David Adams

David Adams (16 November 1928 – 24 October 2007) was a Canadian ballet dancer and a founding member of the National Ballet of Canada.

Early career

After his training under Gweneth Lloyd at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, David began his performing career with England's Metropolitan Ballet. Here he met Celia Franca, who would become the founding Artistic Director of the National Ballet of Canada. He also shared the stage with Eric Bruhn, Sonia Arova and John Taras, performing Design with Strings, Dances from Galanta and other works on a tour of Scandinavia.

Career

He returned to Canada in 1949 and after a brief musical theatre diversion in Vancouver and California, moved to Toronto to join Celia Franca during the formative years of Canada's National Ballet. He became the company's first principal male dancer in 1951 and remained with the company until 1963.

Adams retired from active teaching in 1998 and began work on a range of historic, artistic and technical memoirs.

Awards

In 1966 Adams won the Festival de la Opera Gold Medal in Madrid for his performance in Giselle.

In 2004, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. On 2 September 2005, Governor General Adrienne Clarkson presented him with the insignia of Officer of the Order of Canada during a private ceremony held near Stony Plain, Alberta.