Many regard The Australian Ballet’s 1973 production of Don Quixote as a pivotal point where The Company transcended to the international stage, and hinted it’s future as a vibrant, sunny company.
The film captured many stars of the day, both current and to-be ballet legends, but it’s a bit hard to play “who’s who” with the distracting, dazzling sets and costumes! In our watch-through, we compiled a list of who we saw as the biggest names on the program, including the future idols we saw within the Corps de Ballet!
With such a large, magnificent production, we’re confident we’ve missed out a few, so please share any pesky dancer’s that you happen to see we’ve missed!
Name: Robert Helpmann
Role: Don Quixote
Where do I know him from?
Sir Robert Helpmann… Where to begin? Most people identify this Aussie stage star with ballet; however, he was no stranger to all facets of performance! His genius choreography can be seen in the 1948 blockbuster, The Red Shoes, and his fingerprints have been left on many international arts companies and shows. It was Sir Robert who acquired the rights to transform The Merry Widow into a ballet, which many of you would have seen a couple of weeks ago on BalletTV!
Name: Ray Powell
Role: Sancho Panza
Where do I know him from?
Although seemingly destined to become a tailor, Ray burst onto the dance scene with big dreams, supported by the one-and-only Peggy van Praagh, founder of the Australian Ballet. We have Ray to thank for co-pioneering our internationally respected company! Ray was the first to appear as an ‘Ugly Sister’ in the Royal Ballet’s fan-favourite Cinderella, and of course, was the original Sancho Panza in Nureyev’s Don Quixote!
Name: Rudolf Nureyev
Role: Basilio
Where do I know him from?
Where don’t you know Nureyev from? Regarded as the best male dancer of his generation, Nureyev famously defected to the West from the USSR in a Paris Airport in 1961. His story is a great one, one that struggles to be summarised in these sentences, but many know him from his brilliant, international performances in Romeo and Juliet and Sleeping Beauty.
Name: Francis Croese
Role: Lorenzo
Where do I know him from?
A true theatre-lover since the moment he stepped near a stage, Francis got his beginnings as an elite ballet dancer. However, he’s still actively involved in the Australian ballet scene, now known for his elaborate lighting designs for the Company. You may have seen his work in the recent showing of Paquita a few weeks ago!
Name: Lucette Aldous
Role: Kitri
Where do I know her from?
Like many of our Company, Lucette travelled from NZ to perform with The Company! She partnered Nureyev multiple times throughout her career, noteably in the Nutcracker European Tour, and was made a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in the Australia Day 2018 Honours List.
Name: Colin Peasley
Role: Gamache
Where do I know him from?
Sydneysider Colin Peasley was a founding member of The Australian Ballet, working closely with Peggy van Praagh to start our treasured company. There are many places you may recognise Colin from, as during his 50 years with the Company, Colin performed 6,406 shows, a record still unparalleled within The Australian Ballet.
Name: Marilyn Rowe
Role: An Artist of the Company
Where do I know her from?
Marilyn was the first graduate of the Australian Ballet School to become its director, and also became a caretaker Company director while a search was made for the position. The year of this Don Quixote film, Marilyn partnered with Kelvin Coe and won a silver medal for “Most Outstanding Couple at the Second International Ballet Competition in Moscow” in 1973.
Name: Kelvin Coe
Role: An Artist of the Company
Where do I know him from?
The youngest dancer to join the initial Australian Ballet Company, Coe is widely known as an absolute Australian ballet icon! Known particularly for his partnership with Carla Fracci, an international and quintessential “Giselle of her generation,” Coe’s face is one that pops up continuously throughout the film!
Name: Janet Vernon
Role: An Artist of the Company
Where do I know her from?
For a number of years, Janet stood at the artistic helm of the Sydney Dance Company, forming the contemporary Company to the shining star that it is today. She has been awarded several awards throughout her career, such as “One of Australia’s Five Best Female Dancers Ever,” and recognised for her “Excellence in Choreography in Film” for Mao’s Last Dancer in 2011.
Name: Gary Norman
Role: An Artist of the Company
Where do I know him from?
Rising to Principal Artist within 2 years of induction at the Company, Gary is revered by audiences and critics alike and has dedicated his later career to teaching the next generation of dancers. Most noteably, many will recognise him as Oberon in Ashton’s The Dream, and Romeo in Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet.
Name: John Meehan
Role: An Artist of the Company
Where do I know him from?
Meehan rose through the ranks quite swiftly, reaching Principal Dancer after 4 years with the company and creating many roles in many landmark productions, such as Hynd’s The Merry Widow. His choreography is still used within the repertoire of the Australian Ballet, and his international connections still bind the company to the New York City Ballet, the Hong Kong Ballet (where he was director), and the National Ballet of Canada.
Name: Gailene Stock
Role: An Artist of the Company
Where do I know her from?
Gailene grew to assume the position of director at the Royal Ballet School, dedicating her later career to fostering the future of ballet. However, a fun fact about the spirited girl is that her first name was changed at the request of Peggy van Praagh, who thought that the first name ‘Gail’ was too short for a ballerina.
Name: Caroline Rappel
Role: An Artist of the Company
Where do I know her from?
Like many from this era, Caroline shot through the ranks quite quickly and performed many memorable roles over her career, particularly in Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and Gemini, the first contemporary work by The Australian Ballet.
Although all dancers with The Company are absolute stars who achieve much throughout their careers, this film is a neat time capsule of the bursting talents of the time. Stream Don Quixote now on BalletTV, and see how many familiar faces you can count!
https://australianballet.com.au/tv
Available until September 17