Australia Dancing - Gilmour, Sally (1921

Gilmour, Sally (1921 - 2004)

Stringer, Walter: Sally Gilmour in 'Descent of Hebe', Ballet Rambert, 1948

Born in Malaya, Sally Gilmour took her first dance lessons in Singapore after moving there with her family in the mid 1920s. She began her serious training in London aged eight, studying first with Tamara Karsarvina and then at the Rambert school. She joined the Rambert company while still in her teens and at 17 created the leading role of Silvia Tebrick in Andree Howard's Lady into Fox opposite Charles Boyd as Mr Tebrick.

Gilmour came to Australia when the Ballet Rambert toured in 1947. She scored particular success as Giselle opposite Walter Gore in the Rambert production of Giselle and, while in Australia, created the role of Felice in Gore's Winter night, which Gore dedicated to her. In Australia she also danced with singular success in her previously acclaimed role in Lady into Fox, in another of Andree Howard's ballets The Sailor's Return, in Antony Tudor's The Descent of Hebe and in many other works in the Rambert touring repertoire.

In 1948 in Melbourne she married Dr Alan Wynn of the well known Australian wine-making family. Gilmour remained in Australia until 1950. She rejoined Ballet Rambert in London and danced with the company from 1950 to 1953 but later returned to Australia with her husband and brought up her children in Melbourne. She moved back to London in 1970 and in the 1970s was invited to restage works from the early Rambert repertoire for Stuttgart Ballet. However, she danced only rarely after 1953 and spent her later years in Australia, where she died.

Research Materials

Manuscript | Moving picture | Oral history | Picture | All

Other resources

Find more about Gilmour, Sally in:

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