A stunning collection of tutus, pointe shoes, costumes, production images and archives relating to dance from ballet to contemporary, amateur to professional, local and international companies spanning over eighty years.
A stunning collection of tutus, pointe shoes, costumes, production photos and archives relating to dance from ballet to contemporary, amateur to professional, local and international spans over eighty years. Originally curated by Meg Abbie Denton, dance representative for the Collection, whose contribution has amassed a significant legacy of Australian dance history.
At the heart of the dance collection is the Adelaide based Australian Dance Theatre featuring costumes from its impressive six-decade history. Dance legends Robert Helpmann, Joanne Priest, Dorothy Slane are represented, as well as The Australian Ballet and Les Ballets Contemporians, who famously had modernist artist Dorrit Black as their designer.
Australian Dance Theatre (ADT) was established in Adelaide in 1965 by Elizabeth Cameron Dalman OAM (1965-1975), and has since been helmed by artistic directors Jonathan Taylor (1977-1985), Anthony Steel & Lenny Westerdijk (1986), Leigh Warren (1987-1993), Meryl Tankard (1993-1999), Garry Stewart (1999-2021) and Daniel Riley (2022- ongoing). The company has established itself as one of Australia’s pre-eminent contemporary dance companies.
Dancer, choreographer, director and actor Sir Robert Helpmann (1909 – 1986) was one of Australia’s greatest and most acclaimed performers.
Helpmann’s talent is reflected in his long and extraordinary career, which includes his tenure as joint Artistic Director of the Australian Ballet alongside Dame Peggy van Praagh, his role as the iconic Child-Catcher in the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, dancing and choreographing for London’s Sadler Wells Theatre Ballet and having Australia’s premier performing arts award named in his honour.
Dancer, choreographer, director and producer, Joanna Priest was an incredibly influential figure in Australian dance.
In the 1930s, after studying dance interstate and in England, Priest opened her first studio in her home state of South Australia. She founded the South Australian Ballet Club, created Adelaide’s Studio Theatre, and in 1959 developed a popular children’s television program for Channel NWS9, Southern Stars.
G costume designed by Daniel Jaber and Gaelle Mellis, Australian Dance Theatre, 2009
Australian Dance Theatre (2009)
Sun Music headdress designed by Kenneth Rowell, The Australian Ballet, 1968
Kenneth Rowell (1968)
The Listeners costume designed by Kenneth Rowell, South Australian Ballet Club, 1948
Kenneth Rowell (1948)