Australia Dancing - Graeme, Joyce (1918

Graeme, Joyce (1918 - 1991)

Stringer, Walter: Joyce Graeme in 'Bar aux Folies-Bergere', Ballet Rambert, 1947

Joyce Graeme was born in Leeds, England, and studied at the Sadler's Wells Ballet School and then with a variety of teachers including Margaret Craske, Vera Volkova and Marie Rambert. She began her professional career with the Sadler's Wells Ballet in in 1937 and then worked with Mona Inglesby's International Ballet from 1941 to 1943.

In 1945 she joined Ballet Rambert and came to Australia with the company on their tour of 1947-1949. Along with a number of her colleagues she remained in Australia at the conclusion of the tour. In 1949 she accepted from Gertrude Johnson, founder of the Melbourne-based National Theatre Movement, the directorship of the National Theatre Ballet.

During Graeme's directorship of the National Theatre Ballet the company staged the first full-length production of Swan Lake in Australia. This production, with designs by Ann Church, opened on 7 February 1951 and starred Lynne Golding as Odette/Odile and Henry Danton as Prince Siegfried. Her time with the National was also marked by the first production of Corroboree, also in 1951, to the score by John Antill. This production was choreographed by Rex Reid who worked closely with Graeme on all the National Theatre Ballet productions. For the National Graeme also created her own, well received Romantic Suite with designs by Kenneth Rowell.

Late in 1951 she returned to Europe. She became assistant director of Ballet Rambert in 1953 and continued to dance with a number of companies, including Festival Ballet, and to teach in England and Europe.

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