Liam Scarlett's Suicide and the Ballet World's Reckoning
Five years after his suicide, the case of Liam Scarlett, former artist-in-residence at the Royal Ballet, remains contentious. Scarlett, hailed as a choreographic prodigy and heir to Kenneth MacMillan, died by suicide on 16 April 2021 at age 35. An independent investigation found no matters to pursue regarding alleged contact with Royal Ballet School students, but his career was already destroyed. Companies like San Francisco Ballet and Queensland Ballet cancelled his works; the Royal Ballet ended his residency. The inquest cited allegations and press reports as main contributing factors. Choreographer Alexei Ratmansky called it a witch-hunt. Scarlett's ballets, including Asphodel Meadows and Swan Lake, are largely absent from repertoires. The Royal Opera House removed rehearsal clips from YouTube. The article argues for restoring his legacy and criticizes the lack of due process.
Key facts
- Liam Scarlett died by suicide on 16 April 2021 at age 35.
- He was artist-in-residence at the Royal Ballet and considered a prodigy.
- An independent investigation found no matters to pursue regarding alleged contact with Royal Ballet School students.
- His career collapsed after allegations of sexual misconduct were published in The Times in January 2020.
- San Francisco Ballet and Queensland Ballet cancelled his works; Queensland Ballet's own review found no evidence of improper behaviour.
- The Royal Ballet ended his residency and removed his works from programming, except Swan Lake.
- The inquest stated allegations and press reports were main contributing factors to his suicide.
- Choreographer Alexei Ratmansky described the response as a witch-hunt.
- Royal Opera House removed rehearsal clips of his works from YouTube after his death.
- The article calls for restoring Scarlett's legacy and criticizes the lack of due process.
Entities
Artists
- Liam Scarlett
- Kenneth MacMillan
- Wayne McGregor
- Christopher Wheeldon
- Alexei Ratmansky
- Amanda Foreman
- Walter Sickert
- Jack the Ripper
Institutions
- Royal Ballet
- Royal Ballet School
- Royal Opera House
- San Francisco Ballet
- Queensland Ballet
- Bayerische Staatsballett
- Royal New Zealand Ballet
- Royal Danish Ballet
- The New York Times
- The Independent
- The Times
- Dance Magazine
- The Critic
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Copenhagen
- Denmark