RIP Lucette Aldous

[Sim]

Ms Aldous passed away today at the age of 82.  A lovely ballerina with a cracking technique, remembered especially and affectionately for her Kitri.  RIP.  

[Jane S]

Lucette Aldous was born in New Zealand but her family moved to Australia soon after her birth. She came to London as a teenager and joined the Royal Ballet School, then danced with Ballet Rambert and the touring section of the Royal Ballet from the late 1950s till around 1970, when she returned to Australia.

 

As Sim says, she was a lovely dancer, quite small but with a strong character. With the RB she danced Giselle, Aurora, Odette/Odile the Girl in Two Pigeons etc, but she's probably best known now (in this country) through the films she was cast in: Nureyev's Don Quixote with Australian Ballet, La Sylphide with Rambert and the tiny but spirited Lilac Fairy in a TV Sleeping Beauty with Fonteyn as Aurora.

 

Here's a bit of LaSylphide, with Flemming Flindt as James

 

 

[Odyssey]

Another sad loss. The filmi of her partnering Nureyev in Don Q, who staged the production at Australian ballet which also starred  Robert Helpmann is a must see. 

[Jan McNulty]

Another sad loss to the ballet world.  RIP.

 

Thanks for the link Jane, it was lovely.

 

Michelle Potter has already published an obituary:  https://michellepotter.org/tag/lucette-aldous

[Bruce Wall]

A firecracker - with legs of steel - if there ever was one.  That is how I will remember her.  Long may she rest in power.  

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Odyssey said:

Another sad loss. The filmi of her partnering Nureyev in Don Q, who staged the production at Australian ballet which also starred  Robert Helpmann is a must see. 

Very sad. As you say Odyssey, her performance and the film of Don Q are a must see. So much character and vitality in her Kitri, a great match for Nureyev and such beautiful line in the Dryads scene. 

Lovely post of her in La Sylphide too from Jane.

[Kate_N]

Oh no - I remember seeing her with the Australian Ballet. And in my ballet class one term, we were working on an adapted version of the Kitri solo for which she was so famous. The music we used was of the arrangement conducted for her - it was fast! (faster than it would usually be played) - I remember my teacher saying that was because it was arranged for Lucette Aldous, and she was little and could jump (my teacher was also small and could jump like nobody's business!). 

 

This year is taking away so many  ...

[Beryl H]

One of my most treasured performances was seeing Lucette Aldous dance Kitri with Rudolf Nureyev at the Coliseum with the Australian Ballet, everyone onstage and in the audience had such a great night! 

[Sharon]

What a year.....

RIP 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

[Fonty]

If I remember correctly, Lucette Aldous was less than 5 feet tall.  She really was tiny.  

 

RIP. 

[Ballet448]

On 06/06/2021 at 22:40, Jane S said:

With the RB she danced Giselle, Aurora, Odette/Odile the Girl in Two Pigeons etc, but she's probably best known now (in this country) through the films she was cast in: Nureyev's Don Quixote with Australian Ballet, La Sylphide with Rambert and the tiny but spirited Lilac Fairy in a TV Sleeping Beauty with Fonteyn as Aurora.

 

 

 

 

In addition to her classical roles, Aldous was noted for creating the role of Valencienne in Ronald Hynd's delightful The Merry Widow in 1975.  The part made the most of both her virtuosity and her vivacity and was a key element in the success of a ballet which is not only an icon for the Australian Ballet but remains a staple of the international repertoire more than 45 years after its premiere.  RIP. 

 

Indeed, what an absolutely horrible year this is turning out to be for losing ballet greats.  

[Pas de Quatre]

While growing up I saw her dance many times as companies toured extensively in those days.  However the most amazing memory I have was of her guesting at a school show.  My teacher was good friends with Leo Kersley and he often invited her to send some of her students in her ballets to appear in his annual school show.  I just checked my scrapbook - the line up of professional guests one year were John Gilpin, Lucette Aldous, Marilyn Burr and Wayne Sleep doing his graduation solo, The Blue Boy.  Lucette Aldous was gorgeous and indeed very tiny!