David Adams, the first male principal dancer of the National Ballet of Canada and a key figure in the ballet world in Edmonton and Winnipeg, has died. He was 79.

Lois Smith and David Adams perform in Swan Lake.
(Ken Ball/National Ballet of Canada)

Adams died in Stony Plain, Alta., on Wednesday after a long illness.

One of Canada's first homegrown ballet stars, Winnipeg-born Adams met National Ballet founder Celia Franca in London when he was dancing for the Sadler's Wells Ballet.

He agreed to join the new company she helped found in Toronto and danced the leading male classical roles, including Albrecht in Giselle, Siegfried in Swan Lake and Franz in Coppélia.

His frequent partner, in ballet and in life, was his first wife, Lois Smith.

National Ballet artistic director Karen Kain remembers Adams with "respect and admiration."

"When I joined the National Ballet in 1969, David Adams was already a company legend," she said in a statement.

"He was the first true, homebred Canadian ballet star and together with Lois Smith established a captivating partnership that veteran fans still recall with delight and affection."

Adams moved on from the National Ballet for a career in London, gaining a reputation as an international star.

He was a talented choreographer and trainer and in 1977 returned to Canada as ballet master with Alberta Ballet.

He went on to teach at Grant MacEwan College and Ballet North in Edmonton and held the position of artistic director of Edmonton Festival Ballet from 1994 to his retirement in 1996. 

Adams left the National Ballet in 1961 for London and became an international star.
(National Ballet of Canada)

Adams was born in Winnipeg on Nov. 16, 1928. He trained at the Winnipeg Ballet Club School and began his performing career with Gweneth Lloyd, founder of the Winnipeg Ballet.

"Gweneth not only injected a ballet technique with us, she also gave us a wide point of view of dance," Adams said of Lloyd after her death in 1993. "We were not just a ballet company, we were a dance company."

He made his first stage appearance in 1939 to commemorate the Canadian visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

Adams danced with the Winnipeg Ballet until 1946, when he was offered a scholarship to attend the Sadler's Wells Ballet School in London, later performing with the Sadler's Wells Ballet.

Adams returned to Canada in 1948 as a guest artist with the Winnipeg Ballet, where he choreographed his first work, Ballet Composite.

Premier ballet couple

In 1949, Adams partnered Smith for the first time and they were married in 1950. Both were invited by Franca to join the National Ballet upon its inception in 1951. 

Adams and Smith became the premier ballet couple at the fledgling company, winning the hearts of audiences, and their style influenced the artistic direction of the company.

The National Ballet describes him as "a virile, bravura dancer, outstandingly fine and athletic partner and a compelling dance-actor."

The Toronto Star hailed him for the "dramatic force" and "lively originality" of his performance.

Adams's younger brother Lawrence also was a dancer, joining the National Ballet in 1954 and becoming a principal dancer until 1969. He and his dancer wife Miriam were pioneers in Toronto's avant-garde "independent" dance scene.

In his years with the Toronto-based ballet, Adams choreographed many works including Pas de Deux Romantique (1961), Barbara Allen (1961), Pas de Six (1960), The Littlest One (1959), Pas de Chance (1956), Ballet Behind Us (1952) and Masquerade pas de Deux (1951)

He also participated in the early days of television, performing in weekly productions for CBC.

An international career

"David was also an admired teacher who helped cultivate the partnering skills of the company's dancers and a choreographer who contributed significantly to the National Ballet's early repertoire," said Kain.

He formally left the company in 1961 to become a principal dancer with London Festival Ballet (now the English National Ballet).

He became known in Europe for his performances in Peer Gynt and danced with ballet greats such as Margot Fonteyn, Toni Lander and Lynn Seymour.

In Madrid in 1966, he was awarded the Festival de la Opera Gold Medal for dancing in Giselle with Galina Samsova.

In London, he danced in pantomime at the London Palladium and appeared in two Ken Russell films.

In 1970 he joined the Royal Ballet as a soloist and character dancer and later became director of the Royal Ballet's educational touring offshoot, Ballet For All.

Adams returned to Canada as ballet master for the Alberta Ballet Co., working out of Edmonton.

An active teacher

He taught at the Edmonton School of Ballet, Grant MacEwan Community College and Edmonton Festival Ballet, where he was choreographer and ballet master as well as artistic director.

He remained active as a teacher and adjudicator until 1998.

Adams was unable to attend his Order of Canada induction ceremony in 2005 because of the effects of a stroke. Instead, then governor general Adrienne Clarkson visited him to present the award.

"She started talking about when she saw me dance, where she saw me dance and we talked about the days when she used to take ballet lessons," Adams said in an interview after that visit.

In 2005, the National Ballet dedicated a performance of Swan Lake to him in Calgary during a Western Canada tour.

He is survived by his second wife, Meredith, and daughter Emily and by his first wife, Lois Smith, their daughter, Janine and grandson Mark.