Bourne, Matthew (1960– )

English dancer, choreographer, and theatre director. He became well known during the mid-1990s for his unconventional interpretations of classical ballets, especially his mostly male production of Swan Lake (1995). He enjoyed later successes with hit musicals such as Mary Poppins (2004).

Bourne sought new angles on popular traditional fare. His Cinderella (1997) was set in London during the Blitz. The Car Man (2000), set to music from Carmen, loosely followed the plot of The Postman Always Rings Twice, while Nutcracker! (2002) set Clara in a Victorian orphanage. His version of Swan Lake reached a wide audience after it was featured at the end of the popular film Billy Elliot (2000).

Born in London, Bourne studied dance theatre and choreography at the Laban Centre. After graduating in 1985 he danced on stage until 1999. He co-founded the Adventures in Motion Pictures dance company in 1987, where he served as artistic director until 2002 and choreographed several popular revivals, including My Fair Lady and South Pacific (both 2001). His next company, New Adventures, staged a range of productions including Play Without Words (2002), inspired by the Harold Pinter film The Servant (1963), and an adaptation of Tim Burton's film Edward Scissorhands (2005).