People I Admire-Gillian Lynne

Gillian Lynne, Dancer, Choreographer and Director

If you don’t know who she is then I’ll give you 9 lives…I mean guesses! Character Christine, a mask and a rather big chandelier?
You guessed yet?

Yes she choreographed the iconic musicals CATS and The Phantom of the Opera which is the current longest running show in Broadway history and I was lucky enough to watch Phantom on Broadway in New York in 2006.


Gillian Lynne was born in Bromley, Kent, England, and was a precocious dance talent from an early age, teaming with her childhood friend Beryl Grey while still at school, and dancing to blot out the tragedy of the violent death (in a car crash) of her mother on 8 July 1939 in Coventry, when Lynne was just 13 years old.

Lynne's gift for dancing was discovered by a doctor. Lynne had been underperforming at school, so her mother took her to the doctor and explained about her fidgeting and lack of focus. After hearing everything her mother said, the doctor told Lynne that he needed to talk to her mother privately for a moment. He turned on the radio and walked out. He then encouraged her mother to look at Lynne, who was dancing to the radio. The doctor noted that she was a dancer, and encouraged Lynne's mother to take her to dance school.

I simply admire all of her work, there are many productions that she has choreographed however Cats is my most favorite musical of all, and I thought that how she portrayed the real movements of cats and captured them in her choreography was outstanding.
Both Cats and Phantom received well deserved Tony Awards for best Musicals and Oliver Awards for Gillian Lynne’s extremely creative choreography. In 1997 Gillian later received a CBE.

In her long career as a choreographer and director, she has worked on many productions including those from the Royal Opera House, Royal Shakespeare Company and English National Opera as well as many West End and Broadway shows. In 2002 she choreographed the Sherman Brothers' film musical, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for the stage. It played in London, and later on Broadway in 2005, both times successfully. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang brought Lynne back to the London Palladium.
She has become a major success in the musical industry and is a tribute to dancers.

Information www.gillianlynne.com
Here is a video of a Cats Documentary choreographed by Gillian Lynne