996-1999

Series includes original computer disks and CD ROM copy made at the time of acquisition. CLOSED until 2040

Folder 2 Application for position of Artistic Director (curriculum vitae, references and other supporting documentation, report on his application),1995, Vision statement, 1996 and letters of congratulations on his appointment, 1995-1996
Folder 3 Correspondence files:general correspondence (including re Stretton's appointment and resignation) and re repertoire, schedules, casting, staff structure 1996-2000
Folder 4 Proposal: a contemporary dance company in Victoria by Stretton and Ian McRae, May 1997 and Peggy van Praagh memorial address, June 1997
Folder 5 Newspaper cuttings 1997, April, June and July 2000, 1997-2000
Folder 6 Australian Ballet News nos. 24-25, 27-28 and Annual reports 1997-1998, 2000, 1997-2000
Folder 7 Programs, 1997-2001

Series 10 Royal Ballet, 2000-2002

Subseries 10.1 Application/Vision statement, development strategies, reports to the Board, proposals and Board meeting minutes and agenda, 2000-2002

Subseries 10.2 Letters and cards of congratulation and welcome on appointment, March-April 2002

Subseries 10.3 Repertoire and administrative files, 2000-2002

Files on Dancers, Conductors, Guest Artists, Travel, Schedules, Staff, individual ballets, General and Personal. Mainly copies of letters sent, though includes some replies from artists including Mats Eks, Christopher Wheeldon, Jiri Kylian, Christopher Pennington, Wendy Somes, Natasha Makarova, Dieter Graefe and Sylvie Guillem)

Subseries 10.4 Newspaper cuttings (reviews and other items), 2000-2002

Subseries 10.5 Program of Golden Jubilee Gala, 23 July 2002

Subseries 10.6 Publications, 2001-2002

About the House Autumn 2001 and Autumn 2002 and Royal Opera House annual review

Series 11 Photographs, c1962-1990

Item 1 Album of photographs and newspaper cuttings relating to early (tap dancing) performances, c1962-1972
Folder 2-6 Photographs, principally as a dancer with ABT, 1982-1990

Mostly solo or with dance partner; also photos with President and Mrs Reagan at a White House function 1986

Item 7 Charcoal sketch by R. Keane, 'for Ross, a brilliant blackamoor'
Item 8 Print of Petrouchka, inscribed and signed by Rudolf Nureyev
Item 9-10 Large colour photographs of Stretton in performance
Item 11-18 Posters, 1980, 1986 and undated

ABT Spring Gala, May 1996 ABT posters (3), signed by members of the cast on Stretton's departure, undated; ABT poster, with cameos of principal dancers including Stretton, for Japan tour; Hong Kong Federation Gala performance, August 1980; Stretton and Kelvin Coe in 'Fool on the Hill', undated; Southwest Ballet Co. Spring gala, undated.

Series 12 Videos, 1980-2002

Item 1-24 Documentaries, promotions, interviews, previews and personal dance segments, 1980-2002

Series 13 Other programs, 1980-1993

Folder 1 Programs of other American performances, 1981-1986
Folder 2-3 Programs of Universal Ballet Co. and other guest performances in Hong Kong, Japan and Korea, 1980, 1987-1990, 1993

Series 14 Publications, 1963, 1974-2000

Folder 1-4 Issues of Dance Australia, Ballet News, Dance magazine, Dancing times and other magazine publications and booklets featuring Stretton and/or the companies with which he was associated, 1963,1974-2000

Series 15 Miscellaneous, 1990

Folder 1 Peggy van Praagh funeral service program and tribute by Noel Pelly, 1990


Container List

Series Folder/Item Box
1 1-6 1
2 1-2 2
3 1-3 2
4 1 2
4 2 folio box 1
5 1 2 and folio box 2
5 2 2
6 1-3 3
7 1 3
7 2 folio box 2
8 1-2 4
8 3 4-5
8 4 6 and folio box 1
8 5 6
9 1 17-18
9 2-6 7
9 7 8
10 1-2 9
10 3 9-10
10 4-6 11
11 1 11
11 2-5 12
11 6 folio box 2
11 7-18 oversize bays
12 1-24 13-14
13 1-3 15
14 1-4 16
15 1 16