Christopher Bruce

Christopher Bruce

Author: BBC Radio 4 May 23, 1999 Duration: 37:28

Sue Lawley's guest this week is the artistic director of the Rambert Dance Company Christopher Bruce. As a child he was sent to dance lessons to strengthen his legs after polio had left them severely weakened. Ten years later he was the star of Ballet Rambert. Not content with being dubbed 'the Nureyev of contemporary dance' he went on to become one of the great choreographers, working all over the world before returning to the company as Director in 1994.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Favourite track: Piano Concerto No.2 by Sergei Rachmaninov Book: Teach yourself French Luxury: Suncream


The archived conversations from Desert Island Discs: Archive 1996-2000 offer a unique portal into a specific era, capturing the cultural and personal landscapes of the late twentieth century through a timeless format. This curated collection from BBC Radio 4 presents the original, unedited interviews, allowing listeners to hear the candid reflections of notable guests as they selected the eight pieces of music they would take with them into isolation. The choices themselves become a compelling narrative device, revealing unexpected passions, pivotal life moments, and the soundtracks to both private struggles and public triumphs. Within this podcast, the discussion naturally expands beyond mere musical preference, touching on themes of memory, identity, and resilience. Each episode is more than an interview; it is a biographical sketch painted in sound, where a chosen symphony or pop song can unlock a story of loss, love, or revelation. These archived sessions provide a raw and intimate listening experience, free from contemporary edits or updates, preserving the original tone and context of conversations with figures from the worlds of arts, politics, science, and society. Tuning into this archive is an act of historical listening, where the desert island premise becomes a profound catalyst for self-disclosure and a lasting study of the human condition through the universal language of music.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Desert Island Discs: Archive 1996-2000
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