Retracing Our Steps
Pointe shoes from the Australian Performing Arts Collection
The Australian Performing Arts Collection holds over 100 pairs of ballet shoes. Often signed by the dancers who wore them, many of the shoes have been collected as the ultimate souvenir of a significant performance – a tangible record of an ephemeral art form.
This story has been prompted by a recent donation from The Australian Ballet of shoes worn by Wiradjuri woman, Ella Havelka, the company’s first dancer of Aboriginal descent. Her shoes join other significant pairs in the Collection, which together represent the history of ballet in Australia.
Curator Margot Anderson looks back over this history through eight special pairs of shoes. Beginning with the 1913 visit of influential Danish ballerina, Adeline Genée, this story traces the steps of leading Australian dancers Laurel Martyn, Lynne Golding, Kathleen Gorham, Marilyn Jones, Andrea Toy and Justine Summers. Throughout the story, Ella Havelka shares reflections on what her own shoes mean to her.
Photograph by Lynette Wills
"Getting my first pair of pointe shoes as a young girl was a pivotal time in my life. They were a luxury item that I knew my mother worked hard to pay for and I had no idea where my pursuit of learning to dance in them would lead."
Shoes worn by Adeline Genée in Coppélia, Russian Imperial Ballet, Australian tour, 1913
Gift of The Australian Ballet, 1998
Sole of shoe worn by Adeline Genée, 1913.
Sole of shoe worn by Adeline Genée, 1913.
The visit of Adeline Genée and the Russian Imperial Ballet in 1913 launched a wave of enthusiasm for European performing artists. She brought with her a range of new works such as Coppélia and Les Sylphides, which quickly became favourites with Australian audiences and formed the basis of our own repertoire.
Publicity image of Adeline Genée, 1913. Gift of The Australian Ballet, 1998.
Publicity image of Adeline Genée, 1913. Gift of The Australian Ballet, 1998.
Genée's shoes were worn for the role of Swanilda in Coppélia, which featured complex pointe work. Although dancers had been performing on their toes (en pointe) from as early as the 1820s, the idea of reinforcing ballet shoes to support this action wasn't introduced until much later in the nineteenth century.
By the time Genée made her Australian debut, the toe section of ballet shoes was often stiffened with a box made from materials such as newspaper, flour paste and pasteboard. Cardboard insoles were strengthened with leather, alleviating some of the impact on dancers' feet during pointe work.
Ballet shoe worn by Adeline Genée, 1913.
Ballet shoe worn by Adeline Genée, 1913.
Genée's shoes are heavily darned with strong thread, as are many in the Collection. Darning the areas of satin that make the most contact with the stage helps preserve the material and provides more grip.
Shoes worn by Laurel Martyn, 1930's
Gift of Edward Pask, 1984
Laurel Martyn in Nocturne, Sadler's Wells Ballet, c.1938. Gift of Laurel Martyn, 2001.
Laurel Martyn in Nocturne, Sadler's Wells Ballet, c.1938. Gift of Laurel Martyn, 2001.
Laurel Martyn was born in Toowoomba in 1916. She left Australia in 1933 to further her dance training in the United Kingdom and joined the Vic-Wells Ballet (later Sadler’s Wells Ballet) in 1936. Martyn was the first Australian woman to be accepted into the company and in 1938 reached the rank of soloist.
Martyn's well-worn shoes reveal the physical strength and skill required to make pointe work appear effortless on stage. They were made by Freed of London, now one of the world's leading manufacturers of pointe shoes. The company was established in a basement in Covent Garden by cobbler Frederick Freed in 1929. His shoes were made by hand to suit the individual needs of dancers including Martyn's fellow company members such as Margot Fonteyn and Alicia Markova.
Laurel Martyn in En Saga, Ballet Guild, 1947. Photograph by Ronald Esler. Gift of The Australian Ballet, 1998.
Laurel Martyn in En Saga, Ballet Guild, 1947. Photograph by Ronald Esler. Gift of The Australian Ballet, 1998.
Martyn returned to Australia in 1939 and joined Melbourne’s Borovansky Ballet the following year. She performed a number of memorable roles and created many of her own works. In 1946 she established Ballet Guild, which later became Ballet Victoria. She was a renowned teacher and actively supported the creative talents of Australian artists and composers in her role as Director until 1973.
