Janet Karin
Encyclopedia
Janet Karin OAM
was born in Perth
, Australia
in 1938. She became one of Australia's leading dancers in 1956, and has danced with the Victorian Ballet Guild, Borovansky Ballet, and was a founding member of The Australian Ballet. She is a Nationally and Internationally recognised dance educator, and is currently the Head of Artistic Studies and Kinetic Educator for the Australian Ballet School
in Melbourne
, Australia
.
OBE in Melbourne
during the 1950s, and was a leading member of the Victorian Ballet Guild where she performed works such as Giselle
and Swan Lake
. Ballets choreographed by Martyn on her included: Voyager (as Priscilla), Royal Command, and Sylvia.
From 1960-1961 she danced with the Borovansky Ballet in its final season. The Borovansky Ballet was founded in 1940 by Edouard Borovansky
.
In 1962 Karin joined an exciting new company founded by Dame Peggy van Praagh
] known as the Australian Ballet as a soloist. In 1966 she was promoted to the rank of Principal Artist. During her career with the Australian Ballet, she danced many roles including: Debutante in Melbourne Cup, Mazurka
in Les Sylphides
, the Lilac Fairy in Aurora’s Wedding, Myrtha in Giselle, the Second Ballerina in Ballet Imperial and Clytemnestra
in Electra
.
ACT. The school also had its own performing arm, presenting works such as Coppélia
and Giselle
to Canberra audiences.
In 1971, Dame Peggy van Praagh, the founding director of the Australian Ballet became patron of the school until her death in 1990.
, Garth Welch
and Natalie Weir
.
In 1989, Karin received an Order of Australia
Medal for her services to dance, and Noel Pelly AM
accepted patronage of the school.
In 1992 and 1993 Robert Ray choreographed Cinderella
and A Midsummer Night's Dream
for the Dancers, with both productions receiving the Canberra Critics Circle Award; and in 1996, the National Capital Dancers collaborated with the October Ballet Company from Vietnam
during their three month residency in Canberra.
The Karin System is designed to provide all students with:
Sound technical development.
Opportunities to develop creativity and self expression.
The flexibility to progress at their own rate in a non-competitive environment.
A broad understanding of dance as an art form.
In 1997, Kylie Hunter (Adv. Dip. KSA) took over the Directorship of the National Capital Ballet School when Janet moved to Melbourne
take up a new position at the Australian Ballet.
, Australian National University
and the University of Melbourne
; and has published a number of papers and studies on dance and culture.
Karin is also a member of the Education Committee for the International Association of Dance Medicine & Science
(IADMS).
In 1997 Janet was appointed as Assistant to the Artistic Director of the Australian Ballet, Ross Stretton
until 2001. Currently she is the Head of Artistic Studies and Kinetic Educator at the Australian Ballet School
.
Karin is the Patron
for the (Laurel Martyn
) Movement and Dance Education Centre in Melbourne.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
was born in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 1938. She became one of Australia's leading dancers in 1956, and has danced with the Victorian Ballet Guild, Borovansky Ballet, and was a founding member of The Australian Ballet. She is a Nationally and Internationally recognised dance educator, and is currently the Head of Artistic Studies and Kinetic Educator for the Australian Ballet School
Australian Ballet School
The Australian Ballet School was founded in 1964 as the primary training facility for The Australian Ballet by Dame Margaret Scott. It is part of the Australian Ballet Centre, which is located in the Melbourne Arts Precinct, Southbank in Melbourne, Victoria...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Performance Career, 1956 - 1967
Karin studied with Laurel MartynLaurel Martyn
Laurel 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...
OBE in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
during the 1950s, and was a leading member of the Victorian Ballet Guild where she performed works such as Giselle
Giselle
Giselle is a ballet in two acts with a libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Théophile Gautier, music by Adolphe Adam, and choreography by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot. The librettist took his inspiration from a poem by Heinrich Heine...
and Swan Lake
Swan Lake
Swan Lake ballet, op. 20, by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, composed 1875–1876. The scenario, initially in four acts, was fashioned from Russian folk tales and tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse. The choreographer of the original production was Julius Reisinger...
. Ballets choreographed by Martyn on her included: Voyager (as Priscilla), Royal Command, and Sylvia.
From 1960-1961 she danced with the Borovansky Ballet in its final season. The Borovansky Ballet was founded in 1940 by Edouard Borovansky
Edouard Borovansky
Edouard Borovansky was a Czech- born Australian ballet dancer, choreographer and director. After touring with Anna Pavlova's company, he and his wife settled in Australia where they established the Borovansky Ballet company...
.
