Australia Dancing - Ardell, Anita (1934

Ardell, Anita (1934 - 2007)

Burden, Peter: Anita Ardell as Toinette the chambermaid in Gertrud Bodenwieser's 'Imaginary Invalid', Bodenwieser Ballet, 1950

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Anita Ardell was born Anita Altshuler in Brisbane, Queensland, of Russian Jewish decent. She received her early dance training in 'modern interpretive movement' from Nell Johnson in Brisbane, and performed in Johnson's recitals and garden parties from the age of eight. Ardell was also influenced by a period of short study with Indian dancer Shivaram, who visited Brisbane with Louise Lightfoot and Ruth Bergner in 1948, and by the Bodenwieser Ballet, which she also saw in Brisbane.

At the age of seventeen Ardell moved to Sydney where she took dance classes at the Bodenwieser studio, and acting classes with John Alden and Doris Fitton. In 1954 Ardell joined the Bodenwieser Ballet and toured with the company throughout Australia. She danced roles in many of Gertrud Bodenwieser's works including Demon Machine, Pilgrimage of Truth, Gossip, Israeli Dance and Waltzing Matilda, in which she played the narrator.

Ardell joined Katherine Dunham and her company in 1956 and both toured with them to New Zealand and performed in two seasons in Sydney. In 1959 Ardell left Australia for London where she studied ballet with Audrey de Vos. While abroad, she also worked in Rome in various television and dance productions.

After returning to Australia in 1963, Ardell taught movement and dance for wide range of people and organisations, including the Department of Education in New South Wales, the Aboriginal Islander Dance Theatre, Sydney Dance Company, and the acting school attached to the Ensemble Theatre in Sydney. She also worked as dance resource teacher with Stanford University, and with the San Francisco Bay Area Women's Resource Centre.

Research Materials

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[Bodenwieser Ballet], 1957 (Moving picture): Choreography: Gertrud Bodenwieser; Music: Camille Gheysens; Cast: Coralie Hinkley, Keith Bain, Anita Ardell, Joan Barrie; 16 mm film, attributed to Eric Cuckson; black and white, sound, 20 mins; This film contains three works choreographed by Gertrud Bodenwieser: Central Australian Suite (1956), also called Ballet Kulamarra ), Aboriginal Spear Dance (1956), a piece based on an earlier solo work, Japanese Spear Dance (1934), and Blue Mountains Waltz (1957). Coralie Hinkley and Keith Bain dance Central Australian Suite, Keith Bain performs Aboriginal Spear Dance and Joan Barrie and Anita Ardell appear in Blue Mountains Waltz. Original music is by Camille Gheysens.; Bodenwieser, Gertrud ; Hinkley, Coralie ; Bain, Keith; Location:; National Film and Sound Archive; Title no: 27740

Dance Israeli, 1958 (Moving picture): Choreography: Gertrud Bodenwieser; Music: Werner Baer; Cast: Anita Ardell; 16 mm film; black & white, sound, 5 mins; In this dance choreographed by Gertrud Bodenwieser a girl dances in celebration of her homeland of Israel.; Bodenwieser, Gertrud; Location:; The Keep Dancing! Collection; National Film and Sound Archive; Title no: 368512

Demon Machine, c. 1957 (Moving picture): Film maker: Eric Cuckson; Choreography: Gertrud Bodenwieser; Cast: Margaret Chapple, Anita Ardell, Joan Barrie, Nicky Siemen, Helen Lisle; 16 mm film; black and white, no sound, 5 mins; A full run of Demon Machine.; Demon Machine ; Bodenwieser, Gertrud ; Bodenwieser Ballet ; Chapple, Margaret; Location:; National Film and Sound Archive; Title no: 594540

[Demon Machine], 1958 (Moving picture): Choreography: Gertrud Bodenwieser; Music: Lisa Maria Mayer; Cast: Margaret Chapple, Anita Ardell, Joan Barrie, Helen Lisle, Nicky Siemen; 16 mm film; black & white, no sound, 3 mins; Excerpts from a ballet originally made in Vienna in 1923 (or 1924?) on the theme of the effects of the machine on man's soul. The film also includes shots of dancers demonstrating specific movements from the ballet.; Bodenwieser, Gertrud ; Demon Machine ; Chapple, Margaret; Location:; The Keep Dancing! Collection; National Film and Sound Archive; Title no: 368522

Gertrud Bodenwieser Archives, 1919-1997 (Manuscript): 10 boxes, 17 folio items; This collection contains press cuttings, photographs, posters, programs, costume designs and assorted printed material relating to the life and career of Gertrud Bodenwieser and her Bodenwieser Ballet. The material covers Bodenwieser's work in Europe, on tour in various countries and in Australia where she settled in 1939. Australian dancers represented either photographically or in other ways include Anita Ardell, Keith Bain, Margaret Chapple, Coralie Hinkley and Eileen Cramer (Kramer). Works for which significant material, such as scores, photographs, programs, designs and clippings, exists include Demon Machine, Life of the Insects, O World, Cain and Abel, The One and the Many and Central Australian Suite, and Waltzing Matilda. Major Australian photographers whose work is represented include Max Dupain and Margaret Michaelis. Costume designers represented include Cedric Flower and Eileen Cramer (Kramer). Full details of the scope of the collection, as well as notes on the provenance of the material and a brief biography of Bodenwieser, can be found at: MS 9263 - Papers of Gertrud Bodenwieser (1890-1959); Bodenwieser Ballet ; Bodenwieser, Gertrud ; Demon Machine ; Dupain, Max ; Kramer, Eileen ; Waltzing Matilda ; Hinkley, Coralie ; Chapple, Margaret ; Bain, Keith; Location:; The Keep Dancing! Collection; National Library of Australia; MS 9263
nla.cat-vn2088991

