Australia Dancing - Royal Ballet Australian Tour, The (1958

Royal Ballet Australian Tour, The (1958 - 1959)

Stringer, Walter: Susan Alexander and Donald Britton in 'Les Patineurs', the Royal Ballet, 1958

The first tour to Australia by a company of dancers from the Royal Ballet began in Sydney in September 1958 and concluded in Melbourne in 1959. It was essentially a tour by dancers from the second company, the Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet, under the personal supervision of the Royal Ballet's director Dame Ninette de Valois. The company consisted of fifty-five dancers, was led by Rowena Jackson, Philip Chatfield and Svetlana Beriosova, and included a number of expatriate Australians including Margaret Lee, Edward Miller, Kathleen Geldard, Alan Alder and, as guest artist, Robert Helpmann.

The company brought a number of classics from the international ballet repertoire, including Swan Lake, Giselle and Coppelia, as well as several twentieth-century works including de Valois' The Rake's Progress, Peter Wright's A Blue Rose, Helpmann's Hamlet, John Cranko's Pineapple Poll and Frederick Ashton's Les Patineurs and Fa?ade.

Research Materials

Ephemera | Moving picture | Oral history | Picture | All

Interview with Perdita Eldridge, 2007

Interview with Perdita Eldridge, 2007 (Oral history): Interviewer: Lee Christofis; Interviewee: Eldridge, Perdita; Audiofile; 2 sound files; Perdita Eldridge talks about her adoption by (Elizabeth) Margaret Symon; Ballets Russes, Colonel W. de Basil (1932); the Depression, Sir Josiah Symon; the circumstances of the Symon family; the introduction of the Symon children to the arts; the interests and libraries of the youngest Symon son, Mary, Angel and Kilmeny Symon; her schooling; her mother?s nursery school (Inn Nursery School); Mary Symon?s interest in ballet; Henry Legerton; further on the Ballets Russes tour to the Adelaide Theatre Royal, sponsored by her mother; the tours by the Ballets Russes and the Royal Ballet; her memories of occasions in London with Henry Legerton and John Cranko; lessons from one of the Ballets Russes dancers during the Adelaide tour; presenting flower bouquets to Ballets Russes dancers during the Adelaide tour; the beginnings of her interest in puppets when in Perth; meeting her husband, William (Bill) Eldridge. Eldridge discusses touring in Salad days; studying and her experiences at the Central School of Speech and Drama, London; life in post war Britain, including rationing; the library and interests of (Elizabeth) Margaret Symon; the family of Sir Josiah Symon, in particular Mary and (Elizabeth) Margaret; the temperaments of Elizabeth (Margaret), Mary, Angel and Kilmeny Symon and her relationship with them; a personal tragedy and her divorce; the beginnings of her puppetry practice in England; her first puppet show in England; her continuing work as a puppeteer in England and Australia; returning to Australia (1972); life and her work as a puppeteer on her return to Australia; running puppeteer workshops in later life; Mary Symon and her involvement with puppets and the theatre; reflections on Australian culture and puppetry.; Ballets Russes Australian tours ; de Basil, Wassily ; Legerton, Henry; Location:; National Library of Australia; TRC 5785
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Sir Frank and Lady Viola Tait, c. 1958

Lady Viola Tait's J. C. Williamson collection, 1874-1976 (Picture): This collection consists of around 400 photographs of J. C. Williamson tours, enterprises and productions in Australia. In addition, the collection contains personal photographs relating to the Tait family. Some photographs are in albums. Productions represented include Gay Rosalinda and The Dancing Years in which the Borovansky Ballet appeared. Tours managed by the Williamson organisation, which are represented in the collection, include those by Anna Pavlova, Margot Fonteyn, the Royal Ballet and the Bolshoi Ballet.; Borovansky Ballet ; J. C. Williamson Ltd. ; Pavlova, Anna ; Fonteyn, Margot ; Gay Rosalinda; Location:; National Library of Australia; PIC/8745
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Stringer, Walter: 'Les Patineurs', the Royal Ballet, Melbourne, 1958

Stringer, Walter: 'Les Patineurs', the Royal Ballet, Melbourne, 1958 (Picture): Stringer, Walter; Location:; National Library of Australia; PIC6558/438, Album 1016/2
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Photographic albums of Walter Stringer : [The Royal Ballet Performing at Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne, 1958], 1958 (Picture): One album, compiled by the photographer, containing forty-three black and white photographs of performances by the visiting Royal Ballet. Some photographs are autographed. Dancers represented include Susan Alexander, Michael Boulton, Lynn Seymour, Anne Heaton, Robert Helpmann, Rowena Jackson, Patricia Cox, Alan Alder and Philip Chatfield. Ballets represented include Swan Lake, Les Sylphides, Coppelia, Hamlet, Pineapple Poll and The Rake's Progress. A list of the contents of the album is available at the pictorial list titled Stringer, Walter, 1907-2001: The Royal Ballet Performing at her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne, 1958.; Helpmann, Robert ; Alder, Alan ; Sylphides, Les ; Coppelia ; Pineapple Poll; Location:; National Library of Australia; PIC Album 994

