Remembering Geoff Slack

We recently received the sad news of the death of Geoff Slack, a dedicated supporter of BRB through the Sir Peter Wright and David Bintley years in particular, and a regular figure at BRB Friends’ events, where he was always in the background, camera in hand.

Geoff’s photographs were much used and valued by us, not least because he had that wonderful ability to click the shutter at just the right moment. He quickly became known for his mainly informal pictures of demonstration evenings, open rehearsals, talks in the studio and interviews with dancers. Friends’ repertory workshops too, although for these he always made sure he was 'safely ensconced behind a camera,’ as he once joked.

Utterly reliable, organised, ever-calm and obliging, Geoff was a valued member of the BRB Friends committee for many years. When it was suggested that the Friends should have a regular newsletter, it was Geoff, along with David Mead, who volunteered to be editors. After the company took over the publication, Entrechat, transforming it into a glossy magazine, Geoff remained as one of the Friends’ representatives on the editorial committee.

Among his other Friends commitments, Geoff was part of a team that worked on A Grand Draw in 1996 which raised £20,000.

Geoff’s interest in ballet and its music predated the arrival of Birmingham Royal Ballet in the city. In that first issue of Entrechat, he revealed that his introduction to ballet was at the Theatre Royal in Windsor, where he saw Gillian Lynne dance Goody Two Shoes in pantomime.

A long-time favourite was Constant Lambert’s score for Les Patineurs, although it was not until 1996 that he got to see the ballet danced live, when performed by both BRB and the original London City Ballet. Around that time, while listening to a recording of it, he happened to see in the CD notes that the ballet was first performed at Sadler's Wells Theatre on the day he was born. As he wrote, 'what a lovely coincidence!’.

Away from ballet, Geoff’s interests included his garden, of which he was rightly very proud and always willing to show off, and woodworking. 

A much-loved friend of many, Geoff, and his personal ballet Christmas cards, featuring his own photos (and usually accompanied by a box of shortbread for the office) will be much missed. His generosity with his photos (he gave hundreds to dancers in particular, free of charge, over the years) will not be forgotten.

With thanks to David Mead and Maurice Crutchlow for their help in writing this article.