In 1962 Karin joined an exciting new company founded by Dame Peggy van Praagh
Peggy van Praagh
Dame Margaret "Peggy" van Praagh, DBE had a long and distinguished career in ballet as a dancer, choreographer, teacher, producer, advocate and director.-Dancing:...
] known as the Australian Ballet as a soloist. In 1966 she was promoted to the rank of Principal Artist. During her career with the Australian Ballet, she danced many roles including: Debutante in Melbourne Cup, Mazurka
Mazurka
The mazurka is a Polish folk dance in triple meter, usually at a lively tempo, and with accent on the third or second beat.-History:The folk origins of the mazurek are two other Polish musical forms—the slow machine...
in Les Sylphides
Les Sylphides
Les Sylphides is a short, non-narrative ballet blanc. Its original choreography was by Michel Fokine, with music by Frédéric Chopin orchestrated by Alexander Glazunov. Glazunov had already set some of the music in 1892 as a purely orchestral suite, under the title Chopiniana, Op. 46...
, the Lilac Fairy in Aurora’s Wedding, Myrtha in Giselle, the Second Ballerina in Ballet Imperial and Clytemnestra
Clytemnestra
Clytemnestra or Clytaemnestra , in ancient Greek legend, was the wife of Agamemnon, king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Mycenae or Argos. In the Oresteia by Aeschylus, she was a femme fatale who murdered her husband, Agamemnon – said by Euripides to be her second husband – and the Trojan princess...
in Electra
Electra (disambiguation)
Electra was daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra in Greek mythology.Electra or Elektra may also refer to:-Greek myth:* Electra , one of the Pleiades* Electra, an Oceanid, wife of Thaumas...
.
Training & Development, 1967 - 1987
In 1967, Karin and her then husband, fellow Principal Artist, Bryan Lawrence left the Australian Ballet and established the Bryan Lawrence School of Ballet in CanberraCanberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
ACT. The school also had its own performing arm, presenting works such as Coppélia
Coppélia
Coppélia is a sentimental comic ballet with original choreography by Arthur Saint-Léon to a ballet libretto by Saint-Léon and Charles Nuitter and music by Léo Delibes. It was based upon two macabre stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann, Der Sandmann , and Die Puppe...
and Giselle
Giselle
Giselle is a ballet in two acts with a libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Théophile Gautier, music by Adolphe Adam, and choreography by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot. The librettist took his inspiration from a poem by Heinrich Heine...
to Canberra audiences.
In 1971, Dame Peggy van Praagh, the founding director of the Australian Ballet became patron of the school until her death in 1990.
Artistic Director, 1987 - 1997
Under Karin's guidance, from 1987, the school became known as the National Capital Ballet School, and the associated performing company became known as the National Capital Dancers. Over the years, Janet commissioned new works from well known choreographers such as: Joe Scoglio, Paul MercurioPaul Mercurio
Paul Joseph Mercurio is an Australian actor, dancer and TV presenter. Mercurio is well-known for his lead role in Baz Luhrmann's Strictly Ballroom . His father was the character actor Gus Mercurio.- Biography :...
, 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....
and Natalie Weir
Natalie Weir
Natalie Weir is an Australian choreographer, currently Artistic Director for the Expressions Dance Company in Australia.-Education and career:...
.
In 1989, Karin received an Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
Medal for her services to dance, and Noel Pelly AM
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
accepted patronage of the school.
In 1992 and 1993 Robert Ray choreographed Cinderella
Cinderella
"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
and A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
for the Dancers, with both productions receiving the Canberra Critics Circle Award; and in 1996, the National Capital Dancers collaborated with the October Ballet Company from Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
during their three month residency in Canberra.
Former students of Janet Karin
- Andrew Baxter - London City Ballet, Vienna Festival BalletVienna Festival BalletThe Vienna Festival Ballet, is a classical ballet company founded in 1980 by Peter Mallek. Based in the United Kingdom, they typically spend 8 months of the year touring small and medium venues around the country, with the occasional foreign trip.-Repertoire:...
, Hong Kong BalletHong Kong BalletThe Hong Kong Ballet is Hong Kong's leading professional ballet company, and also the famous group for Classical Ballet, since it founded in 1979....
. - Andrew Boddington - The Australian Ballet.
- Paul Boyd - The Queensland Ballet, Düsseldorf Ballet.
- Joshua Consadine - The Australian Ballet.
- Jane Donko - The Australian Ballet.
- Lisa French - One Extra Company.
- Lea Francis - Sydney Dance CompanySydney Dance CompanyThe Sydney Dance Company is one of Australia's most successful and well-known contemporary dance companies. The company was founded in 1969 as the dance-in-education group Ballet in a Nutshell by Suzanne Musitz , later changing its name to Athletes and Dancers, and Dance Company ...
