Heath, Mary (1937 - )

Research Materials | Other Resources

Mary Heath began her ballet studies in Brisbane with Charles Lisner, after which she moved to Melbourne where she studied with Laurel Martyn and performed with the Victorian Ballet Guild. On returning to Brisbane in the early 1960s, Mary Heath became a founding member of the Lisner Ballet which would in 1967 become the Queensland Ballet. A dramatic muse to Lisner, she created leading roles such as Medea (to music by Samual Barber), The Utopians (Prokofiev’s second piano concerto), Grand Pas Classique (Minkus, Drigo, Auber) and her last ballet, Oedipus Rex (Stravinsky, Webern, Berg) in 1969. Her dramatic lyricism was showcased in the famous solo Lisner created for her, Valse Triste (Sibelius) and her comic gifts were revealed late in her career as the Debutante in Frederick Ashton's Facade.

Mary Heath went on to become an important teacher in Brisbane, combining the curriculum of the Royal Academy of Dance with the Vaganova principles present in Lisner's teaching, and extensive floor work combined with Pilates strengthening techniques. Graduates of the Queensland Ballet School, which she took over from Lisner, have danced with the Australian, Queensland and West Australian Ballets, Sydney Dance Company, Dance North, Expressions Dance Theatre, Australian Dance Theatre, the Royal, Birmingham Royal and Norwegian Ballets.

See also: Australian Ballet, The ; Australian Dance Theatre ; Ballet Guild ; Dance North ; Expressions Dance Company ; Lisner, Charles ; Martyn, Laurel ; Queensland Ballet, The ; Sydney Dance Company ; West Australian Ballet

---

Research Materials

Oral history

---

Other resources

Find more about Heath, Mary in:

• Internet - Google