Aussie Stars!

[Guest thumpinhippo]

Ok, I was just wondering how many Australian ballet dancers, male or female, of all time, you not-so-Australians know about. Hehehe...this should indicate how Australian dancing fits into a global picture. Also, who is the most famous Australian Ballerina of all time???

[Guest Lovebird]

I know lots of Australian ballet dancers, and very good ones too. When the RB took dancers from the Commonwealth(when it still existed) its roster was full of superb Aussie dancers. Just off the top of my head, Elaine Fifield, Rowena Jackson, most notably Robert Helpmann, and Brenda Bolton, a soloist. There was also Lucette Aldous with London Festival. More recently with the RB there is Leanne Benjamin, an amazing Macmillan dancer, I would say Leanne is currently the most well known Aussie with RB. With the Australian Ballet proper there was Marilyn Rowe, Lisa Pavane and Miranda Coney, a superb dancer., and Steven Heathcote.

[nikki00]

(I shouldn't answer this being from Australia but who cares ;)) I would have to say out of the recent female dancers, Simone Goldsmith has to be the most known (around Australia) it seems everyone loved her, Nicole Rhodes and Justine Summers are pretty well known. Steven Heathcote is the obvious most known male dancer. But all of the AB dancers are amazing, and extremly talented.

[Mel Johnson]

And let's not forget Dame Peggy van Praagh, Garth Welch and son Stanton, whose mom is the great Marilyn Jones, and John Meehan. And the Commonwealth is still alive, it's the Empire that folded.

[Guest 2bORnot2b]

there are soo many talented australian dancers!!

my personal favourite was/is simone goldsmith who has left and is now appearing with the sydney dance company!!

shes soo beautiful

nicole rhodes is one who is making a debut in the netherlands ballet theatere(i think thats what its called)shes soo wonderful as well!!!!

Magaret Illman is australian-ish?

[Guest Lovebird]

Off-topic- I think, I am not entirely sure though, that the Commonwealth is, to all extents and purposes, dead. In the RB it is easier to hire dancers from Europe(Spain, Denmark), than from the former Commonwealth( Australia, Canada, South Africa), or so I have overheard.

[Mel Johnson]

As long as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II holds the title "Head of the Commonwealth", it's in business. Last I heard, she still did.

[nikki00]

Garth Welch and son Stanton, whose mom is the great Marilyn Jones

 

Don't forget the other son Damien who is a principal with the company. He's an amazing dancer, and so is his girlfriend Kirsty Martin.

 

Magaret Illman is australian-ish?

 

Magaret Illmann was born in Adelaide, Aus. She joined the Australian Ballet in 1985, but left to join the Paris Opera Ballet School, becoming a soloist in 1988, then from there she joined the National Ballet of Canada, Pricipal with the Stutgart Ballet, Deutsche Oper and Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin. She's guested in many places, and I believe shes with the Staatsoper Berling again. I would have to say shes a very succsessful Australian.

 

I'd have to say Nicole Rhodes is my favourite dancer, shes beautiful, but Annabel Bronner Reid (a soloist) is coming very close, shes amazing as well.

 

Maina Gielgud is our most known Artistic Director (well at least I think so), I've only ever heard praise about her from the audience, dancers and critics.

[Guest Lovebird]

Okay, Mr. Johnson, if her Majesty says it, it must be so. God save the Queen!

[Guest Anney]

I know lots of Australian ballet dancers, and very good ones too. When the RB took dancers from the Commonwealth(when it still existed) its roster was full of superb Aussie dancers. Just off the top of my head, Elaine Fifield, Rowena Jackson, most notably Robert Helpmann, and Brenda Bolton, a soloist. There was also Lucette Aldous with London Festival. More recently with the RB there is Leanne Benjamin, an amazing Macmillan dancer, I would say Leanne is currently the most well known Aussie with RB. With the Australian Ballet proper there was Marilyn Rowe, Lisa Pavane and Miranda Coney, a superb dancer., and Steven Heathcote.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

To set the record straight Rowena Jackson is NOT an Australian she is a New Zealander. Her training was in New Zealand. She was noteable for the stability of her fouettes. Won Gold at the Genee awards.

 

 

Married to Philip Chatfield they were for a time Director and Co Director of the Royal New Zealand Ballet.

 

She lives in Australia now having retired there for health reasons.

 

Australians have for years tried to take credit for the Pavlova dessert and now trying to take credit for Rowena Jackson - hands off !! .

[BW]

Mel Johnson

 

Ballet Master

 

 

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I used to be with a lot of the rest of the world and think of Down Under in World War I/II terms - ANZAC - the Australia/New Zealand Army Corps, but after seeing The Lord of the Rings, I will probably never make that mistake again! Australia is beautiful, and New Zealand is beautiful, but they are both such different places. I believe that Peter Jackson did both New Zealand and the world a favor by choosing NZ as the location for Middle-Earth.

[Guest grace]

interesting thread, ranging all over the place!...

 

also, for the record: peggy van praagh was, and maina geilgud IS, british.

 

anney: do you know WHERE in australia rowena jackson now lives: which state or city? - just curious...

 

and btw, lucette aldous was born in NZ too - but we all seem to regard her as australian...

[Guest findley]

Ok, I was just wondering how many Australian ballet dancers, male or female, of all time, you not-so-Australians know about. Hehehe...this should indicate how Australian dancing fits into a global picture Also, who is the most famous Australian Ballerina of all time???

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

most famous of all? for all people?

 

 

but i know whom I love the best: female it´s REBECCA YATES, which - for me - is materialisation of grace. her moves are really supernatural beautiful (sigh); besides that all others may be technically as good or even better, but kinda "cold" and uninterresting. (she was member of Australian Ballet for 10 years, last years senior soloist. i don´t know where she is today, if she´s even still dancing . I very hope so ...)

 

I also like the (downloaded) parts of performances from FRANCES RING, from Bangarra Dance Theatre; she´s very powerful!

I suppose she´s better known worldwide ...

 

cheers

 

 

f.

[Pointeyourfeet]

Anyone seen Lisa Pavane in Copellia? I think she had a really good "mad face" and nice feet. VERY GOOD SWANILDA in my opinion.

[Guest grace]

please don't anyone take this the wrong way - but i think it's a bit of a shame that australians started contributing to this thread. (even though i AM one.)

 

because it would actually be interesting to see who *IS* known INTERNATIONALLY, of australian dancers. especially out of the australian dancers actually making their careers IN australia!

 

i am pretty sure that people like simone goldsmith and justine summers and nicole rhodes are probably absolute unknowns outside of australia. this is NO DISRESPECT to THEM - it is just likely to be a fact.

 

and that's what would be interesting to find out... IMO.

 

my guesses as to who IS known: the older or retired ones such as (garth) welch, aldous (NZ), maybe fifield, are more likely to be known - to a certain generation of WELL-informed ballet-goers.

 

out of the younger OR current generation: MAYBE no-one.

maybe heathcote?

in USA: stanton welch, because of his directorship of houston ballet.

in the UK, maybe leanne benjamin?

in europe, and maybe NY: margaret illmann?...

 

what say you, NON-aussies?