Voyageur (1956 - )

Stewart, Jean: Janet Karin as Priscilla and Ray Trickett in the title role in Laurel Martyn's 'Voyageur', Ballet Guild, 1957

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Voyageur, with choreography by Laurel Martyn, music by Dorian le Gallienne and designs by Douglas Smith, premiered as part of Ballet Guild's tenth anniversary season on 27 August 1956 at Melbourne University's Union Theatre. The leading roles of Voyageur and Priscilla were danced by Jack Manuel and Nina Brabant respectively. Other cast members were Valma Payne, Elaine Gibson, Janet Karin, Carolyn Harrison, Ron Paul, Robert Jaffray and John Bowker as Migrating Geese, Ann Ellis and Josie Seymour as Water Fowl, and Elizabeth Ingram and Heather McCracken (Macrae?) as Goslings. Later casts included Janet Karin as Priscilla and Raymond Trickett and Antonio Rodriguez as Voyageur. Music for the first performances was played on two pianos. Later, the music was recorded by a small ensemble of Melbourne musicians working under the name of the Ballet Guild Orchestra. The work was filmed for ABC-TV in 1958.

Program notes from 1956 state: 'Brought down by wild compelling skies by the unseen hand of Man, Voyageur finds compensation for the loss of his powers of flight in the compassion and love of Priscilla, herself doomed by man to be ever flightless. Time, and Nature's healing, present him with a conflict between his love and his strong migratory call, but that same violent hand releases him to follow his destiny'.

Bibliography:

Janet Karin, 'Laurel Martyn, OBE: a voyager ahead of her time', Brolga, 4 (June 1996), pp. 7-27; JoAnne Page, 'Voyageur: a journey with Laurel Martyn to 1956', Brolga, 4 (June 1996), pp. 37-45.

See also: Ballet Guild ; Karin, Janet ; Martyn, Laurel

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Research Materials

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Other resources

Find more about Voyageur in:

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