Australia Dancing - Powell, Ray (1925

Powell, Ray (1925 - 2003)

Stringer, Walter: Ray Powell in make-up for Bootface in John Cranko's 'Lady and the fool', the Australian Ballet, 1970s

English-born Ray Powell joined the Sadler's Wells Ballet School in 1940, which led to a career as a dancer with the Sadler's Wells and Royal Ballets. In 1962, at the request of Peggy van Praagh, he came to Australia, initially on six months leave from the Royal Ballet, as ballet master to the newly established Australian Ballet. Over the course of the next twenty years he not only worked as ballet master but staged a number ballets, including some of his own choreographies, and appeared in many character roles in company productions.

As a character dancer with the Australian Ballet, Powell was especially well known for roles such as Bootface in Lady and the Fool, Sancho Panza in Don Quixote, the Widow Simone in La Fille mal gardee, Njegus in The Merry Widow and Dr Coppelius in Coppelia. His original works for the Australian Ballet included Just for Fun made for the company's premiere season in 1962, Roundelay created in 1964 to a commissioned score by James Penberthy and with designs by John Brack, Symphony in Gold made in 1969 for the Australian Ballet School and taken into the company repertoire in 1970, and Beethoven Dances created for Elaine Fifield in 1971.

Powell was appointed associate director with the Australian Ballet in 1972, a position he shared with Bryan Ashbridge. He retired from the Australian Ballet in 1982 and from 1985 onwards was closely associated with the Australian Ballet School both as a teacher and adviser. He returned to the stage on many occasions as a guest artist with the Australian Ballet. His final appearances were in 2002 when he performed with the Australian Ballet in Beyond 40, the company's 40th anniversary celebration.

Research Materials

[Australian Ballet : Borovansky Ballet], 1960; 1962 (Moving picture): Cast: Sonia Arova, Erik Bruhn, Marilyn Jones, Ray Powell and artists of the Australian Ballet; 8 mm film, shot by Barry Kitcher; colour, no sound, 14 minutes; This home movie recording contains excerpts from Lady and the Fool and One in Five performed by the Australian Ballet in 1962 and excerpts from the Don Quixote pas de deux performed by Sonia Arova and Erik Bruhn during their guest appearance with the Australian Ballet. The recording also contains excerpts from Coppelia, Aurora's Wedding and Nutcracker as performed by the Borovansky Ballet during 1960.; Australian Ballet, The ; Borovansky Ballet ; Jones, Marilyn ; Don Quixote ; Nutcracker ; Aurora's Wedding ; Coppelia; Location:; The Keep Dancing! Collection; National Film and Sound Archive; Title no: 441464

Australian Ballet to Perform in Djakarta, 1978 (Moving picture): 16 mm film, produced by Australian Information Service TV News; black and white, silent and sound, 3 mins; The Australian Ballet prepares to go on tour. Peggy van Praagh takes company class, Robert Helpmann is interviewed, and Garth Welch and Marilyn Jones rehearse a pas de deux under the supervision of Ray Powell. There is also footage of backstage, administrative and technical preparations for the tour.; Australian Ballet, The ; van Praagh, Peggy ; Helpmann, Robert ; Welch, Garth ; Jones, Marilyn; Location:; National Film and Sound Archive; Title no: 55436

The Australian Ballet, 1964 (Moving picture): Cast: Rudolf Nureyev, Margot Fonteyn and artists of the Australian Ballet; Newsreel; black and white, sound, 5 mins; Is part of: Cinesound Review No. 1696 (Title no:113989); The Australian Ballet is seen performing excerpts from Act 1 of Giselle with guest artists Rudolf Nureyev as Albrecht and Margot Fonteyn as Giselle. Fonteyn is also seen preparing for performance and talking to Peggy van Praagh. Brief footage of Just for Fun, choreographed by Ray Powell, is also included.; Fonteyn, Margot ; Nureyev, Rudolf ; Just for Fun ; Australian Ballet, The ; Giselle ; van Praagh, Peggy; Location:; National Film and Sound Archive; Segment title no: 49328

The Australian Ballet: Les Rendezvous and Coppelia, 1963 (Moving picture): Cast: Sonia Arova, Jonathan Watts, Ray Powell, Kathleen Geldard, Karl Welander and artists of the Australian Ballet; 16 mm film; colour, no sound, 10 mins; This home movie recording was made during an Australian Ballet tour to Brisbane in 1963. It includes footage of ballet master Ray Powell conducting a class on stage, excerpts from Frederick Ashton's Les Rendezvous and excerpts from the Peggy van Praagh production of Coppelia. In the excerpts from Coppelia Ray Powell dances Dr Coppelius, Sonia Arova Swanilda and Jonathan Watts Franz. The Coppelia footage includes excerpts from all acts.; van Praagh, Peggy ; Australian Ballet, The ; Coppelia ; Geldard, Kathleen; Location:; National Film and Sound Archive; Title no: 507910

[Australian Ballet: Raymonda], 1968 (Moving picture): 16 mm film, produced by Australian News and Information Bureau; black and white, no sound, 3 mins; The Australian Ballet is seen preparing to go on tour. Peggy van Praagh, Robert Helpmann and Ray Powell are among members of the Australian Ballet staff who appear briefly on the footage. Marilyn Jones and Garth Welch rehearse a section from Raymonda. The company performs a brief excerpt from Raymonda.; Australian Ballet, The ; van Praagh, Peggy ; Helpmann, Robert ; Welch, Garth ; Jones, Marilyn ; Raymonda; Location:; National Film and Sound Archive; Title no: 63251