"As a professional, I refused to feel bound and restricted by pointe work so I experimented with different ways to sew my elastics and ribbons to support my dancing."
Shoes worn by Lynne Golding, c.1953
Gift of Alan Kirk, 2010
Lynne Golding, 1934. Gift of Alan Kirk, 2010.
Lynne Golding, 1934. Gift of Alan Kirk, 2010.
Born in 1920 in Paddington, New South Wales, Lynne Golding trained with noted Sydney based teacher Leon Kellaway. While still a student she performed lead roles with his company, Ballet Nationale. With limited options of professional work during the Depression of the 1930s, she found employment as a dancer with the Tivoli Circuit. She remained prima ballerina on the variety stage throughout the 1940s.
Golding's pointe shoes came to the Collection with a small archive of invoices from the Sydney based shoe manufacturer J. Bloch. They capture a steady outlay on ballet shoes between 1945 and 1950 when a pair of pointe shoes cost one pound.
Receipt for Lynne Golding's ballet shoes. Gift of Alan Kirk, 2010.
Receipt for Lynne Golding's ballet shoes. Gift of Alan Kirk, 2010.
Jacob Bloch began making ballet shoes from a workshop above his store in 1932. Ninety years on, Bloch is one of the world's leading providers of technical dance footwear, continuing to make pointe shoes by hand.
Henry Danton and Lynne Golding in Swan Lake, 1951. Gift of Alan Kirk, 2010.
Henry Danton and Lynne Golding in Swan Lake, 1951. Gift of Alan Kirk, 2010.
Golding's dream of joining a ballet company was realised in 1950 when she came to the attention of Rex Reid of the National Theatre Ballet. He saw her performing in Where's Charley? at the Tivoli Theatre and invited her to audition for the company. In 1951 she famously danced the dual role of Odette and Odile in Australia's first full-length production of Swan Lake.
Shoes worn by Kathleen Gorham in The Sleeping Princess, Borovansky Ballet, 1960
Gift of Ms Julie Vomero, 1998
Kathleen Gorham in The Sleeping Princess, Borovansky Ballet, c.1951. Gift of The Australian Ballet, 1998.
Kathleen Gorham in The Sleeping Princess, Borovansky Ballet, c.1951. Gift of The Australian Ballet, 1998.
Kathleen Gorham was born in Narrandera, New South Wales in 1928. Like Lynne Golding, she also trained with Leon Kellaway before studying at the Melbourne Academy of Russian Ballet with Xenia Borovansky from 1946. Xenia and her husband Edouard had settled in Australia after touring here with the Covent Garden Russian Ballet in 1939. They established the Borovansky Ballet in Melbourne in 1940, launching the careers of leading Australian dancers such as Edna Busse, Peggy Sager and Marilyn Jones.
Edna Busse, Peggy Sager and Kathleen Gorham preparing for The Sleeping Princess, Borovansky Ballet, 1951. Gift of The Australian Ballet, 1998.
Edna Busse, Peggy Sager and Kathleen Gorham preparing for The Sleeping Princess, Borovansky Ballet, 1951. Gift of The Australian Ballet, 1998.
The signatures on Gorham's shoes have faded over time and the satin worn through. The elastic strap she added would have helped keep the shoe in place at the back. She wore them in The Sleeping Princess which was presented for the first time in Australia by the Borovansky Ballet in 1951. Gorham had made her stage debut with the company in 1946 and performed many lead roles until its demise in 1961.
Kathleen Gorham and Barry Kitcher in The Display, The Australian Ballet, 1964. Photographer unknown. Courtesy of The Australian Ballet.
Kathleen Gorham and Barry Kitcher in The Display, The Australian Ballet, 1964. Photographer unknown. Courtesy of The Australian Ballet.
When The Australian Ballet was formed a year later she joined the company as a principal dancer and became a favourite with audiences. Her performance in Robert Helpmann's The Display was critically acclaimed during the company's first international tour in 1965. The shoes she wore in this production are also held in the Collection.
"I loved the calming nature of sitting and sewing my shoes and I would often save worn-out ribbons to weave into baskets."
