New Year’s Honours for dance

Posted on January 4, 2013

The New Year’s Honours list recognised several figures from the world of dance.

Choreographer Arlene Phillips (pictured) was awarded a CBE for her services to dance and to charity. Professor Derek Aviss, lately executive director and joint principal of Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, received an OBE, as did choreographer and director Eleanor Fazan.

MBEs went to Nilima Menski, founder of the Centre for Indian Classical Dance, to Gillian Quinn, founder of Gillian Quinn School of Theatre Dance and to Cassa Pancho, founder and artistic director of Ballet Black. Cricketer and Strictly Come Dancing winner Mark Ramprakash was also awarded an MBE.

Hazel Rayson, founder of Hazel Rayson Theatre Dance School, was made a medallist of the Order of the British Empire.

Picture: Arlene Phillips. Photograph: Wolfgang Webster

Zoe Anderson

Zoë was born in Edinburgh, and saw her first dance performances at the Festival there. She is the dance critic of The Independent, and has also written for The Independent on Sunday, The Scotsman and Dancing Times. In 2002, she received her doctorate from the University of York for a thesis on “Nationhood and epic romance: Ariosto, Sidney, Spenser”. She is the author of The Royal Ballet: 75 Years and The Ballet Lover’s Companion.