''Corroboree'' is a ballet written by Australian composer

John Antill John Henry Antill, CMG, OBE (8 April 190429 December 1986) was an Australian composer best known for his ballet ''Corroboree''. Biography Antill was born in Sydney in 1904, and was educated and trained in music at Trinity Grammar School, Syd ...

in the early 1940s. The first full version of the score was completed in 1944 and it was first performed as a concert suite in 1946. On 3 July 1950 it was performed as a ballet, at the Empire Theatre in Sydney, choreographed by Rex Reid, with dancers of the

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

-based National Theatre Ballet. Wildly successful and seen as a national "coming-of-age",Michelle Potter, (March 2004), Corroboree, ''National Library of Australia News'' Volume XIV Number 6
accessed 8 June 2011 the ballet was performed again with new choreography by American-born dancer, choreographer and writer Beth Dean in 1954. Notably, Dean and her Australian husband, Victor Carell, had spent several months in remote outback Australia researching Aboriginal ceremonies, costumes and dance, upon which Dean's version was based. In this first production, Dean danced the role of the Initiate herself. Many of the costumes and props for this version of the ballet are held by the

National Museum of Australia The National Museum of Australia, in the national capital Canberra, preserves and interprets Australia's social history, exploring the key issues, people and events that have shaped the nation. It was formally established by the ''National Muse ...

. The music manuscript is held by the State Library of New South Wales.

References

{{Authority control 1946 compositions 1950 ballet premieres APRA Award winners Classical music in Australia Ballet in Australia

See also

References