Andrew Crawford has returned from Christopher Wheeldon’s Morphoses in New York and joined Sydney Dance Company.
Crawford with Danielle Rowe (principal, Australian Ballet) performing Tim Harbour’s ‘Leaving Songs’ with Morphoses.
Where did you grow up?
I was born and raised in Sydney but I grew up in Europe.
What did your parents do?
My father is an architect and my mother a professor in the field of project management.
What first attracted you to dance?
I don’t know that I was attracted – I think my mother saw an opportunity to get me off her hands.
What was your first public performance?
I gave a nude piano recital aged three. I’m told I wore sunglasses – probably thought I was Elton John.
Where did you train?
I began my training in contemporary dance with Margaret Chapple at the Bodenwieser Dance Centre and pursued my classical training privately with Christine Keith in Sydney before moving to London to complete my studies at the Royal Ballet School.
You have won a lot of scholarships. Please describe them to us and explain how they moved you through your training.
My parents already had misgivings about allowing their 16-year-old son to move to London and were hardly going to pour a year’s salary into the project. I was awarded a scholarship to the Royal Ballet School that covered tuition and the Pearl Pollard ballet scholarship and Margaret Chapple fellowship paid for my flights and living expenses. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to all of the people who work to make these opportunities available to young artists.
From the Birmingham Royal Ballet (2000 -2002) you went to Les Ballets Monte Carlo as a soloist (2002-2006) and then the Dutch National Ballet as a grand sujet (2006-2007). Can you describe these companies briefly for us?
The BRB and DNB share much in common. They are large ballet companies with extensive repertoires ranging from the classics through to modern masterpieces. They also emphasise their national cultural heritage. Frederick Ashton and Kenneth MacMillan became Rudi van Dantzig and Hans van Manen. Les Ballets de Monte Carlo is another world. The technical demands of the repertoire are extreme and the vocabulary is classically informed but the execution is more contemporary. It was quite an education for a young man trained in the English tradition.
You went from [Graeme Murphy’s] Aida with the West Australian Opera to Christopher Wheeldon’s Morphoses in NY last year. How did that come about?
Graeme Murphy and Christopher Wheeldon are difficult to say no to. The thought never enters your mind.
What is the best venue you have ever performed in?
The Grimaldi Forum in Monaco. It’s on the beach, the theatre is below sea level and the stage is one of the biggest I’ve ever seen.
What has been your most satisfying role to date?
Dancing Christopher Wheeldon’s Rhapsody Fantasie, with Wendy Whelan, to Rachmaninov’s Suite for Two Pianos, on the stage of the New York City Centre.
What has been your most difficult?
Wheeldon’s Fool’s Paradise for the Sydney Festival was challenging – I wasn’t aware I’d be dancing until the night before the premiere. The piece ends with a beautiful tableau at the top of which is my partner laid back in a full presage. On the night of the premiere I asked Chris if there was a plan B. What if the lift didn’t work? He looked confused and said, “You get her up there. It’s on the poster!” No pressure.
What brings you back to Australia?
The beach.
Do you have a pre-performance ritual?
A snooze.
What do you always bring with you to a performance?
A vision. It’s not always realised but it’s always there. I’ve come to accept that I’m a much better dancer in my mind’s eye than I’ll ever be outside it.
What is your pet hate?
Airport security.
If you could do someone else’s job for a day, what would it be?
Minister for the Arts.
What word(s) would you use to describe your feet?
Lucky