'As I look back on my career, I probably danced more performances with Margot Fonteyn than any other partner.' A surprising statement, considering Hong Kong Ballet's new artistic director, John Meehan, is some 30 years younger than the great ballerina. But then his career has been surprising in many ways.
A graduate of the Australian Ballet School, Meehan joined the Australian Ballet in 1970, rising swiftly through the ranks to become a principal dancer - his roles included Romeo (right) - after only four years.
A turning point in his career came in 1975, when British choreographer Ronald Hynd cast Meehan and his regular partner Marilyn Rowe as the leads in The Merry Widow. The ballet was a huge success, leading impresario Sol Hurok to offer the company a US tour. However, to guarantee ticket sales, he insisted that either Fonteyn or Rudolf Nureyev must star. 'So it was either going to be Rudy with Marilyn or Margot with me, and it ended up with Margot and me,' Meehan says.
Fonteyn was 56 at the time, but dancing with her was still a wonderful experience. 'She taught me so much about the emotional depth of a character, how to relate to your partner, how to focus.'
Meehan recalls a moment in rehearsal when, putting a cloak around the heroine's shoulders from behind, he felt Fonteyn's back convulse. Defensive of the ballet, 'I said to her - how I had the nerve, I don't know - 'We really think highly of this ballet and this is not a funny moment'. She said, 'Oh, I'm not laughing', and turned around and I saw she had tears in her eyes.'
Meehan performed The Merry Widow with Fonteyn more than 50 times in the US, London and Australia. He then joined the American Ballet Theatre in 1977, dancing a wide range of roles and partnering some of the world's leading ballerinas, including Natalia Makarova and Gelsey Kirkland.