Xander Parish

Xander Parish OBE
Parish in 2020
Born	Alexander Robert Nigel Parish 1987 (age 33–34) North Ferriby, East Riding of Yorkshire, England
Nationality	English
Education	Royal Ballet School
Occupation	Ballet dancer
Years active	2005–present
Current group	Mariinsky Ballet

Alexander Robert Nigel Parish OBE (born 1987), is an English ballet dancer and the first British dancer to be employed by the Mariinsky Ballet in St Petersburg, Russia.

Background[]

Parish (right) with Maria Khoreva, first soloist of the Mariinsky Ballet, in 2020

Xander Parish born in 1987 in North Ferriby in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. He began dancing at the age of 8, at the Skelton-Hooper School of Dance in Kingston upon Hull, under the direction of principal and former Royal Ballet and Northern Ballet Theatre soloist, Vanessa Hooper. In 1998, he was accepted into the Royal Ballet School, first attending the lower school at White Lodge, Richmond Park, then continuing his training at the upper school.

He graduated into the Royal Ballet in 2005, as a member of the corps de ballet. He remained with the company for five years, before joining the Mariinsky Ballet in St Petersburg, Russia in January 2010. He made his debut with the company performing the role of the poet in the ballet Chopiniana as a Coryphee, a corp member who may dance solo or even principal roles. He was promoted to soloist in March 2014 and principal dancer in July 2017 Parish has a sister, Demelza Parish, who is also a ballet dancer, currently employed by the Royal Ballet.^[1]

Honours[]

He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2019 New Year Honours for services to dance and UK/Russia cultural relations.

Repertoire includes[]

• Giselle- Count Albrecht
• Swan Lake- Prince Siegfried, Friends of the Prince
• La Sylphide- Youths
• The Sleeping Beauty- Prince Desire
• Raymonda- Jean de Brienne, Beranger
• Le Corsaire- Conrad
• Chopiniana- Youth
• Scheherazade- Zobeide's Slave
• The Fountain of Bakhchisarai- Vaslav, Polish Youths
• The Nutcracker- Nutcracker Prince, Elegant Cavaliers
• Spartacus- Satyr
• Romeo and Juliet- Romeo, Paris, Troubador
• Apollo- Apollo
• Serenade
• Etudes
• Symphony in C
• Jewels- Emeralds and Diamonds
• Ballet Imperial
• A Midsummer Night's Dream- Demetrius
• Sylvia- Aminta
• Marguerite and Armand-Armand
• In the Night
• Adagio Hammerklavier
• Variations for Two Couples
• Anna Karenina- Count Vronsky, Tushkevich
• Concerto DSCH
• Without
• La Nuit s'Acheve
• Le Parc- Soloist
• Infra
• Intensio
• Paquita-Andres
• The Four Seasons
• Russian Overture
• Second I

Created roles[]

• DGV, Danse a Grand Vitesse - Choreographer: Christopher Wheeldon
• Seven Deadly Sins - Choreographer: William Tuckett
• I'm Not Scared - Choreographer: Ilya Zhivou

Awards[]

• Ursula Moreton Choreographic Award - 1st Prize, 2003
• Ursula Moreton Choreographic Award - 2nd Prize, 2004
• Genee International Ballet Competition - Finalist, 2003
• Genee International Ballet Competition - Silver Medal, 2004
• Young British Dancer of the Year - 2nd Prize, 2004

References[]