Classical repertory includes lead roles in Swan Lake, La Bayadere, Giselle and in The Sleeping Beauty. In the Ashton repertory he danced the lead role in Cinderella, La Fille Mal Gardee, The Dream, Scenes de ballet, Rhapsody, Symphonic Variations, Tales of Beatrix Potter, Sylvia, the Air pas de deux from Homage to the Queen, Enigma Variations, and Daphnis and Chloe. MacMillan repertory includes roles in Romeo and Juliet, Song of the Earth, Manon, The Prince of the Pagodas, The Judas Tree, Mayerling, Danses concertantes, Anastasia and Las Hermanas. He created roles in Tharp’s Mr Worldly Wise, Bintley’s Tombeaux, Tetley’s Amores and Page’s Fearful Symmetries. He also danced in Balanchine’s Agon, Stravinsky Violin Concerto, Symphony in C, Ballet Imperial, Duo concertant; Tetley’s La Ronde; Forsythe’s Herman Schmerman, Steptext, Tharp’s Push Comes to Shove; Mr Worldly Wise and de Valois’ The Rake’s Progress.
William co-filmed and co-directed with Michael Nunn the documentary-style video diaries, Ballet Boyz (1999) & Ballet Boyz II, The Next Step (2001) screened on Channel 4. Together with Michael Nunn he co-presented the 4Dance season on Channel 4 in Spring 2002 and July 2003. William choreographed the work Suit of Light, and created and performed Stealth with Nunn, as part of the 4Dance season in July 2003. William and Michael have been commissioned to make Channel 4’s Guide to Choreography, which is scheduled for transmission in Autumn 2004.
In 1999 he became a founder member of K Ballet. In January 2001 he co-founded George Piper Dances with Michael Nunn and in its first year the Company was nominated for the 2001 South Bank Show Dance Award. His repertory includes Forsythe’s Steptext, Maliphant’s Critical Mass and Torsion, Linehan’s Truly great thing, Lightfoot’s Sigue and Matthew Hart’s other mens wives. As a choreographer he has created Halleloo (1999), Tangoid (2001) and Suit of Light (2003), and with Michael Nunn Moments of Plastic Jubilation (2001).
In March 2003 William, with Co-Director Michael Nunn, devised the award winning dance work Critics’ Choice *****, which included work by Matthew Bourne, Michael Clark, Akram Khan, Russell Maliphant and Christopher Wheeldon. This work led to Billy being commissioned to create a new series for Channel 4, The Rough Guide to Choreography, which was aired over four consecutive weeks including a performance at the Barbican Theatre.
During the Company’s recent Autumn season at Sadler’s Wells, London, William performed in William Forsythe’s adapted work, Approximate Sonata, I, V, Russell Maliphant’s Critical Mass and commissioned and performed in Christopher Wheeldon’s Mesmerics. The Company’s most recent commission, Broken Fall was awarded the 2004 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production. This year, George Piper Dances has successfully performed in the USA, Australia, Europe and throughout the UK.
He is married to ex-Royal Ballet dancer Rebecca Holmes and they have three children, Joseph, Zachary and Elijah.
