Biography
A
native of London, England, Mandy-Jayne Richardson studied dance at The Royal Ballet
School and upon graduation joined the legendary Sadler’s Wells Ballet. Her
luminous stage presence and highly-praised technique were in evidence in many
works from the company’s varied repertoire, including Swan Lake, The
Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Elite Syncopations, Brouillards and Five
Tangos. A favourite with both audiences and critics for her powerful
interpretive and communicative abilities, Ms. Richardson was twice voted one of
England’s most interesting young performers by the readers of Dance and
Dancers.
In
1986, Ms. Richardson joined the renowned Dutch National Ballet, under the
artistic directorship of Rudi van Dantzig, expanding her repertoire and
deepening her artistry through such roles as the pas de deux in Autumn Haze,
the Fourth Song in Four Last Songs, Euridice in Toer van Schayk’s Orpheus,
Summer in Sir Frederick Ashton’s Cinderella and the second pas de
deux in George Balanchine’s Stravinsky Violin Concerto. Ms. Richardson
joined New York City Ballet in 1988, where she had the opportunity to broaden
her understanding of the Balanchine repertoire and performed leading roles in
such works as Peter Martins’ Songs of the Auvergne, Jerome Robbins’ Fancy
Free and John Taras’ Souvenir de Florence.
Ms.
Richardson retired from dance in 1991 and joined The National Ballet of
Canada’s artistic staff in 1999. In 2005, she was appointed Senior Ballet
Mistress. She has set numerous ballets for the company, including James
Kudelka’s Cinderella, which she also set to great acclaim for Boston
Ballet and American Ballet Theatre.