[Beethoven Dances], 1973 (Moving picture): Choreography: Ray Powell; Cast: Artists of the Australian Ballet; J-format videotape; black and white, sound, 12 mins; A rehearsal in practice clothes of Ray Powell's Beethoven Dances. This work was originally made on Elaine Fifield in 1971. It was revived in 1973.; Australian Ballet, The; Location:; The Keep Dancing! Collection; National Film and Sound Archive; Title no: 450260

Dame Peggy van Praagh, 1910-1990, 1990 (Moving picture): 16 mm film, produced by Peter Campbell; colour, sound, 57 mins; Some of Peggy van Praagh's colleagues reflect on her career as artistic director of the Australian Ballet. Those interviewed are Kelvin Coe, Ray Powell, Dame Margaret Scott, Noel Pelly, Edward Pask and Marilyn Rowe. The voice of Dame Ninette de Valois is also heard and the film opens and closes with archival photographs of van Praagh taken at various stages in her career.; van Praagh, Peggy ; Australian Ballet, The ; Scott, Margaret ; Rowe, Marilyn ; Pask, Edward ; Coe, Kelvin ; Pelly, Noel; Location:; Australia Council Archival Film Program; National Film and Sound Archive; Title no: 316653

Don Quixote, 1972 (Moving picture): Choreography: Rudolf Nureyev after Marius Petipa; Music: Ludwig Minkus, additional music by John Lanchbery; Cast: Rudolf Nureyev, Robert Helpmann, Lucette Aldous, Ray Powell and artists of the Australian Ballet; 35 mm film, produced by John Hargreaves for International Arts Inc.; colour, sound, 102 mins; Based on the novel by Cervantes, the ballet tells of the adventures of the eccentric Don Quixote, his faithful companion Sancho Panza, Kitri the daughter of an innkeeper and Kitri's lover, the barber Basilio. This production was staged for the Australian Ballet by Rudolf Nureyev in 1970 and filmed in 1972. It was based on Nureyev's production made in 1966 for the Vienna Staatsoper Ballett. The story of its filming is recounted by Noel Pelly in 'Don Quixote - The Film', a program note in the Australian Ballet's program for the 1993 restaging of the production.; Australian Ballet, The ; Helpmann, Robert ; Pelly, Noel ; Aldous, Lucette ; Don Quixote ; Nureyev, Rudolf ; Lanchbery, John; Location:; National Film and Sound Archive; Title no: 268211

Don Quixote, 1999 (Moving picture): Choreography: Rudolf Nureyev after Marius Petipa; Music: Ludwig Minkus, additional music by John Lanchbery; Cast: Rudolf Nureyev, Robert Helpmann, Lucette Aldous, Ray Powell and artists of the Australian Ballet; Digital betacam videotape, remastered by Cheryl Forest-Smith for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation; colour, sound, 102 mins; A digitally remastered version of the ballet originally filmed in 1972 for International Arts Inc. The original version is held at title 268211.; Australian Ballet, The ; Helpmann, Robert ; Aldous, Lucette ; Don Quixote ; Nureyev, Rudolf ; Lanchbery, John; Location:; National Film and Sound Archive; Title no: 414142

[Erik Bruhn Rehearses Coppelia with the Australia Ballet], 1962 (Moving picture): 16 mm film; black and white, no sound, 5 mins; The Australian Ballet is seen rehearsing sections of Coppelia, in particular the Mazurka from Act 1 with Erik Bruhn and Suzanne Musitz as the leading couple. Some backstage shots are included and Peggy van Praagh and Ray Powell are seen directing the rehearsal. Erik Bruhn rehearses the role of Franz. Sonia Arova rehearses the role of Swanilda.; van Praagh, Peggy ; Australian Ballet, The ; Davidson, Suzanne ; Coppelia; Location:; National Film and Sound Archive; Title: 141

La Fille mal gardee, 1989 (released 1994) (Moving picture): Choreography: Frederick Ashton; Music: Ferdinand Herold; Lighting: William Akers; Cast: Fiona Tonkin, David McAllister, Ray Powell and artists of the Australian Ballet; VHS videocassette, produced in conjunction with Australian Broadcasting Corporation; colour, sound, PAL, 104 mins; A ballet centring on the love for a young village girl, Lise, for Colas and the plans of Lise's mother to marry her daughter to the eccentric son of a rich farmer.; Tonkin, Fiona ; Australian Ballet, The ; McAllister, David ; Akers, William (Bill) ; Fille mal gardee, La; Location:; National Film and Sound Archive; Title no: 425282

Ray Powell, 1990 (Moving picture): 16 mm film, produced by Peter Campbell; colour, sound, 40 mins; Dancer and ballet master Ray Powell talks about his early career in London with the Sadler's Wells Ballet. He goes on then to discuss his arrival in Australia to work with Peggy van Praagh during the early days of the Australian Ballet speaking in particular about the company's early repertoire and its visiting teachers and choreographers, as well as his own interest in choreography.; Australian Ballet, The ; van Praagh, Peggy; Location:; Australia Council Archival Film Series; National Film and Sound Archive; Title no: 288898

Research Materials Top

Other resources

Find more about Powell, Ray in:

Internet - Google
Articles - New York Public Library Dance Collection
Pictures - Picture Australia
Collection - OzLife