Invitation Soloist

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30945, 29 December 1965, Page 8

Invitation Soloist

One of the leading lights in the ballet world of New York is the Christchurch dancer, Christopher Bamford.

Bamford, who dances under the name of Christopher Lyall (using his father’s Christian name) has reached the pinnacle of his profession by becoming an invitation free-lance dancer. His rise to the ranks of the foremost dancers has gone almost unnoticed at home and it took the visit of the Christchurch Harmonic Choir to New York, to find out where he had gone in the profession.

Lyall, now aged 28, wanted to be a dancer from the time he was a gawky five-year-old. At 12 he had to wrestle with a bout of rheumatic fever

which could have cost him any chance of ever getting on the stage.

At 14 he was a pupil of the Cathedral Grammar School where it was not above his classmates to make something of a joke of his interest in ballet dancing. Such an interest was quite incompatible with the joyous rough and tumble of the Rugby scrum.

But Lyall tolerated the scoffing and three and a half years later was on his way to England bound for the Royal Ballet School where he received free tuition for two years.

He was chosen by the noted choreographer, Peggy van Praag, for the Edinburgh Festival Ballet and was later promoted soloist for that company.

In 1958 he joined the Ballet Rambert as premier danseur. Ballet Rambert made its United States debut at Jacob’s Pillow in 1959 and this was his first appearance on the famous Pillow stage. Lyall returned to the United States again in 1961 to study at the Metropolitan Opera Ballet School and then joined the Metropolitan Opera Ballet for three seasons.

Lyall has since danced as guest artist in the world premiere of “Le Farceur.” He has danced with Dame Margot Fonteyn in the “Nutcracker” Suite on television.

The photograph shows Christopher Lyall dancing in “Giselle’s Revenge” with Myra Kinch at Jacob's Pillow in New York.