Obituary: RUSSELL KERR, DANCER, CHOREOGRAPHER AND MENTOR TO MANY Russell Ian Kerr, QSM, ONZM: dancer, choreographer; b February 10, 1930; d March 28, 2022 Russell Kerr, luminary of ballet as dancer, teacher, choreographer and producer, influenced generations of New Zealanders. Kerr’s hallmark talent was to absorb music and place character, narrative, human interest, emotion, poetry and comedy into the heart of ballet in the theatre.

April 2, 2022

Obituary: RUSSELL KERR, DANCER, CHOREOGRAPHER AND MENTOR TO MANY

Russell Ian Kerr, QSM, ONZM: dancer, choreographer; b February 10, 1930; d March 28, 2022

Russell Kerr, luminary of ballet as dancer, teacher, choreographer and producer, influenced generations of New Zealanders.

Thrusting legs high in the air just because you can is the empty gesture of perfunctory performance that exasperated him. Shouting and sneering at dancers that they are not good enough was anathema. One dancer commented: “Mr Kerr always treated you as an artist, so you behaved like one.” [More]

Share on social

Comments