Peggy van Praagh
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Dame Margaret van Praagh (1 September 1910 – 15 January 1990) was a British ballet dancer, choreographer, teacher, repetiteur, producer, advocate and director, who spent much of her later career in Australia.


Early life

Peggy van Praagh was born in London and was of Dutch, Scottish and English descent. Her father, Harold John van Praagh, was a British physician with a Jewish background and her mother was Ethel Louise née Shanks. She was educated at
King Alfred School, London The King Alfred School is a co-educational independent day school in Golders Green in North West London. It was founded in London in 1898 by Charles E. Rice, a former teacher at Bedales School '. The school was considered “radical” for its e ...
where she meet A.S. Neill who heavily influenced her passion for dance through artistic thinking and creativity which aided her in the dance community. Throughout the course her schooling, she was involved in a series of plays and productions.


Dancing

She began dancing very early in London at the age of 4. One review stated: "At last night's concert a dainty extra was a very charming dance by little Peggy van Praagh ... Peggy is only six but she is quite a clever little artiste and is booked again for Saturday's matinee by request." Late in 1929, van Praagh was offered a two-week position at a small company formed by (Sir) Anton Dolin. Despite the brief engagement, it allowed her to become a student of
Margaret Craske Margaret Craske (26 November 1892 – 18 February 1990) was a British ballet dancer, choreographer and teacher of ballet. Life Margaret Craske was born on 26 November 1892 in Norfolk, England,Debra Craine, Judith Mackrell (2010). ''The Oxford Di ...
where she studied mime with
Tamara Karsavina Tamara Platonovna Karsavina (russian: Тамара Платоновна Карсавина; 10 March 1885 – 26 May 1978) was a Russian prima ballerina, renowned for her beauty, who was a principal artist of the Imperial Russian Ballet and lat ...
, repertoire with
Lydia Sokolova Lydia Sokolova (1896–1974) was an English ballerina. She trained at the Stedman Ballet Academy and learned from accomplished dancers including Anna Pavlova and Enrico Cecchetti, and was a prominent member of Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes fr ...
, modern expressionist dance with
Gertrud Bodenwieser Gertrud Bodenwieser (3 February 1890 – 10 November 1959), also known as "Gertrude", was a dancer, choreographer, dance teacher and pioneer of expressive dance. Early life The daughter of Theodore and Maria Bondi, a wealthy Jewish couple, ...
and ballet history with
Cyril W. Beaumont Cyril W. Beaumont OBE (1 November 1891 – 24 May 1976) was a British dance historian, critic, technical theorist, translator, bookseller, and publisher. Author of more than forty books on ballet, he is considered one of the most important danc ...
. Van Praagh joined Ballet Rambert in 1933. Later she also danced with
Antony Tudor Antony Tudor (born William Cook; 4 April 1908 – 19 April 1987) was an English ballet choreographer, teacher and dancer. He founded the London Ballet, and later the Philadelphia Ballet Guild in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., in the mid-1950 ...
's
London Ballet London Ballet was a short lived British ballet company founded by the British choreographer and former Ballet Rambert dancer Antony Tudor in 1938, along with Rambert members Hugh Laing, Andrée Howard, Agnes de Mille, Peggy van Praagh, Maude Lloyd a ...
. Van Praagh performed in some of Tudor's ballets such as ''
Jardin aux Lilas ''Jardin aux lilas'' (''Lilac Garden'') is a ballet in one act choreographed by Antony Tudor to a composition by Ernest Chausson entitled ''Poème (Chausson), Poème'', Op. 25. With scenery and costumes designed by Hugo Stevenson, it was first pre ...
'' (otherwise ''Lilac Garden''), ''Dark Elegies'', ''Gala Performance'', ''Soirée musicale'' and ''The Planets''. In the early years of World War II, she was heavily involved in staging lunch time ballet shows called ''Ballet for a Bob'', which attracted large audiences of civilian and military personnel. In 1941, she was employed by
Ninette de Valois Dame Ninette de Valois (born Edris Stannus; 6 June 1898 – 8 March 2001) was an Irish-born British dancer, teacher, choreographer, and director of classical ballet. Most notably, she danced professionally with Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russ ...
largely to teach company classes for Sadler's Wells Ballet, although van Praagh also danced in a number of company productions including '' Les Patineurs'', ''Comus'' and ''Coppelia'' in which she danced the leading role of ''Swanilda''. File:Dance scene, Peggy van Praagh, ca. 1918 (15933162131).jpg File:Peggy van Praagh in "Honey bee dance", 1916 - Estella Hymans (17590683726).jpg