, Bangarra Dance TheatreBangarra Dance TheatreBangarra Dance Theatre is an Indigenous Australian contemporary dance company founded in 1989 by Carole Johnson, an African-American and founding director of National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association . Bangarra is the Wiradjuri word meaning "to make fire".Stephen Page has been the...
. - Miranda Glickson - The Royal New Zealand Ballet, Singapore Dance TheatreSingapore Dance TheatreThe Singapore Dance Theatre is Singapore's national dance company, founded in 1988 by the late Anthony Then and Goh Soo Khim. It made its debut in June 1988 at the Singapore Festival of The Arts and received its first arts patronage by the then-Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Ong Teng Cheong.Its humble...
. - Catherine Goss - Sydney Dance CompanySydney Dance CompanyThe Sydney Dance Company is one of Australia's most successful and well-known contemporary dance companies. The company was founded in 1969 as the dance-in-education group Ballet in a Nutshell by Suzanne Musitz , later changing its name to Athletes and Dancers, and Dance Company ...
, Royal New Zealand BalletRoyal New Zealand BalletThe Royal New Zealand Ballet is based in Wellington, New Zealand.The Royal New Zealand Ballet is a company of 32 dynamic dancers, performing an eclectic repertoire of outstanding dance, for national and international audiences, whilst continuing to build a style that is ultimately unique to the...
. - Timothy Harbour - The Australian Ballet.
- Margaret Helgeby - West Australian BalletWest Australian BalletThe West Australian Ballet is the premier ballet dance company of Western Australia and is based in Perth at His Majesty's Theatre, Western Australia. The company was founded in 1952 by Madame Kira Bousloff and is one of the oldest ballet companies in Australia. Artistic directors have included...
, Chrissie Parrot Dance Company, Rambert Dance Theatre London. - Robert Jackson - Dance Theatre of Ireland.
- Victoria Jestyn (Trotter) - Netherlands Dance Theatre, Rambert Dance CompanyRambert Dance CompanyRambert Dance Company, is a leading British dance company. Formed at the start of the 20th century as a classical ballet company, it would exert a great deal of influence on the development of dance in the United Kingdom, and today, as a contemporary dance company, it continues to be one of the...
. - Eden Lee - Canterbury Ballet.
- Jake Lehrer - Named as most outstanding dancer in Dance Australia March 2003.
- Adam Marchant - The Australian Ballet, West Side StoryWest Side StoryWest Side Story is an American musical with a script by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and choreographed by Jerome Robbins...
. - Donald Macleod - The Australian Ballet, Bolshoi BalletBolshoi BalletThe Bolshoi Ballet is an internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia. Founded in 1776, the Bolshoi is among the world's oldest ballet companies, however it only achieved worldwide acclaim by the early 20th century, when Moscow became the...
, English National BalletEnglish National BalletEnglish National Ballet is a classical ballet company founded by Dame Alicia Markova and Sir Anton Dolin and based at Markova House in South Kensington, London, England. Along with the Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and Scottish Ballet, it is one of the four major ballet companies in Great...
, The Queensland Ballet, The Royal New Zealand Ballet. - Joanne Michel - The Australian Ballet.
- Grayson Millwood - Austrian Dance Theatre.
- William Mulholland - Victoria State OperaVictoria State OperaThe Victoria State Opera, based in Melbourne, Australia, where it was founded in 1962 as the Victorian Opera Company, collapsed in 1996 due to financial difficulties. At this point, the former Australian Opera merged with this company and renamed itself Opera Australia, taking on the...
, Australian Contemporary Dance Company, Human Veins, Cats (Melbourne 1988). - Rachael Osborne - Batsheva Dance CompanyBatsheva Dance CompanyThe Batsheva Dance Company is an internationally acclaimed dance company based in Tel Aviv, Israel. It was founded by Martha Graham and Baroness Batsheva De Rothschild in 1964....
. - Sarah Peace - The Queensland Ballet, The Australian Ballet, Leigh Warren & DancersLeigh Warren & DancersLeigh Warren & Dancers is a contemporary dance company based in the South Australian capital of Adelaide. Formed in 1993 by Leigh Warren , the company has toured internationally and won several awards....
- Elizabeth Peck - Welsh Ballet
- Francesca Peniguel - Berlin Opera Ballet Company
- Annabel Bronner Reid - Royal New Zealand BalletRoyal New Zealand BalletThe Royal New Zealand Ballet is based in Wellington, New Zealand.The Royal New Zealand Ballet is a company of 32 dynamic dancers, performing an eclectic repertoire of outstanding dance, for national and international audiences, whilst continuing to build a style that is ultimately unique to the...