Interview with Anita Ardell, 2001 (Oral history): Interviewee: Ardell, Anita; Interviewer: Michelle Potter; Audiotape; 75 mins; Anita Ardell begins by speaking of her family background; early artistic influences such as Brisbane dance teacher Nell Johnson; and working in Brisbane with the Indian dancer Sivaram. She goes on to speak about the Bodenwieser Ballet touring to Brisbane; taking classes with Bodenwieser in Sydney; becoming an assistant teacher at the Bodenwieser School; joining the Bodenwieser Ballet; Bodenwieser country tours; and the Bodenwieser repertoire for touring. She then speaks more generally about learning and performing ballet. Ardell goes on to speak about joining the Katherine Dunham Company; working on early Australian television shows; and the composer Camille Gheysens. She then discusses Bodenwieser's choreographic process and Bodenwieser's life in Australia. She goes on to discuss starting a dance school; teaching at St. Mary's at the Cuckson recreational centre; the Cuckson family as patrons of the arts; and the Bodenwieser work Israeli Dance. Ardell then talks about Bodenwieser's death; working in London and Europe; meeting Josephine Baker; meeting and working with her future husband; and the difficulties in getting a visa. She then speaks about the Bodenwieser legacy in her life; dance classes for actors; special roles in her career; the reception of Bodenwieser in Sydney; Bodenwieser's non-dance activities; Emmy Taussig; and the Bodenwieser teaching syllabus.; Bodenwieser Ballet ; Bodenwieser, Gertrud; Location:; National Library of Australia; TRC 4713
nla.cat-vn2404244

Interview with Keith Bain, 2006 (Oral history): Interviewer: Alex Hood and Annette Hood; Interviewee: Bain, Keith; Folkloric recording. Keith Bain speaks about his parents; his childhood in Wauchope, N.S.W.; attending primary school; being an enthusiast and disciplinarian; Tonic Solfa method of music teaching; learning piano by nuns at the convent; playing duets with his brother; eldest of three children; being an athlete; attending Kempsey High School; attending Teachers College in Armidale, N.S.W; Dorothy Helmridge; being a good ballroom dancer; dance band the Jesters; learning dancing; 'Polish Australian Dance Company'; Raisse Kouznetsova; travelling to Warsaw; meeting Raisse; Bodenwieser dancers, modern dance; becoming a teacher, wanting to teach out west; being the music specialist to Kogarah Boys' High; organising outside music trips for students; meeting of ex-student; teaching ballroom dancing (1946-1950); completed university course in Arts; being involved in Drama and theatre; dancing ballroom style; Trocadero; Frank Coghlan Orchestra; Big Band period; moving to Temora school; travelling to Sydney every weekend attending matinees and Gallery exhibitions; organising performances locally; choreographed performances; Royal Ballet; being involved in the Metropolitan Theatre; first big show 'The Tempest'; Anita Ardell; joining classes with Madame Bodenwieser. Bain speaks about retiring from teaching; teaching at Arthur Murray's Dance School; Bodenwieser; meeting his dance partner Joyce Lofts; exhibition work with another partner Doris Fitton; teaching at The Independent Theatre, remaining for 20 years; Ensemble Theatre; Jane Street Theatre; Margaret Barr and Valrene Tweedie; Jane St. Theatre; developing techniques to assist actors; Peggy Watson; his work on 'Snowy'; how choreographers work today; Keith and Peggy Watson; Robert Allnutt; Kathryn Durham; visiting dance companies; Ronnie Arnold; Carole Johnson; Joe Jenkins; Kai Tai Chan; Annette; Helen Fong; Jamie Macintyre; Margaret's works; Margaret's great sense of theatre; 'Water Lily' piece; 'short ballets' of Bodenwieser and 'Dance Poems'; choreographic competitions; difficulties for performers; comeback of Ballroom dancing; suffering mini-stroke, limiting his teaching; Bill Gill and the Festival Ballet; Les Peterkin; Marilyn Burr; Nagy; Cissy Burr; Festival Ballet; 'Dreaming'; ageing and memories fading; explains how preservation works.; Polish Dance in Australia ; Kouznetsova, Raisse ; Bodenwieser Ballet ; Bodenwieser, Gertrud ; Barr, Margaret ; Tweedie, Valrene ; Arnold, Ronne ; Sydney Festival Ballet; Location:; National Library of Australia; ORAL TRC 5682/7
nla.cat.vn-3802206

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