Choreographer and teacher

In 1945, van Praagh became a teacher at the
Sadler's Wells Ballet School The Royal Ballet School is a British school of classical ballet training founded in 1926 by the Anglo-Irish ballerina and choreographer Ninette de Valois. The school's aim is to train and educate outstanding classical ballet dancers, especiall ...
. She worked there until 1956. During this time she maintained a long, fruitful association with choreographer
Antony Tudor Antony Tudor (born William Cook; 4 April 1908 – 19 April 1987) was an English ballet choreographer, teacher and dancer. He founded the London Ballet, and later the Philadelphia Ballet Guild in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., in the mid-1950 ...
. From 1956 until 1960 she undertook freelance teaching and producing in Germany, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands and the US.


Artistic Director of the Borovansky and Australian Ballet

In 1959, on the recommendation of Ninette de Valois, van Praagh was appointed Artistic Director of the
Borovansky Ballet The Australian Ballet is the largest classical ballet company in Australia. It was founded by J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust in 1962, with the English-born dancer, teacher, repetiteur and direct ...
in 1960. Following the demise of the Borovansky Ballet in 1961 and its subsequent reformation as
Australian Ballet The Australian Ballet is the largest classical ballet company in Australia. It was founded by J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust in 1962, with the English-born dancer, teacher, repetiteur and direc ...
, she became its founding artistic director in 1962, where she remained until 1974, and was invited back again for the 1978 season. From 1965–1974, van Praagh held the position jointly with Sir
Robert Helpmann Sir Robert Murray Helpmann CBE ( Helpman, 9 April 1909 – 28 September 1986) was an Australian ballet dancer, actor, director, and choreographer. After early work in Australia he moved to Britain in 1932, where he joined the Vic-Wells Ballet ( ...
. Under van Praagh's direction, the Australian Ballet made the first of many overseas tours, developed a repertoire of ballets that included works from the established international repertoire as well as commissioned works from Australian and overseas choreographers, and hosted guest appearances by a number of notable dancers including
Sonia Arova Sonia Arova ( bg, Соня Арова) (20 June 1927 – 4 February 2001), was a Bulgarian ballerina. Biography Early life Sonia Arova was born as Sophie Errio on 20 June 1927 in Sofia, Bulgaria. She grew up in Sofia, she went to a ballet sc ...
, Erik Bruhn, Dame
Margot Fonteyn Dame Margaret Evelyn de Arias DBE (''née'' Hookham; 18 May 191921 February 1991), known by the stage name Margot Fonteyn, was an English ballerina. She spent her entire career as a dancer with the Royal Ballet (formerly the Sadler's Wells T ...
and
Rudolf Nureyev Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev ( ; Tatar/ Bashkir: Рудольф Хәмит улы Нуриев; rus, Рудо́льф Хаме́тович Нуре́ев, p=rʊˈdolʲf xɐˈmʲetəvʲɪtɕ nʊˈrʲejɪf; 17 March 19386 January 1993) was a Soviet ...
. While with the Australian Ballet, she also nurtured the development of Australian choreographers including
Graeme Murphy Graeme Lloyd Murphy AO (born 2 November 1950) is an Australian choreographer. With his fellow dancer (and wife since 2004) Janet Vernon, he guided Sydney Dance Company to become one of Australia's most successful and best-known dance compani ...
,
Ian Spink Ian Spink (born 8 October 1947) is an Australian-British choreographer. Born in Melbourne, he trained at the Australian Ballet School. After graduating in 1968, he danced and choreographed for The Australian Ballet, Australian Dance Theatre and ...
, John Meehan and Leigh Warren.
Marilyn Rowe Marilyn Patricia Rowe (born 20 August 1946) is the first graduate of the Australian Ballet School to be appointed its director, in 1999. Dancing career Rowe was born in Sydney, New South Wales and became a principal artist with The Australian Ba ...
, a protégé of van Praagh, and later Director of the Australian Ballet School said of her mentor: ''"Peggy had a five point plan for the development of the Australian Ballet:"'' # A company of dancers engaged on annual contracts. Such contracts were heretofore unknown, # A repertoire of established classics together with the best works by contemporary choreographers, designers and composers # To present, as guest artists, the world's best dancers and teachers # To tour the company internationally # To establish a national ballet school"