Programs (bound), J. C. Williamson Ltd., 1924-1969 (Ephemera): 56 bound volumes; This collection consists of 56 bound volumes of J. C. Williamson Ltd. programs and J. C. W. Magazines. These include:
v. 1, Grand Opera Season, 1924;
v. 2, Drama Season, Criterion Theatre, New Palace Theatre, Theatre Royal, August 1925-August 1926;
v. 3-v. 14, J. C. W. Magazine, July 1927-June 1932;
v. 15, Williamson-Imperial Grand Opera Season, 1932;
v. 16-v. 23, J. C. W. Magazine, July 1932-X;
v. 24, Ballets Russes De Monte Carlo, 1936;
v. 25-v. 28, J. C. W. Magazine, X-1940;
v. 29, Programmes, 1940-1941;
v. 30, Programmes, Empire Theatre, Sydney, 1949-1953;
v. 31, Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Seasons, Empire Theatre, Sydney, 1950-1951;
v. 32, The National Theatre Ballet Company, 1950, Borovansky Ballet 1951-1952, Empire Theatre, Sydney;
v. 33, Borovansky Ballet, Empire Theatre, Sydney, 1954-1955, 1955-1956;
v. 34, Programmes, Empire Theatre, Sydney, 1954-1957;
v. 35, Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company Seasons, Empire Theatre, Sydney, 1956-1957;
v. 36, Margo Fonteyn and the Borovansky Ballet, Empire Theatre, Sydney, 1957-1958;
v. 37, New York City Ballet, Empire Theatre, Sydney, 1958;
v. 38, The Royal Ballet, Empire Theatre, Sydney, 1958;
v. 39, Programmes, Empire Theatre, Sydney, 1958-1960;
v. 40, Programmes, Her Majesty?s Theatre, Sydney, 1960-1965;
v. 41, Sutherland-Williamson International Grand Opera Company Programmes, Her Majesty?s Theatre, Sydney, 1965;
v. 42-43, Programmes, Her Majesty?s Theatre, Sydney, March 1965-August 1969;
v. 44, David Oistrakh, Town Hall, Sydney, 1958;
v. 45-53, Programmes, Theatre Royal, Sydney, 1946-September 1969;
v. 54, Grand Opera Season, Sydney, 1948-1949;
v. 55, Programmes, Tivoli Theatre, Sydney, 1966-1969, Town Hall, Sydney, 1969;
v. 56, Grand Opera Season, Sydney, 1955.; J. C. Williamson Ltd. ; Ballets Russes Australian tours ; National Theatre Ballet ; Borovansky Ballet ; Fonteyn, Margot ; New York City Ballet Australian Tours; Location:; National Library of Australia; PROMPT Collection (Access through Petherick Room)

Programs, Royal Ballet Australian Tour, 1958-1959 (Ephemera): This collection contains a comprehensive range of programs for the various works presented as part of the tour to Australia by the Royal Ballet between 1958 and 1959.; Location:; National Library of Australia; PROMPT Collection (Access through Petherick Room)

The Royal Ballet : [Australian Tour], 1958-1959 (Moving picture): Cast: Anya Linden, David Blair, Rowena Jackson, Philip Chatfield, Patricia Cox, Donald Britton, Lynn Seymour, Robert Helpmann and artists of the (Sadler's Wells) Royal Ballet.; 8 mm film; black and white, no sound, 26 mins; Shot in Melbourne between November 1958 and January 1959 this recording contains very brief excerpts from Swan Lake, Veneziana, Pineapple Poll, Don Quixote (pas de deux), A Blue Rose, Fa?ade, Les Patineurs and Coppelia. Performance snippets include Linden and Blair performing the Swan Lake Act II pas de deux, Blair as Captain Belaye in Pineapple Poll, Jackson and Chatfield dancing sections from Don Quixote pas de deux and Helpmann appearing briefly as Dr Coppelius. Linden and Blair are also seen walking the Melbourne's Spring Street gardens.; Helpmann, Robert ; Don Quixote ; Pineapple Poll ; Coppelia; Location:; The Keep Dancing! Collection; National Film and Sound Archive; Title No: 462928

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