News Story
After the evening performance of The Nutcracker at Birmingham Hippodrome on 8 December this year, Senior Répétiteur, former Principal and all-round BRB legend Michael O'Hare hangs up his ballet pumps for the last time, shuts down his computer and retires.
Michael has been with the Company for 43 years and he is the last remaining member of the Company who moved to Birmingham in 1990 to still be regularly performing on stage.
Joining straight from the Royal Ballet School back in 1980, Michael rose through the ranks, becoming a Principal in 1987. He danced leading classical and character roles in the Company’s repertory over 20 years and was the first person ever to perform all three principal male roles in La Fille mal gardée.
He was a regular creator of roles in David Bintley’s ballets for the Company, including perhaps most memorably Will Mossop in Hobson’s Choice. Other created roles include Gabriel Oak in Far from the Madding Crowd, Eros in Sylvia, Buttons in The Nutcracker Sweeties, Flowers of the Forest, Brahms Handel Variations, Choros, The Snow Queen, and the First Seminarian in Carmina burana.
Michael was appointed Assistant Ballet Master in 2002 and Ballet Master in 2008. Since then he has continued to perform character roles, including Widow Simone (La Fille mal gardée), Kostcheï (The Firebird), Grandfather (The Nutcracker), Dr Coppélius (Coppélia), Lord Capulet (Romeo and Juliet), the Merchant (Beauty and the Beast), Capuchin (Cyrano), Red King (Checkmate) and Catalabutte (The Sleeping Beauty). He created the role of the Beggar in Gillian Lynne's reconstruction of Robert Helpmann's Miracle in the Gorbals.
Michael will be performing at various shows across the 2023 Nutcracker run, but his last performance with the Company is scheduled for Friday 8 December. Join us to say farewell to this amazing dancer and colleague; book tickets for Michael's final performance, click here.
