Known for the organic beauty, narrative drive and subtle sense of humor of his productions, British-born Ben Stevenson became the most famous ballet choreographer in Texas, and one of the most celebrated in the country, during almost three decades at the helm of Houston Ballet and later at Fort Worth-based Texas Ballet Theater during a crucial point in its history.
TBT artistic director laureate since 2022, Stevenson died Sunday. He would have turned 90 on April 4.
From Cinderella to Dracula to The Nutcracker, his full-length story ballets were performed all over the world, remaining in TBT’s repertory to this day. Stevenson’s work combined a gift for creating dazzling spectacles with a keen ability to tell relatable human stories. The precisely choreographed horseplay in the first act of his Nutcracker is physical comedy at its best.
“This is such sad news,” says Richard A. Freeman Jr., artistic director of Dallas Black Dance Theatre, who performed in 2009 Stevenson’s all-male Camouflage and in 2012 when the choreographer set his duet End of Time on Freeman and DBDT dancer Diana Herrera.
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“Ben was an amazing person. Working with him was inspirational. He has this gift of pushing you to the next level with you not even noticing. He was very hands-on, especially when it comes to the feeling behind the movement and the dancer truly understanding why they are doing what they are doing. What makes his work memorable to me is the passion in his choreography. The way he choses to tell a story is so remarkable.”
Born in Portsmouth, England, Stevenson trained at the Arts Educational School in London and joined the Royal Ballet at 18. After a successful dancing and choreographing career in the U.K., he began working in the United States in 1960s when he brought his version of The Sleeping Beauty, made for the English National Ballet, to companies across America.
Stevenson was then recruited by Rebekah Harkness to lead her New York-based Harkness Ballet and joined the National Ballet of Washington, D.C., as co-director after choreographing Cinderella for the company.
Undated photo of choreographer Ben Stevenson, former artistic director of Houston Ballet and the Texas Ballet Theater.
Kenn Duncan
In 1976, he was appointed artistic director of Houston Ballet, where he would remain until 2003. During that time, he transformed the troupe with the launch of a training academy, the recruitment of top dancers he had worked with in Washington and Chicago, the addition of repertoire from master choreographers like John Cranko and Sir Frederick Ashton, and touring.
One of his most prominent dancers was Li Cunxin, a Chinese student he met in Beijing during a cultural exchange program sponsored by Columbia University. Li defected, causing an international incident. His 2009 autobiography, Mao’s Last Dancer, was turned into a feature film.
In 1999, Stevenson was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II.
The actress Jane Seymour was cast by Stevenson in one of his early ballets, “a moment that shaped so much of my journey,” Seymour said in a Facebook post. “I’ve just lost my mentor and dear friend. … We were meant to celebrate his 90th birthday together next weekend. I will miss him deeply, but I will carry his influence and kindness with me always.”
Undated photo of choreographer Ben Stevenson.
Jack Mitchell
When Stevenson was named artistic director of Texas Ballet Theater in 2003, the company had just emerged from the remnants of the struggling Fort Worth Dallas Ballet. He reestablished its prominence during almost 20 years in the position.
“Ben’s keen eye for talent nurtured countless dancers, and his commitment to building companies from the ground up shaped generations of artists,” TBT wrote on Facebook. “Beyond his monumental achievements, we will forever remember his world-class wit, his affable sense of humor and the boundless generosity of spirit that made him a beloved mentor and friend to so many.”
Last year, Stevenson created a new work for Bruce Wood Dance Dallas, Make Love, Not War.
“He was so happy in the studio and expressed his images so clearly and poetically to the dancers — what a truly magnificent and gentle and sensitive choreographer,” says BWDD executive director Gayle Halperin.
“He painted a picture of two individuals who meet by chance and fall in love, even as bombs explode around them. Ben was so sensitive to the music, in this case Chopin. He felt every note and translated the emotion into movement. … We’ll carry on his legacy.”
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