Zoe van Zwanenberg, Chair of the Board of Directors of Scottish Ballet, announced today the appointment of Christopher Hampson as Artistic Director designate.

Ms van Zwanenberg said: “I’m delighted that Christopher will be joining us. He has demonstrated enormous energy and vision, as well as a clear understanding about what it means to lead a national company. He has extensive knowledge of ballet repertoire and has wide-ranging contacts within the UK and internationally.”

Christopher Hampson is a ballet director and choreographer, and a former professional ballet dancer. A graduate of the Royal Ballet School, Christopher danced professionally with English National Ballet before retiring to pursue a career as a choreographer and director. He has worked with many companies all over the world and his impressive career to date has seen him win accolades including the Barclays Theatre Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance and his choreographic work has also been nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award.

Christopher Hampson said: “It is an honour to accept the position of Artistic Director at Scottish Ballet. This is a company that has garnered much critical acclaim for its award-winning repertoire, and I am looking forward to working with the excellent team at Scottish Ballet to realise an even wider commissioning vision and breadth of distinctive programming. At its outstanding headquarters at the Tramway international arts centre in Glasgow, Scottish Ballet lives and breathes the air of a fascinating creative environment. I will be seeking to engage even further with local and international artists to develop new partnerships and approaches so that Scottish Ballet continues to enrich, enthuse and inspire audiences throughout Scotland and sustain a dynamic presence on the international stage. I look forward to delivering my aims and ambitions in more detail after I take up the position in August 2012.”

Cindy Sughrue, Chief Executive of Scottish Ballet added, “We are thrilled to welcome Christopher to the Company.

“Christopher’s commitment to the artform echoes the Company’s focus on excellence and diversity, and we are very excited to be working with him to continue to develop Scottish Ballet’s unique breadth of repertoire and programmes, seeking new audiences and continuing to enthrall our fantastic and loyal fans.

“When Scottish Ballet’s founding director Peter Darrell established the Company in Scotland in 1969, it was to be a Company with an exciting vision of strong classical technique with a contemporary attitude.  With Ashley Page’s tenure, this vision has become enriched and he will leave an incredible legacy on which we will continue to build.  We thank Ashley for his work over the past 9 years and look forward to continuing to present his choreography as part of our rich and varied repertoire.”

Source: Scottish Ballet