Natives of Sweden whose careers began with the Royal Swedish Ballet, both Johan Renvall and Madeleine Onne later achieved fame with other companies. Renvall (1959-2015) performed with American Ballet Theatre from 1978 to 1996, working closely with Antony Tudor and starring in the ABT revivals of Shadowplay and Undertow. He appeared at the Pillow several times between 1981 and 1990, ultimately leading his own group known as Johan Renvall and The Stars of American Ballet. Madeleine Onne’s first Pillow appearance after the one seen here was with Stockholm 59º North in 1997, and she returned as director of that group in 2000. Most recently, Onne has led the Hong Kong Ballet. Tudor’s Little Improvisations received its world premiere at the Pillow in 1953, performed by Yvonne Chouteau and Gilbert Reed, and wasn’t seen again until Tudor restaged it for the Royal Swedish Ballet in the early 1960s with a Swedish title that translates as It’s Raining.
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