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Sir Robert Helpmann CBE
1965 Award
Actor, Dancer, Producer and Choreographer
Helpmann was born and trained in South Australia. In 1933 he joined London's Vic Wells Ballet (now the Royal Ballet) as their premier dancer and began his 27 year partnership with Margot Fonteyn. He co-directed the Australian Ballet with Peggy Van Praagh, 1965 - 74, and was sole director, 1975 - 76. He launched the company's international reputation and created several ballets for it, including The Display (1964), based on the dance of the lyrebird. His first acting role was as Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1937) with Vivien Leigh and Ralph Richardson.
He also appeared in 1947 in The Red Shoes, which he choreographed. Although he had retired from dancing in 1950, he returned to dance his last role in 1986, at 77 years of age, as the Red King in Checkmate, a ballet he had created for the Sadler's Wells Company in 1937. On the occasion of his award he congratulated Australia on its changing attitude to the arts. In giving him this award he said, his countrymen had declared the value they now set on the national culture. But only three years later he said: ' I don't despair about the cultural scene here in Australia because there isn't one here to despair about.'
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