Australian Archives of the Dance
Encyclopedia
The Australian Archives of the Dance (also known as the Australian Dance Archives) is Australia’s oldest specialist dance archive. Established by The Australian Ballet in 1972, the Archive was transferred to the Performing Arts Collection
of the Melbourne Arts Centre
in 1998.
Material relating to The Australian Ballet within the Archive is largely in the form of personality and, to a lesser extent, performance photographs, programs, and scrapbooks. The personality photographs are notable for their extensive coverage of principal dancers (e.g. Garth Welch
, Kathleen Gorham
, Kathleen Geldard, Kelvin Coe
) and guest dancers (e.g. Margot Fonteyn
and Rudolf Nureyev
) who have performed with the company,
Performing Arts Collection
The Performing Arts Collection at the Arts Centre, Melbourne is the largest specialist performing arts collection in Australia, with over 450,000 items relating to the history of circus, dance, music, opera and theatre in Australia and of Australian performers overseas.- Highlights of the...
of the Melbourne Arts Centre
The Arts Centre (Melbourne)
The Victorian Arts Centre is a performing arts centre consisting of a complex of theatres and concert halls in the Melbourne Arts Precinct, located in the inner Melbourne suburb of Southbank in Victoria, Australia....
in 1998.
Collection
The Archive includes over 50,000 items covering the breadth of Australia’s dance history, with particular reference to the key Melbourne-based ballet companies: the Borovansky Ballet, the Victorian Ballet Guild / Ballet Victoria, the National Theatre Ballet and The Australian Ballet. The Archives includes costumes, costume elements, costume and set designs, lighting plans, props, business records, correspondence, photographs, photograph albums, scrapbooks, programs, personality files, and newspaper clippings.Material relating to The Australian Ballet within the Archive is largely in the form of personality and, to a lesser extent, performance photographs, programs, and scrapbooks. The personality photographs are notable for their extensive coverage of principal dancers (e.g. Garth Welch
Garth Welch
Garth Welch is an Australian dancer and choreographer.- Early life and training :Welch grew up in Brisbane, Queensland. His initial dance training took place under the guidance of the respected teacher Phyllis Danaher....
, Kathleen Gorham
Kathleen Gorham
Kathleen Gorham OBE was an Australian ballerina.Born in Narrandera, New South Wales, she lived much of her life in Melbourne...
, Kathleen Geldard, Kelvin Coe
Kelvin Coe
Kelvin Coe OBE was an Australian ballet dancer and the first male artist to be promoted from the corps de ballet in the Australian Ballet principal dancer...
) and guest dancers (e.g. Margot Fonteyn
Margot Fonteyn
Dame Margot Fonteyn de Arias, DBE , was an English ballerina of the 20th century. She is widely regarded as one of the greatest classical ballet dancers of all time...
and Rudolf Nureyev
Rudolf Nureyev
Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev was a Russian dancer, considered one of the most celebrated ballet dancers of the 20th century. Nureyev's artistic skills explored expressive areas of the dance, providing a new role to the male ballet dancer who once served only as support to the women.In 1961 he...
) who have performed with the company,
Formed Collections
The Archives includes a number of subsidiary formed personality collections, donated by their creators, these include:- the Peggy van PraaghPeggy van PraaghDame Margaret "Peggy" van Praagh, DBE had a long and distinguished career in ballet as a dancer, choreographer, teacher, producer, advocate and director.-Dancing:...
Collection - the Joyce Graeme Collection
- the Laurel MartynLaurel MartynLaurel Martyn was an Australian ballerina. She studied under Kathleen Hamilton in Toowoomba, Marjorie Hollinshed in Brisbane, and Phyllis Bedells in London. In 1934 Martyn won a choreographic scholarship from the Association of Operatic Dancing for her first composition Exile...
Collection - the Rex Smith Collection
Composite Collections
The Archive holds important composite collections built up from a number of donations relating to:- the three Australian tours of Wassily de Basil’s Ballets RussesBallets RussesThe Ballets Russes was an itinerant ballet company from Russia which performed between 1909 and 1929 in many countries. Directed by Sergei Diaghilev, it is regarded as the greatest ballet company of the 20th century. Many of its dancers originated from the Imperial Ballet of Saint Petersburg...
companies (1936-1940) - the Australian tours of Anna Pavlova (1926, 1929)