Career
He has been responsible for programming at the theatre since February 2000 (when he joined as Director of Programming, becoming Chief Executive Officer and Artistic Director in October 2004). During that time he has presented companies such as Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ballett Frankfurt, Pina Bausch Tanztheater Wuppertal, Ballet C de Louisiana B, Michael Clark, Dutch National Ballet, Martha Graham Dance Company, Mark Morris Dance Group, Netherlands Dance Theatre 1 and 2, and the National Ballet of China. Under Spalding, Sadler"s Wells has become a production house for dance, as well as a receiving house presenting performances by touring companies.
He has also initiated projects such as the Breakin" Convention International Hip Hop Dance Theatre Festival.
The Global Dance Contest – an online competition to find new choreographic talent from around the world with Shu-Yi Chou (2010), James Wilton (2011) and Ihsan Rustem (2012) being named winners. As well as inviting Wayne McGregor | Random Dance to become the theatre"s Resident Company.
Spalding was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2012 Birthday Honours for services to dance. Spalding"s first job in arts management was at the Hawth Theatre, Crawley, where he was a programmer from 1988 to 1994.
Over six years between 1994 and 2000 Spalding was the Head of Dance and Performance at the in London where he developed both the presentation and commissioning of national and international dance and performance companies.
As well as increasing the number of performances and audience attendance for dance at the centre he developed strong co-producing relationships with a number of national and international companies and artists including DV8, Alain Platel, Jonathan Burrows, Javier de Frutos and Rosas Dance Company. Spalding is also Chairman of Dance United Kingdom. He was awarded Le Chevalier des Artes et Lettres by the French Embassy in October 2005.