When Dowell was promoted to principal dancer in 1966, he was already the embodiment of the English classical style: cool, lyrical, aristocratic, and restrained. If the role of Oberon had drawn out a quality of magical glamour from him, the experience of working with Antony Tudor in 1967 on the leading role of "Shadowplay" considerably deepened his dramatic expression. He subsequently created dramatic roles in the ballets of Ashton, MacMillan, and others. Among the most important were Troyte in Ashton's "Enigma Variations" (1968), Des Grieux in MacMillan's "Manon" (1974), and Beliaev in Ashton's "A Month in the Country" (1976). In the classical repertory, he appeared in princely roles in "Giselle", "Swan Lake", "The Sleeping Beauty", and "The Nutcracker". He undertook more lighthearted roles in "La fille mal gardée", "Card Game", and "Varii Capricci", with which, in 1983, Ashton celebrated his continued partnership with Sibley. He was also praised for the passion and musicality he brought to leading roles in Ashton's "Cinderella", "Daphnis and Chloe", and "Symphonic Variations", in MacMillan's "Song of the Earth" and "Romeo and Juliet", in Jerome Robbins's "Dances at a Gathering" and "In the Night", and in George Balanchine's "Agon".