| Summary |
Correspondence, artistic reports, photographs, press cuttings, programs and curricula vitae, documenting Duchesne's career and interests. * Personal papers (1952-1994) include correspondence, manuscript of "The life and times of Mary Duchesne with Festival Ballet 1954-1959", artist's agreement with the Sydney Dance Company 1985, reports on trips to New York and China, and an Oral History interview, 16 November 1986 (TRC 1981). Correspondents include Margaret Atkinson, Richard Wherrett, Martin Lewis, Australia Council for the Arts, and Robin Grove. * Photographs and cuttings books (1950s). * News cuttings (1956-1993). * Programs (1946-1993). Included are programs for The Borovansky Ballet, London Festival Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet Ensemble, The Australian Ballet and the Sydney Dance Company.
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| Biography/History |
Ballerina, teacher, adjudicator of ballet. Duchesne was born in Cowra NSW in 1932 and died at the age of 63 in 1996. She was associated with dance in Australia and overseas for more than 45 years. After eight years with the Ballet Rambert, the Walter Gore Ballet and the London Festival Ballet, Duchesne returned to Australia to appear in the final season of the Borovansky Ballet. She then joined the newly formed Australian Ballet. Appeared in "Stars of the World Ballet" in 1978, an engagement she considered one of the special highlights of her career. |