Alexandra Pickford Bristol, United Kingdom

Here's my potted professional history:

Trained at The Royal Ballet School

I performed in many performances at The Royal Opera House.

Joined The Royal Ballet

I was with The Royal Ballet in the UK working twelve and a half hour days for 10 years, all 3 Companies, learning my craft as a Ballet Dancer. I gained my first solo role at Covent Garden in The Servant in Blood Wedding.

I went on a ten week European tour with Fonteyn and Nureyev. Otherwise I was touring the Regions of the UK from September to Easter. We had fourteen ballets on tour - not seen these days! I spend the summers dancing abroad.

Joined The English National Ballet

I was promoted to Soloist and danced in many solo roles. I was in Romeo and Juliet and Sleeping Beauty - Nureyev's productions.

We toured Europe, America, Australia and China as British Council representatives. 

I danced in Michael Fokine's ballets Les Sylphides and Sheherazade.

I danced with Leonide Massine, still alive at that time, in Gaite Parisienne and Beau Danube.

Sabbatical

I joined Ballet International. Being involved in a new company was exhilarating. I was engaged as a senior soloist.

Just as I was understudying principal roles, the company folded in Coventry.

Rejoined English National Ballet.

An unhappy period.

Joined the Croatian National Ballet in Zagreb 

This was during communist regime. I danced in many solo roles and appeared on television regularly. We toured, Rijeka, Split and Dubrovnik. I worked hard to be accepted and they took the English girl to their hearts.

Joined Performing Arts Council of The Transvaal, Pretoria

Joined Napac Dance Company, Durban, South Africa

Arriving with an underweight suitcase and no contract, I was taken into the Company! I rose to soloist and danced the principal roles Titania in Midsummer's Nights Dream (Ashton), the Queen in The 3 Musketeers (Prokovsky), Lady in in Lady and The Fool (Cranko) and Street Dancer in Beau Danube, Massine.

Retirement

They begged me to stay! But I took control, which enabled me to move forward without trauma. (Your vocation giving you up, can be devastating.)

Gained A teaching Degree Equivalent from The Royal Academy of Dancing

No actual degree was available at that time.

Became a Fitness Professional

I taught Aerobics, Water Exercise, Yoga - so still showing off in front of people! I was also a Massage Therapist.

I lead aerobics and worked as a Massage Therapist at Crystal Palace FC, and I worked as a Massage Therapist at The Royal Ballet Company, London.

Retirement!

I volunteered in the Environmental sector.

Returning to Theatre!

I performed in Once Upon a Time directed by Agnieska Blonska.

I joined Gerry's Attic Community Dance as a founder member.

I was invited to join The Untold Dance Theatre, Contemporary Dance. My contribution as a mature performer was extremely useful.

My Own Company!

I've now formed Seizing The Day Company with approximately eight members.

We've put on two shows to date.

• Snapshots
• Bluffing Your Way In Ballet

These were performed in Bristol at the Alma Theatre and the Tobacco Factory, and at the Bath Fringe.

Bluffing Your Way In Ballet has been an undressed of success at the Edinburgh Fringe 2024. Fabulous audiences, perfect reviees and included in best of Fringe shows list!

Also in the Pipeline

• Workshops around Bluffing Your Way In Ballet, visiting the outlying areas of Bristol.
• A performance with an African Dancer and Ballet Dancer. Possible name: "Dance, Warts and All!". This show will be about the reality of our experiences being dancers - and about dance itself of course.

And:

Solo Workshops leading Dance sessions and talking about my career, before all is lost at my death!!