Shoes worn by Marilyn Jones in Afternoon of a Faun, The Australian Ballet, 1978
Gift of Edward Pask, 1984
Marilyn Jones in Swan Lake, The Australian Ballet, 1962. Photograph by Darryl Smythe. Gift of The Australian Ballet, 1998.
Marilyn Jones in Swan Lake, The Australian Ballet, 1962. Photograph by Darryl Smythe. Gift of The Australian Ballet, 1998.
Born in Newcastle in 1940, Marilyn Jones attended ballet classes from the age of four. She won the Australian Women’s Weekly scholarship to study at the Royal Ballet School in 1955. She began performing with the Royal Ballet in 1957 before returning to Australia and joining the Borovansky Ballet in 1959.
Garth Welch, Marilyn Jones and Janet Karin in Giselle, The Australian Ballet, 1966. Photograph by James Robinson. Courtesy of The Australian Ballet.
Garth Welch, Marilyn Jones and Janet Karin in Giselle, The Australian Ballet, 1966. Photograph by James Robinson. Courtesy of The Australian Ballet.
Jones joined The Australian Ballet as a principal dancer when the company was formed. She became known for her interpretation of roles in classic repertoire such as Giselle, Raymonda and Swan Lake, along with her partnership with then husband Garth Welch.
Marilyn Jones and Garth Welch in Jazz Spectrum, The Australian Ballet, 1964. Photographer unknown. Courtesy of The Australian Ballet.
Marilyn Jones and Garth Welch in Jazz Spectrum, The Australian Ballet, 1964. Photographer unknown. Courtesy of The Australian Ballet.
Jones' shoes were worn in The Australian Ballet's premiere season of Afternoon of a Faun in 1978. Choreographed by Jerome Robbins for the New York City Ballet, this modern work took a minimalist approach to both the set and costume design. This could explain the lack of ribbons on Jones' shoes and the need for two straps of elastic. The shoes are signed to Ted Pask, who was The Australian Ballet's archivist at the time. Pask donated them to the Collection along with many other shoes worn by dancers including Elaine Fifield, Margot Fonteyn and Mikhail Baryshnikov.
Shoes worn by Andrea Toy in Bhakti, The Australian Ballet, 1984
Gift of Paul Mercurio and Andrea Toy, 2020
Andrea Toy and Dale Baker in Bhakti, 1984. Choreographed by Maurice Béjart with traditional music from India, Avignon, 1969. Photograph by Richard Wallis. Courtesy of The Australian Ballet and Fondation Maurice Béjart.
Andrea Toy and Dale Baker in Bhakti, 1984. Choreographed by Maurice Béjart with traditional music from India, Avignon, 1969. Photograph by Richard Wallis. Courtesy of The Australian Ballet and Fondation Maurice Béjart.
After graduating from The Australian Ballet School, Andrea Toy was accepted into the company in 1978. She performed lead roles in classic works such as Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty, and also featured in contemporary productions by leading international choreographers.
Toy wore her striking red shoes in the Australian premiere of Bhakti in 1984. The Artistic Director of The Australian Ballet at the time was British dancer Maina Gielgud for whom French choreographer Maurice Béjart created the lead female role of Shakti in 1968.
Costume design by Germinal Casado for Bhakti, The Australian Ballet, 1984. Gift of The Australian Ballet, 1998.
Costume design by Germinal Casado for Bhakti, The Australian Ballet, 1984. Gift of The Australian Ballet, 1998.
Gielgud was keen to introduce Bhakti to The Australian Ballet repertoire, passing on her knowledge and experience of the role of Shakti to a handful of dancers, including Andrea Toy.
Andrea Toy and Dale Baker in Bhakti, 1984. Choreographed by Maurice Béjart with traditional music from India, Avignon, 1969. Photograph by Richard Wallis. Courtesy of The Australian Ballet and Fondation Maurice Béjart.
Andrea Toy and Dale Baker in Bhakti, 1984. Choreographed by Maurice Béjart with traditional music from India, Avignon, 1969. Photograph by Richard Wallis. Courtesy of The Australian Ballet and Fondation Maurice Béjart.
