News

The Royal Ballet is saddened to hear of the death yesterday of Monica Parker, the Company’s former Principal Dance Notator and Director of the Institute of Choreology, who turned 80 this year. Her work notating, reconstructing and staging the works of Kenneth MacMillan was pivotal to the heritage of The Royal Ballet’s repertory.

Parker was born in Axminster, Devon, and began dancing in Exeter aged ten. Six years later she entered The Royal Ballet Upper School where she studied Benesh Movement Notation with Joan Benesh, the wife of the system’s inventor, Rudolf Benesh. Parker went on to teach notation herself to her fellow students during her second year of study.

After a short period working away from the field of ballet with the Foreign Office, Parker was invited by Joan Benesh in 1965 to help set up the Benesh Institute. She joined Kenneth MacMillan in 1968 in Deutsche Oper Berlin as Principal Dance Notator and then transferred with him to The Royal Ballet when he was appointed Director in 1970. She recorded and reconstructed numerous works for the Company as well as for major international dance companies. Following the death of Rudolf Benesh in 1975, Parker was appointed Director of the Benesh Institute. In addition to staging works of The Royal Ballet around the world, she taught, lectured and contributed to choreology publications and conferences worldwide.

Deborah MacMillan comments, ‘Kenneth was riveted by the potential of Benesh notation in the studio and by Monica’s extraordinary facility to record immediately what was before her and to capture every moment of the creative process as his ideas unfolded. Her astonishing ability gave him enormous creative freedom and she remained a crucial part of his choreographic process throughout his life.’

Kevin O’Hare, Director of The Royal Ballet, observes that ‘Monica’s association with Kenneth MacMillan had an immense influence on The Royal Ballet, and her championing of the intricate craft of Benesh choreology has had a far-reaching impact on the international dance scene. I was fortunate to witness first-hand what a brilliant practitioner she was when she came to work with Kenneth on his new production of Romeo and Juliet for Birmingham Royal Ballet which was a lesson in meticulous observation. Our thoughts are with Monica’s family at this sad time.’