Dance advocate

Van Praagh was an advocate for dance education. During her career in Australia, along with
Bernard James Bernard Ronald James (born February 7, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for Florida State University. He is also the oldest player ever to be drafted in the National Basketball Association ( ...
of the University of New England's continuing education program, she was instrumental in organising a series of summer schools in dance that had a long-lasting influence on dance in Australia. She also helped establish the advocacy body,
Ausdance The Australian Dance Council, known as Ausdance or Ausdance National and formerly the Australian Association for Dance Education (AADE), is or was the national dance advocacy organisation in Australia, representing the dance profession and coordi ...
(formerly Australian Association for Dance Education). In 1982, van Praagh was coordinator of dance studies at the
Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) at Edith Cowan University (ECU) was established in 1980 to provide performing arts tuition. WAAPA (commonly pronounced "whopp-a") operates as a part of ECU, located at the ECU campus in ...
,
Edith Cowan University Edith Cowan University (ECU) is a public university in Western Australia. It is named in honour of the first woman to be elected to an Parliaments of the Australian states and territories, Australian parliament, Edith Cowan, and is the only Aust ...
,
Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
. On 15 January 1990, she died in
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 ...
.


Legacy

* She was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the 2000 Australian Dance Awards. * She was inducted into the
Victorian Honour Roll of Women The Victorian Honour Roll of Women was established in 2001 to recognise the achievements of women from the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victoria (Australia), Victoria. The Honour Roll was established as part of the cele ...
in 2001.


Affiliations/Honours

* Fellow of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (London), 1933 * Queen Elizabeth Coronation Prize from the Royal Academy of Dance, 1965 *
Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
( OBE, 1966) * Member of the
Royal Academy of Dancing "Health and happiness" , predecessor = , successor = , formation = 1920 , extinction = , type = NGO , status = Registered charity , purpose = Examination board – dance education and training , headquarters = 36 Battersea SquareSW11 3R ...
, 1969 * Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire ( DBE, 14 June 1970) * Britannica Australia Award for Arts, 1970 * Honorary life patron of the National Capital Ballet School, Canberra, 1971 * Hon. D. Litt (University of New England), 1974 * Special Artist's Award,
Australia Council The Australia Council for the Arts, commonly known as the Australia Council, is the country's official arts council, serving as an arts funding and advisory body for the Government of Australia. The council was announced in 1967 as the Austra ...
, 1975 * Honorary life member of the
Australian Ballet Foundation Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Au ...
, 1979. *Inducted into the
Victorian Honour Roll of Women The Victorian Honour Roll of Women was established in 2001 to recognise the achievements of women from the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victoria (Australia), Victoria. The Honour Roll was established as part of the cele ...
in 2011


References


Books

* Sexton, Christopher, "Peggy van Praagh – A life of dance", Macmillan, South Melbourne, 1985 * Van Praagh, Margaret (Peggy), ''How I became a ballet dancer'', Nelson, London, 1954 * Van Praagh, ''Ballet in Australia'', Longmans, Melbourne, 1965 * Van Praagh, ''The arts in Australia – Ballet'', Longmans, Melbourne, 1966 * Van Praagh and Peter Brinson, ''The choreographic art; an outline of its principles and craft'', Adam and Charles Black, London, 1963


External links


Peggy van Praagh Collection
in the
Australian Archives of the Dance 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 ...

Performing Arts CollectionArts Centre Melbourne
*
Abe Books
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Van Praagh, Peggy 1910 births 1990 deaths British emigrants to Australia British ballerinas English choreographers Choreographers from Melbourne Australian Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire Dancers from London People educated at King Alfred School, London Rambert Dance Company dancers