Curry, John Anthony

▪ 1995

      British figure skater (b. Sept. 9, 1949, Birmingham, England—d. April 15, 1994, Binton, Warwickshire, England), came to be known as "the Nureyev of the ice" as he defied conventional wisdom within the sporting establishment and revolutionized men's figure skating with a combination of graceful athleticism and innovative choreography derived from classical ballet. As a boy, Curry studied figure skating because his father considered ballet too effeminate. He won his first skating trophy in 1965 and captured the British national championship five times between 1970 and 1975. In the early 1970s he acquired an American financial sponsor and began training in the U.S. Despite solid compulsory figures and inspired free skating, Curry repeatedly failed to win in international competitions, as tradition-bound judges downgraded his performances and favoured his more athletic competitors. He persevered, however, and in 1976, after toning down his routine somewhat, he finally triumphed, winning the European championship, the Olympic gold medal, and the world championship within a three-month period. In later years, as director of his own professional skating company, Curry worked closely with ballet choreographers, including Kenneth MacMillan, Twyla Tharp, John Butler, and Peter Martins. He also performed occasionally off the ice—as an actor and a dancer—and in 1978 he founded a skating school in New York City. Curry was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1976. Diagnosed with AIDS, he retired from skating in 1991.

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