Dancer born in Winnipeg, Canada. He studied at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, Sadler's Wells and with Volkova and Gontcharov. He first peformed in public at the age of 10 in a gala commemorating the visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
He made his adult debut in 1946 with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and danced with Sadler's Wells the same year. Adams appeared in Britain with the small, enterprising Metropolitan Ballet, where he had solo roles, including the premiere of John Taras's Designs with Strings. Returning home in 1948 he danced as a guest artist with the Winnipeg Ballet, where he also made his first choreography, Ballet Composite. Visiting Vancouver to dance in Song of Norway, he met Lois Smith, who became his chief partner; they married in 1950 and when Celia Franca formed the National Ballet of Canada in 1951 Adams and Smith became its first stars.
In 1961 he joined the London Festival Ballet and in 1970 the Royal Ballet where he danced until 1976. He created roles in various works which included Taras's Designs with Strings and in MacMillan's Anastasia, the 1971 version. He was director of Ballet for All from 1976 till 1977.
With the help of his brother in law, his sister and the Toronto based Encore! Encore! he began reviving the heritage of Canadian ballet. This included reconstructing Boris Volkoff's The Red Ear of Corn.
He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2004 but was unable to attend the induction ceremony, being confined to a wheelchair after a stroke.
He made his adult debut in 1946 with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and danced with Sadler's Wells the same year. Adams appeared in Britain with the small, enterprising Metropolitan Ballet, where he had solo roles, including the premiere of John Taras's Designs with Strings. Returning home in 1948 he danced as a guest artist with the Winnipeg Ballet, where he also made his first choreography, Ballet Composite. Visiting Vancouver to dance in Song of Norway, he met Lois Smith, who became his chief partner; they married in 1950 and when Celia Franca formed the National Ballet of Canada in 1951 Adams and Smith became its first stars.
In 1961 he joined the London Festival Ballet and in 1970 the Royal Ballet where he danced until 1976. He created roles in various works which included Taras's Designs with Strings and in MacMillan's Anastasia, the 1971 version. He was director of Ballet for All from 1976 till 1977.
With the help of his brother in law, his sister and the Toronto based Encore! Encore! he began reviving the heritage of Canadian ballet. This included reconstructing Boris Volkoff's The Red Ear of Corn.
He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2004 but was unable to attend the induction ceremony, being confined to a wheelchair after a stroke.
Dancer born in Winnipeg, Canada. He studied at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, Sadler's Wells and with Volkova and Gontcharov. He first peformed in public at the age of 10 in a gala commemorating the visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
He made his adult debut in 1946 with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and danced with Sadler's Wells the same year. Adams appeared in Britain with the small, enterprising Metropolitan Ballet, where he had solo roles, including the premiere of John Taras's Designs with Strings. Returning home in 1948 he danced as a guest artist with the Winnipeg Ballet, where he also made his first choreography, Ballet Composite. Visiting Vancouver to dance in Song of Norway, he met Lois Smith, who became his chief partner; they married in 1950 and when Celia Franca formed the National Ballet of Canada in 1951 Adams and Smith became its first stars.
In 1961 he joined the London Festival Ballet and in 1970 the Royal Ballet where he danced until 1976. He created roles in various works which included Taras's Designs with Strings and in MacMillan's Anastasia, the 1971 version. He was director of Ballet for All from 1976 till 1977.
With the help of his brother in law, his sister and the Toronto based Encore! Encore! he began reviving the heritage of Canadian ballet. This included reconstructing Boris Volkoff's The Red Ear of Corn.
He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2004 but was unable to attend the induction ceremony, being confined to a wheelchair after a stroke.
He made his adult debut in 1946 with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and danced with Sadler's Wells the same year. Adams appeared in Britain with the small, enterprising Metropolitan Ballet, where he had solo roles, including the premiere of John Taras's Designs with Strings. Returning home in 1948 he danced as a guest artist with the Winnipeg Ballet, where he also made his first choreography, Ballet Composite. Visiting Vancouver to dance in Song of Norway, he met Lois Smith, who became his chief partner; they married in 1950 and when Celia Franca formed the National Ballet of Canada in 1951 Adams and Smith became its first stars.
In 1961 he joined the London Festival Ballet and in 1970 the Royal Ballet where he danced until 1976. He created roles in various works which included Taras's Designs with Strings and in MacMillan's Anastasia, the 1971 version. He was director of Ballet for All from 1976 till 1977.
With the help of his brother in law, his sister and the Toronto based Encore! Encore! he began reviving the heritage of Canadian ballet. This included reconstructing Boris Volkoff's The Red Ear of Corn.
He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2004 but was unable to attend the induction ceremony, being confined to a wheelchair after a stroke.
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