Toy's success in this role demonstrated her versatility as a dancer. She was invited to join the Sydney Dance Company in 1985 where she continued to perform challenging lead roles, many created specifically for her by choreographer Graeme Murphy.
"While pointe shoes remind me of the elitism of ballet and the physical, emotional, and financial costs associated, the ribbons remind me of the preparation, the journey and the calm, quiet moments that make dancing meaningful."
Shoes worn by Justine Summers in Divergence, The Australian Ballet, 1994
Gift of The Australian Ballet, 1998
Justine Summers joined The Australian Ballet in 1989 and was made a Principal Artist in 1996. She created a number of roles in new works such as Stanton Welch’s Of Blessed Memory and Stephen Baynes’ Beyond Bach. She also worked with leading American choreographer Twyla Tharp to create a role for The Storyteller, a work commissioned by The Australian Ballet in 1997.
Tutu skirt designed by Vanessa Leyonhjelm for Divergence, The Australian Ballet, 1994. Gift of The Australian Ballet, 1998.
Tutu skirt designed by Vanessa Leyonhjelm for Divergence, The Australian Ballet, 1994. Gift of The Australian Ballet, 1998.
Summers' black pointe shoes were worn as part of a dramatic costume designed by Vanessa Leyonhjelm for Divergence, which The Australian Ballet presented for the first time in 1994. Choreographed by Stanton Welch, the work had a major impact on audiences and the imagery associated with it put Summers squarely in the spotlight.
Justine Summers, Divergence, The Australian Ballet, 1994. Photograph by Jim McFarlane. Gift of The Australian Ballet, 2015.
Justine Summers, Divergence, The Australian Ballet, 1994. Photograph by Jim McFarlane. Gift of The Australian Ballet, 2015.
Photographer Jim McFarlane captured Summers wearing the distinctive tutu made from 15 metres of tightly coiled industrial nylon filter mesh, ordinarily used in air-conditioning units. The photograph was reproduced on banners around Melbourne in the lead up to the premiere performance. It remains one of the company's most iconic promotional images.
Shoes worn by Ella Havelka, The Australian Ballet, 2016
Gift of The Australian Ballet, 2021
Ella Havelka in Warumuk - In the Dark Night, The Australian Ballet, 2012. Photograph by Lynette Wills. Courtesy of The Australian Ballet.
Ella Havelka in Warumuk - In the Dark Night, The Australian Ballet, 2012. Photograph by Lynette Wills. Courtesy of The Australian Ballet.
Born in Dubbo, New South Wales, Wiradjuri woman Ella Havelka began dance lessons at the age of seven. She enrolled at The Australian Ballet School when she was 15 and, after graduating in 2008, became a company member of Bangarra Dance Theatre.
Ella Havelka's shoes represent her importance in the history of The Australian Ballet as the company's first dancer of Aboriginal descent. Joining in 2013, she appeared in many works with the company, including Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and Warumuk - In the Dark Night. She choreographed Wilaygu Ngainybula - Possums Two Minds (2019) and The Story of Pomi and Gobba (2022) for the Australian Ballet Education and Outreach Team.
Baskets hand woven by Ella Havelka using pointe shoe ribbons. Courtesy of Ella Havelka.
Baskets hand woven by Ella Havelka using pointe shoe ribbons. Courtesy of Ella Havelka.
In 2020 Havelka established The ELLA Foundation which provides dance scholarships and mentorship to First Nations youth across Australia. She is a traditional weaver with Wagga Wagga’s Hands on Weavers and her pointe shoe baskets can be purchased through The ELLA Foundation as part of her ongoing fundraising efforts. Havelka currently lives in Sydney on Cameraygal Country working as a freelance creative, public speaker, performer and collaborator.
Havelka weaves her hopes, dreams and determination into the baskets she creates. Her shoes also embody her life as a dancer and their addition to the Collection ensures they are preserved as the story of dance in Australia continues.
We look forward to sharing all the shoes in this story and more special items from the Australian Performing Arts Collection, in our new research, storage and education facility opening later in 2023.
Credits
Special thanks to Ella Havelka for sharing her recollections and a very personal pointe shoe story.
All photographs and objects are from the Australian Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre Melbourne, unless stated otherwise.
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