Australia Dancing - Pomie, Robert (1933

Pomie, Robert (1933 - 1991)

Stringer, Walter: Robert Pomie and Marilyn Jones in 'Coppelia', the Australian Ballet, 1963

Born in Morocco, Robert Pomie trained at the ballet school of the Paris Opera Ballet under Serge Lifar. He graduated into the Paris Opera Ballet and worked there until 1956 when he left to pursue a career as a freelance artist. He joined Roland Petit's Ballets de Paris and distinguished himself in the title role in Petit's Le Loup and as both Don Jose and Escamillo in Carmen. He also partnered French dancers Ludmilla Tcherina, Janine Charrat and Zizi Jeanmaire in the film Folies Bergere.

Pomie came to Australia to dance with the Borovansky Ballet in their season of 1957-1958. He made his debut with the company on 6 April 1957 in Adelaide as Prince Siegfried partnering Peggy Sager in the second performance of the Borovansky Ballet's full-length production of Swan Lake. During this first season with Borovansky he also staged Serenade classique a work that Borovansky admitted in correspondence was closely connected to Lifar's Suite en blanc. Pomie returned to the Borovansky company when it re-formed in 1959 and continued to perform with the company until 1961. In 1961 he staged a surf ballet, The Surfers with music by Ibert, for the Borovansky Ballet. The Surfers premiered on 9 January with Pomie and Kathleen Gorham, whom Pomie had married, in the lead.

In between his work for Borovansky, Pomie staged several seasons by a small group called, according to the company's programs, Ballet Robert Pomie in 1958 and Company Robert Pomie in 1959. These short seasons were held in a small theatre in Pitt St, Sydney, which Pomie named Ballet Theatre le Francais. In 1958 season he staged Etude classique, Casse-noisette pas de deux, The Dying Swan, Giselle Act II pas de deux and Italian Street. The leading dancers for this season were Pomie and Elaine Fifield, recently returned from London. Other dancers included Helene Ffrance and a small corps de ballet. Choreography for Etude classique and Italian Street was by Pomie who also was credited with arranging the Giselle pas de deux. In 1959 the season featured two original works by Pomie, The Death Cell and The Ballet Surf, the latter with music by Offenbach, in addition to Etude classique, Giselle pas de deux and Aurora's Wedding pas de deux. Leading dancers were Pomie and Marilyn Jones 'presenting her debut as a prima ballerina'. Kiril Vassilkovsky, who was the company's ballet master, also appeared in Pomie's surf ballet. Another season featured Kathleen Gorham and Carolann Ball in six works: Faust Divertissement, Gayaneh, The Web, The Night is my Realm, Nutcracker pas de deux and The Ballet Surf.

Pomie joined the Australian Ballet as a principal in 1963 and danced leading roles in much of the repertoire, including Coppelia, Swan Lake and Les Sylphides. For the Australian Ballet he staged his Pas classique, a duet for himself and Gorham set to the slow movement of Bizet's Symphony in C. During the company's tour to New Zealand, however, Pomie left after a disagreement.

Pomie appeared as a guest artist with West Australian Ballet in 1959 and 1961 and was guest choreographer in 1965 when he staged, amongst other works his Suite classique, The Web, which was also filmed for televsion, and The Surfers. He performed with Ballet Guild where he created the role of Amyntas in Laurel Martyn's Sylvia in 1963. In 1966 he led another small company, Les Ballets modernes d'Australie on a tour to Perth. Newspaper reports indicate that the company performed seven works, six of which were choreographed by Pomie. Pomie taught briefly and in 1979 founded the Northern Rivers Youth Ballet.

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