Gailene Stock
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Gailene Stock CBE AM | |
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Australian Ballet | |
Occupations |
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Spouse | Gary Norman |
Children | 1 |
Gailene Stock
Early years
Gailene Patricia Stock was born in
Two years later, however, she had another setback when she suffered serious injury - a fractured skull and jaw - following a collision between a cement lorry and her father's car; she was left in a coma for three days. She had been due to take her Royal Academy of Dance exam. Incredibly, she recovered and passed her exam with "commendation".[2]
Rise to Principal Dancer
In 1962, at the age of 16, Stock was awarded a Royal Academy of Dance scholarship to London's Royal Ballet School, but at the same time, Dame Peggy van Praagh had just founded The Australian Ballet and she decided to offer Gailene a job and so she deferred her London jaunt to the following year. After a year in London, she was offered a position with The Royal Ballet. She decided, however, to return to The Australian Ballet, where she spent 7 years, rising to principal dancer under director Robert Helpmann.[1]
When The Australian Ballet embarked on its first European tour in 1965, Stock was part of the company, and toured on subsequent tours, including one to the United States, during which many dancers sustained injuries. On that tour, Stock recalled, she did 69 performances in 69 days.
She later went on to dance for three years in Canada as
Return to London
Gailene Stock moved to
She opened the doors to students from all over the world, which angered many of the establishment within the English ballet.
She served twice as the president of the jury at the
Family
Gailene married fellow Australian and principal dancer Gary Norman while they were touring North America in 1977. Their daughter Lisa was born in 1978.[1]
Honours
In 1997, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for services to ballet.[3][4] In the Queen's Birthday Honours List of 5 June 2013 Stock was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). The insignia was brought to her hospital bed, where she was being treated for cancer.
Awards
In 1998, Stock became the first Australian representative on the Executive and Artistic Committees of the Royal Academy of Dance, London. In 2013, she received the Governors of The Royal Ballet Gold Medal.
Health and death
In 2013 Stock was diagnosed with a
Upon hearing of her death, David McAllister, artistic director of the Australian Ballet, paid tribute to her. "She was a passionate, intelligent and dynamic dancer whose career saw her dance across the globe. Rising from one of the youngest dancers in the company to the rank of ballerina, she danced in all the major classical repertoire (and was) a part of the many important new creations during her time with the company."[5]
McAllister added, "Her success continued after leaving the stage, as a teacher of note and an innovative ballet school director, notably at both the Australian Ballet School and more recently the Royal Ballet School. Her legacy lives on in the thousands of dancers whose careers she touched and nurtured during these prestigious positions."[5]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Childs, Martin (2 May 2014). "Dancer and teacher who became a successful, if controversial, Director of the Royal Ballet School". The Independent. London, UK. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
- ^ a b c "Resilient dancer overcame injuries, ill-health and insults, all the way to the top". The Brisbane Times. Brisbane, Australia. 1 May 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
- ^ It's an Honour. Retrieved 4 May 2014
- ^ "Gailene Stock CBE AM 1946-2014". Royal Ballet School. 29 April 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
- ^ a b "Gailene Stock: dancer with a mission". Australia: The Australian. 1 May 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
External links
- Obituary The Independent, 2 May 2014.
- Gailene Stock and Students Interview at The Ballet Association, March 2009.
- Royal Opera House Tribute
- Obituary The Sydney Morning Herald, 30 April 2014.
- Obituary The Brisbane Times, 2 May 2014.