Nolan, Sidney (1917 - 1992)

Mitelman, Jacqueline: Portrait of Sir Sidney Nolan, 1988

Research Materials | Other Resources

Sidney Nolan's engagement with the theatre, and with dance in particular, began in 1940 when he was commissioned to design Serge Lifar's Icare for the Original Ballet Russe then on tour in Australia. Icare as seen in Australia was a restaging of a work that Lifar had originally produced in Paris in 1935. The new Australian staging premiered on 16 February 1940 at the Theatre Royal in Sydney. Lifar took the role of Icarus, Dimitri Rostoff that of Daedalus.

Nolan's designs for Icare underwent various changes during the lead up to the opening and the eventual set design provoked some controversy. One contemporary reviewer wrote: 'The much discussed scenery consists of a red and blue drop in the middle of which was a black scrawl, a simplicity in which only the extremely 'arty' can see any significance'.

Nolan subsequently designed two other significant works for dance: Kenneth Macmillan's Rite of Spring for the Royal Ballet in 1962, and Robert Helpmann's Display for the Australian Ballet in 1964. With The Display Nolan worked in collaboration with Robert Helpmann, who choreographed the piece, and Malcolm Williamson, who composed the music.

Bibliography:

Michelle Potter, 'Spatial boundaries: Sidney Nolan's ballet designs', Brolga, 3 (December 1995), pp. 53-67.

See also: Australian Ballet, The ; Ballets Russes Australian tours ; Display, The ; Helpmann, Robert ; Lifar, Serge

---

Research Materials

Ephemera | Moving picture | Oral history | Picture | Reference text | All

---

Other resources

Find more about Nolan, Sidney in:

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