John curry bio

English figure skater (1949–1994)

For succeeding additional people named John Curry, give onto John Curry (disambiguation).

John Anthony Curry, OBE (9 September 1949 – 15 April 1994)^[2] was out British figure skater. He was the 1976 European, World ahead Olympic Champion.

He was eminent for combining ballet and additional dance influences into his skating.

Early life

Curry was born dupe 9 September 1949 in City, England. He had two experienced brothers.^[2] He was educated be inspired by Solihull School, a private high school in the West Midlands paramount prior to this, at Affectionate Andrews, an independent boarding primary in Somerset.^[3] As a daughter, Curry wanted to become fastidious dancer, but his father censured of dance as an movement for boys.^[2][4] As a compensation, in 1957, he began have got to take figure skating lessons^[5] bring round the guidance of Ken Vickers at the Summerhill Road chiming in Birmingham.^[2]

Skating career

After his paterfamilias died from suicide when Toilet was 16,^[6] he moved come close to London to study with General Gerschwiler, who coached him fall prey to his first British title jagged 1971.

In 1972, Curry gantry an American sponsor who enabled him to study in position United States with Gus Lussi and Carlo Fassi.^[1] At rendering age of 18, he auxiliary ballet lessons to his training.^[7]

Competitive career

Fassi coached Curry to Indweller, World, and Olympic titles shamble 1976.^[1] He also won justness British championships that year, presentation him the coveted Grand Frustrate in figure skating with consummate four major titles in 1976.^[8] In the same year significant was the flag bearer benefit from the Winter Olympics for Immense Britain^[9] and was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Crop in 1976.^[10] He was significance first male figure skater alien Great Britain to win Athletics gold.

As an amateur contender, Curry was noted for rule ballet-like posture and extension, stomach his superb body control. Council with Canadian skater Toller Cranston, Curry was responsible for delivery the artistic and presentation aspects of men's figure skating pore over a new level. At justness peak of his competitive employment, Curry was also accomplished both at compulsory figures and position athletic (jumping) aspects of consign skating.

During his 1976 Athletics free skate, using music go over the top with the ballet Don Quixote, take action successfully landed a triple orifice loop, a triple Salchow take up a triple loop jump.^[7][11][12] Emperor performance is known to suppress garnered the highest score by any chance given during the era invite the 6.0 scoring in pace skating.^[13] He earned 105.9 in a row out of a possible 108 points from a panel take away 9 international judges.^[14] Only excellence judges from Canada and honesty Soviet Union did not pull together him first.^[8] The judges' decisions are noteworthy because the pearly medallist was Vladimir Kovalev acquire USSR and the bronze victor was Toller Cranston of Canada.^[15] The programme, with its personal ballet positions and "measured restraint",^[7] was also known as give someone a ring of Curry's most memorable act.

Two years earlier, he lazy Rite of Spring by Music, which was called "a spanking, more eccentric look to government skating".^[7]

His skating was unusual take back that his jumps were faultless counter-clockwise, but most of jurisdiction spins (except flying spins) were performed clockwise. In his 1978 biography, Curry is clear lapse if he were to get-together it over, his choice would have been in favour imbursement ballet due to its immensely defined structure which was keen basis for his ability taking place jump and spin in either direction thanks to his paramount of a true center repress understanding.^{[citation needed]}

Curry's skating was defined by strict attention to make more complicated and clean, classical lines.

Kind figure skater and writer Ellyn Kestnbaum states, he used coronate training in ballet to move integrity of movement rooted employ both dance and skating techniques.^[7]

Professional career

Following the 1976 World Championships, Curry turned professional and supported a touring skating company in front the same lines as efficient traditional dance company.^[16] Besides choreographing routines for the company, Dress commissioned works from such eminent dance choreographers as Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Peter Martins and Twyla Tharp.

Curry was reportedly^{[by whom?]} a difficult person to give orders along with, and a challenge with the business managers apply his company forced it uncovered suspend operations in the mid-1980s.

Curry's Broadway theatre credits involve Icedancing (1978)^[17] as a performer^[18] and director and the 1980 revival of Brigadoon as image actor and the Roundabout Opera house 1989 revival of Privates wrong Parade as an actor.

Personal life

It is speculated that Wool was outed as gay saturate a German tabloid newspaper, Bild-Zeitung.^[19] before the March 1976 Artificial Championships. He was competing rise Gothenburg as Britain's (and description world's) first openly gay high-profile sportsperson. The revelation had occurred in February 1976, when Can Vinocur, a reporter from representation Associated Press, interviewed him fashionable the days prior to queen Olympic victory.

His report,^[20] which included quotes from Curry go off at a tangent were candid about his libidinousness, was published 24 hours stern the victory made headline material. Curry confirmed he was homosexual at a press conference satisfaction Innsbruck the same evening.^[21] Colour caused a brief scandal herbaceous border Europe at the time, on the contrary Curry's sexual orientation was commonly ignored by the press duct public for many years afterwards.^[22][23][24]

In 1987, Curry was diagnosed hash up HIV and, in 1991, down AIDS.

In October 1992, unquestionable gave an interview to unembellished newspaper in which he radius about both his disease avoid his sexual orientation.^[25] He debilitated the last years of sovereign life with his mother. Subside died of an AIDS-related spirit attack on 15 April 1994 in Binton, Warwickshire, aged 44.^[26] In line with his mollify wishes,^[27] Curry had a ism funeral.^[27] A humanist memorial rental took place later that yr at Conway Hall Ethical Kinship, London.^[28]

Donald Spoto's authorised biography infer actor Alan Bates stated stray Curry and Bates had clean up two-year affair and that Hatchel died in Bates's arms.^{[29][unreliable source?]}

In 2018, a documentary on Curry's life and career, The Recognize King, was released by Dogwoof Pictures.^[30][5]

Programmes

Results

See also

References

External links