Cathy Marston

Director and Resident Choreographer of the Bern Ballett

Birthplace: Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK

Training: King Slocombe School of Dance then Royal Ballet Upper School

Prix de Lausanne: Only as choreographer!

Previous companies/positions: A dancer in the Zuirch Ballet, Luzern Ballet, Bern Ballet, Henri Oguike Dance Company, Arc Dance Company.

Favorite roles/choreographies: I enjoyed dancing Death and the Maiden by Robert North, works by Richard Wherlock and Kim Brandsrup.

Career highlight: The ‘launch’ party of my own company – The Cathy Marston Project – held at the Royal Opera House as I ended my term as ‘Associate Artist’ of the Royal Opera House. Or perhaps the first premiere of the Bern:Ballett under my direction – I was very proud!

Message to the Prix de Lausanne candidates: You are all excellent classical dancers and must continue to refine this technique, however, remember to open your minds to other possibilities of movement too. Become a ‘thinking’ dancer.

Message to the Prix de Lausanne organisation: Once I was told I ‘thought’ too much to be a dancer. I’ve come to understand how this was meant – sometimes whilst teaching a dancer you need a receptive sponge rather than a student who questions everything. For the bigger picture, however, we should be training ‘thinking’ dancers; for the sake of their own careers and the future of dance. I don’t think it is impossible for this to be openly discussed with students; it can be talked about and afterwards understood that there are circumstances in which they need to just ‘do’ but that they must also understand the context of our art form and consider, question and sometime push its boundaries.

Link: www.cathymarston.com