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Valrene Tweedie taking a curtain call, Ballet Australia performance, 1970s [picture] / Vincent H. Hayes
Bib ID 3428006
Format PicturePicture
Author Hayes, Vincent H
Description ca. 1970s. 
1 photograph : gelatin silver ; image 19.8 x 25.2 cm. 
Series Valrene Tweedie collection of dance photographs from the Ballets Russes. 
Biography/History Born in Sydney, Tweedie received her early dance training with Mischa Burlakov, Louise Lightfoot and Leon Kellaway. She started with the First Australian Ballet and the Polish Australian Ballet. She was the only Australian dancer to audition successfully for the Ballets Russes companies that visited Australia between 1936 and 1940. At 14 she auditioned for Colonel de Basil in Sydney and joined his Original Ballet Russe in 1940. As Irina Lavrova she danced with the company in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane. She left Australia with the Original Ballet Russe in 1940 and over the succeeding years danced extensively in North and South America with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and Ballet Theatre.  Returned to Australia in 1952 and in 1953 became third artistic director of the National Theatre Ballet. She choreographed her own works for the company including Caprice to Prokofiev's Classical Symphony. After the demise of the National Theatre Ballet, she joined the cast of the Cole Porter musical Can-Can. She began full-time teaching in 1956 working within the Cecchetti system. She founded Ballet Australia to encourage the creation of new Australian choreography. She retired from full-time teaching in 1985 but returned to the stage in 1992 as Clara the Elder in the premiere season of Graeme Murphy's Nutcracker for the Australian Ballet. She also appeared in revivals of the work in 1994 and 2000 and was cast by Stephen Baynes in Requiem in 2001 also for the Australian Ballet. 
Notes

Title devised by cataloguer based on caption on reverse.

Photographer's stamp on verso.

"Not for publication without written permission - Vincent H. Hayes"--Stamp on verso.

Part of the collection: Valrene Tweedie collection of dance photographs from the Ballets Russes.

Subjects Tweedie, Valrene, - 1925- - Portraits.  |  Ballets Russes - Performances - Photographs.  |  Ballet - Australia - Photographs.  |  Ballet dancers - Australia - Portraits.  |  Ballet - Australia - Photographs.
Occupation Ballet dancers.
Terms of Use Copyright restrictions apply. 
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Details Collect From
PIC/9219/53 LOC Box PIC/9219 Manual Request only from Pictures Reading Room, 2nd Floor
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