Dance Backwards: Frank McNally Explores Patrick Kavanagh's Transient Time as a Dance Librettist
In the late 1950s, a significant yet largely overlooked chapter of Irish cultural history unfolded in Dublin. This was the era when the National Ballet Company emerged, emulating the standards of Russian troupes, and Patrick Kavanagh, primarily celebrated as a poet, took an unconventional artistic detour. He became a brief and little-known dance librettist for the company, contributing the ballet Gamble No Gamble to their repertoire.
Kavanagh's foray into the performing arts was not as prominent or enduring as his poetic legacy. However, it was a notable episode where he collaborated with Patricia Ryan, the artistic director of the National Ballet Company. The story and significance of this collaboration, and the women behind the ballet company, have been highlighted in recent productions and radio features aiming to reclaim the history of Dublin’s National Ballet Company from 1957 to 1964.
Gamble No Gamble, which Kavanagh wrote specifically for this company, reflects his engagement beyond poetry into the performing arts. The ballet features three female archetypes in the colours black, red, and white, and the performers had to dance on a moving roulette wheel, adding an extra layer of complexity to the production.
Patricia Ryan, the driving force behind the company, studied in London under Nadine Legat, a celebrated St Petersburg ballerina. She organized a weeklong ballet festival in 1962, which included performers from the Soviet Union, and commissioned several original works, one of which was written by Kavanagh.
The annual Patrick Kavanagh Weekend in Inniskeen will revolve around the screening of a BBC documentary, "Three Irish Writers," narrated by the late Anthony Cronin. This documentary, based on Cronin's classic memoir, "Dead as Doornails," includes much mention of the Ryans and the Bailey.
The National Ballet Company struggled with costs and administration, leading to a merger with Joan Moriarty's Irish Theatre Ballet in Cork. Despite this, the ballet festival was a success, with full houses and standing ovations. However, artistic differences between Ryan and Moriarty eventually led to the winding up of the National Ballet Company in 1964.
The story of Patricia Ryan and the National Ballet Company is a fascinating glimpse into a forgotten era of Irish cultural history. Kavanagh's involvement, although short-lived, is a notable part of this story. He attended a ballet at the Queen's Theatre Dublin in 1961 and, despite his initial reluctance, attended the premiere of his ballet contribution in evening dress. After the performance, he took a curtain call and addressed the audience, claiming all credit for the ballet.
The documentary, "Building A Ballet," which was broadcast last year on RTE Lyric, delves deeper into the story of Patricia Ryan and her ballet company. It will be aired again at the Lexicon Library in Dun Laoghaire as part of Heritage Week. This revival of interest in the National Ballet Company's history is a testament to the enduring appeal of this forgotten chapter in Irish cultural history.
[1] Patrick Kavanagh Weekend [2] Building A Ballet
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