Brian McDonald

Brian Macdonald (1928-2014)

Born in Montreal, as a child he participated in radio plays and played the piano. In 1945, he began studying dance with Elizabeth Leese and Gerald Crevier, and went on to study English at McGill University in 1943-47, during which time he performed as a dancer and tried his hand in choreography. Between 1947 and 1949, he worked as a music critic in the Montreal Herald. After participating in Celia Franca’s summer school in Toronto, he became a founding member of the National Ballet of Canada in 1951, but a severe arm injury compelled him to stop dancing in 1953. Macdonald continued his dance training in Montreal and choreographed for TV programs. In 1956, he founded the short-lived Montreal Theatre Ballet in order to stage shows with Canadian music. In 1958, he began choreographing for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, with which he was to maintain close association for many years to come. Throughout the 1960s and ‘70s he choreographed for many leading companies worldwide, and also became known as a director of operas and musicals. He served as the artistic director of many companies, including Batsheva (1971-72), The Royal Swedish Ballet (1964-67), Harkness Ballet in New York (1967-68), and Le Grand Ballets Canadiens de Montréal (1974-77), where he was also resident choreographer (1980-90). In the years 1982-2001 he directed the Banff Summer Dance Program and in 1996-98 he acted as senior artistic advisor for the Canadian National Arts Centre.
In 1971, Macdonald choreographed two dances for Batsheva: Voices from a Far Place and Martha’s Vineyard, and also served as the company’s artistic director. During his term as artistic director he spent a large portion of his time abroad (mainly in Canada), so that the acting director was rehearsal manager Moshe Romano, previously a dancer in the company.
Macdonald won many awards, including the Golden Star Medal in Paris (1964), Canada Council Molson Prize (1983), Walter Carsen Prize for Excellence in the Performing Arts (2001), and the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement (2008). He was among the first recipients of the Order of Canada (1967), and was elevated to Companion in 2002.

Brian Macdonald died on November 29, 2014.