Gordon Hamilton (dancer)

Gordon Hamilton (1918 – 14 February 1959) was an Australian ballet dancer.

Gordon Hamilton
Born1918
Sydney, Australia
Died14 February 1959
Paris, France
NationalityAustralian
OccupationBallet dancer

Early life and education

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Gordon Hamilton was born in Sydney in 1918. Hamilton trained with Mischa Burlakov aged 18,[1] and then Leon Kellaway.[2]

Career

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Hamilton's first role was in 1937, in the First Australian Ballet's production of Carnaval as Moya Beaver's partner.[2] He later moved to London.

Hamilton created roles in Robert Helpmann's Hamlet (1942), Miracle in the Gorbals (1944) and Adam Zero (1966); and in Roland Petit's Les Demoiselles de la nuit (1948) and Carmen (1949).[2]

Hamilton gave Ninette de Valois her famous nickname, Madam, when he created the role of an aging butterfly hunter in Promenade in 1943.[3]

In 1954, Hamilton was appointed ballet master with the Vienna State Opera.[1]

Hamilton died on 14 February 1959 in Paris.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b Alan Brissenden; Keith Glennon (1 January 2010). Australia Dances: Creating Australian Dance, 1945–1965. Wakefield Press. p. 84. ISBN 978-1-86254-802-2.
  2. ^ a b c "Hamilton, Gordon (1918-1959)". NLA.
  3. ^ Zoë Anderson (17 February 2011). The Royal Ballet: 75 Years. Faber & Faber. p. 54. ISBN 978-0-571-26090-4.
  4. ^ "Gordon Hamilton". BFI. Archived from the original on 12 September 2012. Retrieved 2 November 2014.