, The Australian Ballet. - Mardi Roberts - Vienna Volksoper Ballet
- David Skelton - K Ballet Japan, Pretoria State Ballet.
- Michelle Southwell (Crawley) - Paris Bluebells, Moulin RougeMoulin RougeMoulin Rouge is a cabaret built in 1889 by Joseph Oller, who also owned the Paris Olympia. Close to Montmartre in the Paris district of Pigalle on Boulevard de Clichy in the 18th arrondissement, it is marked by the red windmill on its roof. The closest métro station is Blanche.The Moulin Rouge is...
. - Delia Silvan - Australian Dance TheatreAustralian Dance TheatreThe Australian Dance Theatre is a contemporary dance company based in Adelaide, South Australia established in 1965 by Elizabeth Cameron Dalman,...
, Leigh Warren & DancersLeigh Warren & DancersLeigh Warren & Dancers is a contemporary dance company based in the South Australian capital of Adelaide. Formed in 1993 by Leigh Warren , the company has toured internationally and won several awards....
. - Ross StrettonRoss StrettonRoss Stretton was an Australian ballet dancer and artistic director. As a dancer, he performed with the Australian Ballet, the Joffrey Ballet and the American Ballet Theatre...
- The Australian Ballet, Joffrey BalletJoffrey BalletThe Joffrey Ballet is a dance company in Chicago, Illinois, founded in 1956. From 1995 to 2004, the company was known as The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago. The company regularly performs classical ballets including Romeo & Juliet and The Nutcracker, while balancing those classics with pioneering modern...
, American Ballet TheatreAmerican Ballet TheatreAmerican Ballet Theatre , based in New York City, was one of the foremost ballet companies of the 20th century. It continues as a leading dance company in the world today...
, The Royal Ballet. - Robin Thomas - The Australian Ballet, The Royal New Zealand Ballet.
- Sonya Walter - Tasmanian Ballet Company.
- Rachel Whitworth - West Australian BalletWest Australian BalletThe West Australian Ballet is the premier ballet dance company of Western Australia and is based in Perth at His Majesty's Theatre, Western Australia. The company was founded in 1952 by Madame Kira Bousloff and is one of the oldest ballet companies in Australia. Artistic directors have included...
. - Sonia Zaluki - Kolobok Character Company.
- Paul Hamilton - The Australian Ballet.
The National Capital Ballet School and The Karin System
Based on the Vaganova Syllabus, the Karin System is constantly evolving, in response to developments in understanding of anatomy, learning processes and teaching methodologies and to changes in the artistic and physical requirements of the dance profession.The Karin System is designed to provide all students with:
Sound technical development.
Opportunities to develop creativity and self expression.
The flexibility to progress at their own rate in a non-competitive environment.
A broad understanding of dance as an art form.
In 1997, Kylie Hunter (Adv. Dip. KSA) took over the Directorship of the National Capital Ballet School when Janet moved to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
take up a new position at the Australian Ballet.
Recent Activities, 1997 - present
Karin has developed a number of secondary and tertiary dance education programs, has lectured with the University of SydneyUniversity of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
, Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
and the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
; and has published a number of papers and studies on dance and culture.
Karin is also a member of the Education Committee for the International Association of Dance Medicine & Science
International Association of Dance Medicine & Science
The International Association for Dance Medicine & Science was formed in 1990 with the goal summarized in its mission statement:...
(IADMS).
In 1997 Janet was appointed as Assistant to the Artistic Director of the Australian Ballet, Ross Stretton
Ross Stretton
Ross Stretton was an Australian ballet dancer and artistic director. As a dancer, he performed with the Australian Ballet, the Joffrey Ballet and the American Ballet Theatre...
until 2001. Currently she is the Head of Artistic Studies and Kinetic Educator at the Australian Ballet School
Australian Ballet School
The Australian Ballet School was founded in 1964 as the primary training facility for The Australian Ballet by Dame Margaret Scott. It is part of the Australian Ballet Centre, which is located in the Melbourne Arts Precinct, Southbank in Melbourne, Victoria...
.
Karin is the Patron
Patrón
Patrón is a luxury brand of tequila produced in Mexico and sold in hand-blown, individually numbered bottles.Made entirely from Blue Agave "piñas" , Patrón comes in five varieties: Silver, Añejo, Reposado, Gran Patrón Platinum and Gran Patrón Burdeos. Patrón also sells a tequila-coffee blend known...
for the (Laurel Martyn
Laurel Martyn
Laurel 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...
) Movement and Dance Education Centre in Melbourne.