Alan Cunliffe

Here is Alan Cunliffe talking to Patricia Linton, founder and director of Voices of British Ballet. Inspired by watching pantomimes with his mother at the Harrow Coliseum in the 1950s, Cunliffe broke with the family military tradition and decided to pursue life as a dancer. He is another terrific example of the grit and sticking power needed to come close to one’s dreams. In this conversation, which was recorded in 2013, Cunliffe takes us through some early points in his dancing career. His story is also a good reminder that there are many things in the theatre that one can be part of when it is time to hang up the dancing shoes. In Cunliffe’s case it was dance photography. The interview is introduced by Jane Pritchard, Curator of Dance, Theatre and Performance at the V&A.

Alan Cunliffe was born into a military family in Portsmouth in 1937. When he was a child, he often went to see the pantomime at the Harrow Coliseum, and it was there that he first saw Ballet Rambert and became fascinated by dance. Alan left school at the age of 15 and became a window dresser but regularly took Saturday morning ballet classes with Barbara Vernon and John Gregory. His first dancing job was with Welsh National Opera. He then joined The Royal Ballet Upper School and, two years later in 1960, joined Ballet Rambert.

His four years with Ballet Rambert was followed by a short time with Sadler’s Wells Opera Ballet. During his dancing years, Cunliffe had developed a love of photography. He became apprenticed to the great dance photographer, Anthony Crickmay, and after some time as Crickmay’s assistant, he opened his own photographic studio. He remained passionate about dance photography for the rest of his life. Alan Cunliffe died in 2020.

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