Chris Channing (born 14 April 1962) is an English performer, designer and director of theatre, physical-theatre and of theatrically styled dance-based events. He has been based in Britain, France and Italy.
Early life
Channing was born in Preston, Lancashire, England, and grew up on the Moray Firth coast of Scotland.
At age 13 he became a resident student at the Royal Ballet School. His direct contemporaries at the school included Alessandra Ferri and Jonathan Cope, choreographers Michael Clark and Russell Maliphant, actress Caroline O'Connor, director of the Royal Ballet Kevin O'Hare, and academic Deborah Bull. He graduated in 1980, aged 18.
Biography
UK
In 1980 he joined the Northern Ballet Theatre. Under artistic director, Robert de Warren, and choreographers, André Prokovsky, Geoffrey Cauley, Michael Pink and Christopher Gable, he danced in the corps de ballet and as a soloist until the end of the summer 1984.
After leaving the Northern Ballet Theatre, Channing worked as a freelance commercial dancer in feature films, live events and television with choreographers Arlene Phillips, David Taguri and Gillian Gregory.
He later worked as an actor, choreographer and stage designer at important region theatres including the Liverpool Everyman, York Theatre Royal, The Contact Theatre in Manchester, The Manchester International Festival of Expressionism, and the Dundee Rep Company and in fringe, community and prison based work.
During the academic year 1990/1991 he attended the Blackpool and The Fylde College at Lytham St Annes and completed the General National Vocational Qualification Teacher/Training Qualification: Certificate in Counselling Skills in the Development of Learning.
Paris
In autumn 1992 Channing moved to Paris to study at L'École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq, at École Philippe Gaulier and with Ariane Mnouchkine at Théâtre du Soleil.
He appeared in, and created numbers & shows for the theatre/variety shows at 'Piano dans la Cuisine' and 'Scaramouche'. He worked in close collaboration with Philippe Planquois, the artistic director of cabaret-restaurant 'Chez Madame Arthur' on numbers and production ideas both within the 'Madame Arthur' shows and for outside events.
During his time in Paris he started to work as an independent performer producing his own work.
Italy
Channing moved to Castelvetro di Modena, Emiia Romagna, Italy in Autumn 1994 and was based there until 2017.
He directs and devises physical-theatre shows and performances in the worlds of theatre, performance, recital, circus, fine arts, corporate events and arts-festivals. He writes theatre scripts and adaptations and translates opera and pop songs. As artistic director or event consultant he has taken performance teams to Africa, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Croatia, France and Austria.
He was the artistic director and curator of six editions of the 'International Biennale of the Absurd', including 'The International Competition for the Arts in Absurdity'.
For ten years he specialised in 'Living Paintings' as performance art and theatre. With the 'Living Paintings' performances he was also a guest on some 50 television programmes.
He is master of ceremonies (and staging collaborator) annually at Il Ballo del Doge (The Doge's Ball) in Venice.
He was master of ceremonies at the 70th birthday party of tenor Luciano Pavarotti.
Channing was defined by critic and curator Alberto Masoni as "...One of the artists who manages best to blend or fuse the artistic experiences of theatre, mime, music and visual arts".
Schools and training
Theatre: UK & France
Royal Ballet School, London, 1975 - 1980. Age 13 - 18
L'École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq, Paris, 1992- 1993. Age 30 - 31
École Philippe Gaulier, London, 1993 - 1994. Age 31 -32
Théâtre du Soleil with Ariane Mnouchkine, closed workshop. August-November 1994.
Non theatre
Blackpool and The Fylde College, 1990/1991. GNVQ Teacher/Training Qualification: "Certificate in Counselling Skills in the Development of Learning", covering among other practices: Carl Rogers: Person Centred Therapy Fritz Perls: Gestalt Therapy Albert Ellis: Rational Emotive Therapy Eric Berne: Transactional Analysis George Kelly: Personal Constructs