Choose your era < 1940’s> <1950’s> <1960’s> <1970’s> <1980’s> <1990’s> <2000’s>

1947-1955

Evolving of movement notation system by Rudolf and Joan Benesh

1955

Dame Ninette de Valois announced the Royal Ballet's adoption of the use of Benesh Movement Notation to record its repertoire at a press conference at the Royal Opera House

Commencement of notation teaching at the Royal Ballet School and other leading vocational schools

1956

Publication of "An Introduction to Benesh Dance Notation" by Rudolf and Joan Benesh

1957

Joan Benesh notated the Grogoriev/Tchernicheva production of Petrouchka for the Royal Ballet, the first score to be written in Benesh Movement Notation

1962

Founding of The Benesh Institute of Choreology, President: Sir Frederick Ashton OM CH CBE

Patrons: Dame Margot Fonteyn de Arias DBE, Lord Clarke CH KCB FBA, Tamara Karsavina, Dame Ninette de Valois CH DBE, Phyllis Bedells, Sir Robert Helpmann CBE, Dame Marie Rambert DBE

1964

Application to Medical Research in collaboration with the Centro di Educazione Motoria, Florence. Notation of movements of cerebral palsy patients

1965

Official opening of The Benesh Institute by Jennie Lee, Minister with special responsibility for the Arts

Start of the first full time professional notator training course at The Benesh Institute

1968

Royal Ballet School – Appointment of the first full-time teacher of Benesh Movement Notation, Jacquie Hollander

First anthropological study carried out using Benesh Movement Notation - Aboriginal dances of the Northern Territory of Australia, by Andree Grau

1973

Guy's Hospital, London - First Clinical Notator, Julia McGuiness-Scott

back to top

1974

Founding of the journal - The Choreologist

1975

Death of Rudolf Benesh on May 3rd.

Retirement of Joan Benesh as Principal of The Benesh Institute training course. Appointment of Monica Parker as Director of The Benesh Institute.

1976

University of Waterloo, Canada - BMN introduced into the dance curriculum

1976

21st Birthday of the launch of Benesh Movement Notation celebrated by a party for the international membership of The Benesh Institute at the Martini Terrace, London

1980

Georgette Tsinguirides awarded John Cranko Gold Medal in recognition of her contribution towards preserving and keeping alive Cranko's works

University of Waterloo, Canada - initiation of the ChoreoScribe Benesh Editor Project, a collaborative project between the Department of Computer Graphics Laboratory and the Dance Group

back to top

1981

Benesh Movement Notation incorporated into the new GCSE 'O' Level Dance Syllabus, England

1983

Andree Grau awarded Doctorate of Philosophy in Social Anthropology from Queen's University, Belfast, for her dissertation, Dreaming, Dancing, Kinship, a study using notation of the Tiwi of Australia

1984

Syllabus of Professional Examinations in the Cecchetti Method, recorded in Benesh Movement Notation, published by The Benesh Institute, notated by
Linda Pilkington

Benesh Movement Notation incorporated into the curriculum of the BA (Hons) Dance in Society programme at the University of Surrey

1986

Benesh Movement Notation incorporated into the new University of London GCSE and 'A' Level Dance Syllabus

First Benesh Movement Notation Congress held at the The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. UK launch of MacBenesh computer software developed by the University of Waterloo, Canada

First publication of Benesh Movement Notation Score Catalogue - Ed. Berry, I. An International Listing of Benesh Movement Notation Scores of Professional Dance works recorded 1955-1985

1987

Rudolf and Joan Benesh awarded the Royal Academy of Dancing's 'Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award' for their ‘significant contribution to British Ballet’

1988

Sir Kenneth MacMillan became President of The Benesh Institute

1990

Appointment of Andrew Ward as Director of The Benesh Institute

back to top

1991

HRH The Princess of Wales officially opened the new premises in Lisson Grove and became Royal Patron of The Benesh Institute

1993

Sir Peter Wright CBE became President of The Benesh Institute

First issue of the Technical Papers (BenTech) to the Membership

1994

The Benesh Institute drew up an agreement for the educational use of scores, which was signed by choreographers and score owners

1995

Professional Benesh Movement Notation course opens at the Conservatoire de Paris

1997

15th April The Benesh Institute became incorporated in the Royal Academy of Dancing

The Royal Academy of Dancing began to publish the Major Examination Syllabi incorporating Benesh Movement Notation

1998

2nd Publication of Benesh Movement Notation Score Catalogue - Ed. Inman,T. An International Listing of Benesh Movement Notation Scores of Professional Dance Works recorded 1955 - 1998

2000

International Conference: Rudolf Remembered. Celebrating the life’s work of Rudolf Benesh held at the Royal Academy's Headquaters in London

Appointment of Liz Cunliffe as Director of The Benesh Institute

back to top

2002

Benesh Notation Editor Computer Software released

Launch of the distance learning Certificate in Benesh Movement Notation programme under the Faculty of Education

2005

Launch of the Diploma for Professional Benesh Movement Notators programme under the Faculty of Education