Petrus Bosman
Artistic Director Emeritus
Mr. Petrus Bosman is known for his exquisite choreography, classes in ballet technique and variations. He also serves in an advisory capacity for the VSA main stage productions. His experience as a Principle dancer with The Royal Ballet Company in London, choreographer and Ballet Master has allowed VSA to become "one of the most rigorous dance training schools in the nation" as quoted in Pointe Magazine, April/May 2006. During his 17 years at VSA, Mr. Bosman has been a guiding spirit and leader in dance education and has provided opportunities to his students to progress on to and excel in their professional careers.
Petrus Bosman brings a rich professional background to the Virginia School of the Arts. In 1959, he began his eighteen-year association with the Royal Ballet at Covent Garden, where he was the first soloist to be accepted into the company without having passed through the ranks of the Royal Ballet School. Under the direction of Sir Federick Ashton, Bosman partnered the internationally renowned Merle Park in Les Rendezvous, was featured as Kastchei in Firebird, and performed in the "Florestan Pas de Trois" in Sleeping Beauty. Noted for his classical roles in Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, The Nutcracker, and Les Sylphides, Bosman also created witty character protrayals as the Widow Simone in La Fille Mal Gardee, an ugly sister (opposite Ashton) in Cinderella; and in the "Foxtrot" sequence (with Anthony Dowell) in Facade. Bosman partnered Merle Park in Ashton's Birthday Offering, Nureyev's grueling Nutcracker Pas de Deux, and enjoyed most, dancing Romeo opposite Merle Park's Juliet in Kenneth MacMillan's choreographic masterpiece.
During his years in London, Bosman worked closely with Her Royal Highness Princess Margaret in producing a series of charity galas sponsored by members of the Royal Family. These glittering theatrical events presented Margot Fonteyn, Rudolph Nureyev, Merle Park, Antoinette Sibley, Ashton, Bosman himself, and others. Bosman's final gala before coming to the United States was staged in London's famous Palladium Theatre. This mometous occasion was attended by the entire Royal Family, the Prime Minister, Edward Heath, and Paul Getty. Guest dancers that evening, apart from the Royal Ballet, included stars from the Paris Opera, Royal Danish Ballet and American Ballet Theatre. Because of these contributions to charity, Bosman was honored by Queen Elizabeth II at a luncheon at Buckingham Palace.
When he retired as a performer, Bosman first taught with Rosella Hightower at her school in Cannes, France. In 1977, he moved to the United States and joined the artistic staff of the Maryland Ballet.
Acting both as a choreographer and repetiteur, Bosman has mounted works for a variety of American groups, including Lake Charles Civic Ballet Company (for whom he staged the full-length Coppelia), Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (Swan Lake complete), and Pennsylvania Ballet, where his production of Coppelia drew plaudits from Clive Barnes in the New York Post, who wrote, "Bosman's production of Coppelia is the best existing production in the U.S.A. today."
In past seasons, Bosman has staged Ashton's Les Patineurs for the Richmond Ballet and Ballet Met, and two of his own works, Sea Encounters for Northwest Florida Ballet and Isadora for the Festival Ballet of Rhode Island. During his tenure as Artistic Director of the National Academy of Arts, Bosman mounted 18 performances at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. In May of 1986, using seven songs by Judy Garland, he choreographed A Garland For Judy for which he received rave reviews in Dance Magazine and in the Chicago Tribune.
Mr. Bosman staged the three-act ballet Coppelia for Ballet Austin and performed the role of Dr. Coppelius. The Austin Times reviewed this performance: "Coppelia, beautifully staged and polished version, looks remarkably fresh and is positively a delight. Choreographer Petrus Bosman danced a wonderfully befuddled and cantankerous Dr. Coppelius and gave the part a crowd-pleasing touch that was matched in the rest of his staging."
Since coming to the Virginia School of the Arts, while working and teaching in conjunction with a very talented faculty, he has been able to place graduates in college dance programs and ballet companies across the nation, as well as in several shows on Broadway.