Australia Dancing - Vernon, Janet

Vernon, Janet

Barrett, Greg: Portrait of Janet Vernon from 'Danceshots', 1990

Janet Vernon was born in Adelaide and received her early dance training from Cecil Bates. She subsequently studied at the Australian Ballet School and joined the Australian Ballet in 1967 becoming a soloist with that company in 1970. In the early 1970s she left the Australian Ballet to dance overseas and between 1973 and 1974 performed alongside Graeme Murphy with the French company Ballets Felix Blaska. On her return to Australia she freelanced with Murphy in 1975 working with companies in Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania before rejoining the Australian Ballet as a senior soloist in 1976. At the end of 1976 she was appointed with Murphy to lead the Dance Company (NSW), which was renamed Sydney Dance Company in 1979.

Vernon's association with Graeme Murphy began while at the Australian Ballet School and she appeared in his first work Ecco le Diavole in 1971. She subsequently became an admired interpreter of his choreography and also established a now legendary partnership with him. As his associate artistic director she made a strong and individualistic contribution to the development of Sydney Dance Company, bringing her exacting standards and individualistic abilities to the job. Both Murphy and Vernon resigned from their positions with Sydney Dance Company late in 2006. They were recipients of a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Australian Dance Awards that year.

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Articles - New York Public Library Dance Collection
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