Mr Wonderful – A Celebration of Jonathan Ollivier’s Life In Dance – Sadler’s Wells

Pictures: Roy Tan

Kevin Wilson reflects on Mr Wonderful – A Celebration of Jonathan Ollivier’s Life In Dance, the evening of dance dedicated to the memory of gifted dancer Jonathan Ollivier at Sadler’s Wells.

‘He truly was ‘Mr Wonderful’.

I wasn’t able to write anything last night about my reaction to attending the Sadler’s Wells celebration of dancer Jonathan Ollivier’s life, Mr Wonderful, even after my long walk home south of the river to Balham.

To be completely honest, I still feel completely emotionally wrung out this morning. It was the final heartbreaking scene that finished me and everyone else privileged to have secured a golden ticket. I’d shed more than a few tears throughout the night of truly exceptional dance as his friends and colleagues from Northern Ballet, New Adventures, McOnie Company, Rambert and the Michael Clark Company, paid tribute in 16 pieces, re-creating some of his most memorable roles and premiering new works in his honour.

The final section featured a flock of swans from through the years reunited for one last time to dance Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake for their mentor and friend. Marcelo Gomes, who flew in from New York, danced The Swan – a role Jonnie played around the world in 2010 and 2013 – alongside Dominic North’s Prince.

It was truly sublime then, as Tchaikovsky’s music continued, the Swans sat down around the stage with their backs to the audience and the theatre as one watched the screeen come alive to footage of Jonny dancing the role – the greatest of his distinguinshed career. The enormity of a talent lost too young, wasted in something as banal as a traffic accident, then hit home. The images stopped on a freeze frame of him as The Swan and the dancers started the applause… They were joined on stage by dozens and dozens of the other dancers and backstage staff and crew. Then the audience rose as one. The noise was deafening and seemed to go on for an eternity. No one wanted it to stop or to break the spell. The dancers hugged each other for support, then they turned to face the audience, tears streaming down their faces. It was so emotional. But so fitting.

One of the photos used here was taken by the brilliant photographer Roy Tan at the very end of the evening as the stage emptied and the auditorium finally fell silent. It was lovely to see him there last night and also share the experience all those around me. Every seat was sold at full price last night, raising £65,000 towards setting up a fund to suppport Jonny’s two children. More money was pledged during the night. The dance world did Jonny proud in a celebration gala that didn’t put a foot wrong.

* You can still text donate to the trust funds for Jonny’s sons: Text JONO16 £10 (or the amount you want to donate up to £10) to 70070. Or head to bit.ly/22TFn93 to make a donation.