Betty Oliphant (1919-2004).When Betty Oliphant Nancy Elizabeth "Betty" Oliphant, C.C., O.Ont., LL.D. (August 5, 1918 – July 12, 2004) was a co-founder of the National Ballet School of Canada. Born in London, she suffered from pneumonia as a child and her doctor prescribed ballet lessons to help with her breathing. first invited me into her home some 30 years ago, she got down on the floor to unfurl a family tree that traced her lineage back to William the Conqueror--or was it Queen Boadicea? The latter would seem more fitting. "Miss O," as legions of students referred to her--mostly affectionately--was a true mirror, proud of her British roots but prouder still of her achievements as a self-determined Canadian. In London, her birthplace, she was touched by the magic of Pavlova and studied with, among others, Rambert, Tudor, and Karsarvina. Too tall to be a ballerina, she opened a school. Movie star Merle merle a pattern of coat color pigmentation with dark, irregular blotches on a lighter background. Seen in some Collies and Welsh corgis. In shorthaired dogs, e.g. Great Danes and Dachshunds, the similar pattern is called dapple. Oberon was among her more challenging early students. But it was when she arrived in Toronto in 1947 that Betty's much-honored life's work began. She marshaled the young National Ballet of Canada National Ballet of Canada, the leading Canadian ballet company. Based in Toronto, it was founded (1951) by Celia Franca (1921–2007) and modeled on Sadler's Wells (now the Royal Ballet). into dancing form as its first ballet mistress (1951-39), then accepted the post of founding principal of the associated National Ballet School The National Ballet School of Canada is located in Toronto, Ontario. The National provides a full-time program which combines classical ballet training with academic education from Grades 6 through 12 at its boarding school. . For three decades, through a combination of stern discipline and heartfelt human concern, she implemented her belief in the need to offer students a well-rounded academic and ballet education. Betty wanted them to be equipped for life, not just for the stage. As I learned from watching her teach, she was adamantly opposed to forcing young bodies prematurely and a demon at squelching any signs of affectation af·fec·ta·tion n. 1. A show, pretense, or display. 2. a. Behavior that is assumed rather than natural; artificiality. b. A particular habit, as of speech or dress, adopted to give a false impression. , mannerism mannerism, a style in art and architecture (c.1520–1600), originating in Italy as a reaction against the equilibrium of form and proportions characteristic of the High Renaissance. , or exaggeration. Classical purity was her ideal. Despite a tortured private life--deadbeat husbands and overdosed depression--Betty fought hard to win the support required to grow NBS (National Bureau of Standards) See NIST. NBS - National Bureau of Standards: part of the US Department of Commerce, now NIST. into one of the world's leading residential ballet academies. Some of her graduates, among them Veronica Tennant, Frank Augustyn, and Karen Kain, went on to become ballet stars. Others--James Kudelka, John Alleyne--became choreographers and company directors. But I suspect she was equally proud of those who ended up as lawyers, doctors, and teachers. Michael Crabb is a Toronto-based freelance writer, broadcaster, and dance critic of the Canadian daily The National Post. |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion