When Ballet Russes visited Sydney between 1935 and 1940, it had a huge impact on the development of Australia’s own dance culture. Founder Serge Diaghilev’s 'artistic audacity and creative vision’ was captured on film by dermatologist and amateur filmmaker Dr Ewan Murray-Will, so now we can watch the ‘black pearl’ of Russian ballet Tamara Toumanova rehearse on Sydney’s beautiful beaches.
The Russian dancers inspired a number of professional ballet companies to set-up during the 1940s and 1950s, including the Kirsova Ballet and The West Australian Ballet. The Australian Ballet School was set-up in 1964.
Contemporary dance companies developed their own style over the next three decades with choreographers Graeme Murphy and Meryl Tankard taking an influential role. Listen to their interviews and watch the magic of Graeme Murphy dance with his partner Janet Vernon in clip 3 of Astonish Me, Graeme Murphy Choreographer (1989).
Films like Strictly Ballroom (1992) went on to influence dance academies and reality television shows while The Book of Revelation (2006) explored the theme of physical expression in contemporary dance.
The National Gallery of Australia (NGA) marks the centenary of the founding of Ballet Russes with a major exhibition of costumes, featuring films from the National Film and Sound Archive collection. You can see other dancing titles on australianscreen by clicking on the tags dance and dancers.
