DIANA WALDRON BALLET ACADEMY

I am Diana Waldron, Artistic Director, of Ballet Workshop Incorporated since it’s inception. The Company has grown in stature over the years and under its umbrella the Perth City Ballet and Prompt Corner have flourished.
Our philosophy is to provide an apprenticeship opportunity for all performing artists to develop, mature and grow in their craft, with an emphasis on utilising a nucleus of local talent in the production. I am a Life Teaching Member of the Royal Academy of Dancing and have produced and directed a wealth of ballets for the Company. My Artistic Director roles, with strength in teaching and entrepreneur, have resulted in a Company whose reputation for technical distinction and artistic innovation has developed over the years to one of national and international repute.

My plans for the future                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

• Award Scholarships for young dancers who have been accepted into excellent schools overseas – a scholarship was awarded to Jasmine Henry in 2019 for her performance in Giselle. She was accepted into the Vaganova School in Russia and is now a full member of the Mariinsky Ballet
• To recommence youth tours to Europe and elsewhere. We already have the contacts
• Invite guest teachers worldwide to give holiday courses
• Reintroduce a choreography night annually
• Continue our well established seasons at the Quarry Amphitheatre, Kings Park and free performances for schools
• I am currently working with Government bodies to instigate an apprenticeship scheme for dance in W.A.
• To bring in Assistants to learn all aspects of direction, production and choreography under my guidance to make sure that dance and theatre have prospective places in our art form.

Qualifications

Order of Australia Medal for services to dance in WA
Bachelor of Business – Information Processing – Edith Cowan University
Life Teacher Royal Academy of Dancing
Runner up Citizen of the Year Award

Date of Birth – 24 June 1936 – age 85

History

Scholarship – Perth Modern School
Perth Modern School
Ballet & Dance Teachers –
Ida Beeby – Contemporary Dance
Linley Wilson – Classical Ballet Royal Academy of Dance
Kira Bouslofff – Russian Ballet – Vaganova
Music Teachers
Blanche Robinson
Paul Spittell
Douglas Robinson

Festival of Perth

Professional Choreographies, Artistic Director & Producer Festival of Perth - UWA:
Peter & The Wolf – (Age 17)
Giselle
Love of Seven Dolls (Petite Chou),
Ondine
Firebird
Harpist in Meta Ruscha’s Opera Psyche

Full Member – Royal Academy of Dancing
First Dancing Member of the State Ballet – Now the Western Australian Ballet Company:
Danced in Gypsy Baron
Graduation Ball,
Moment Romantique,
Polovtsian Dances,
Cinderella,
Les Sylph

Diana Waldron Ballet Academy

I opened my own Ballet School – Diana Waldron Ballet Academy at age 15.
I trained 15 dancers who were awarded the Solo Seal, the highest award of the Royal Academy of Dancing.

3 Saltash Avenue, City Beach

Married Ken Waldron and built a home in City Beach which has, for the past 55 years, been a free home from home to what has become Ballet Workshop Incorporated, for productions, dance, costumes and scenery storage, classes, rehearsals, bus parking, and office – Recently added the back garden to produce a YouTube film of Winnie the Pooh due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Full-time professional company

From 1970 to 1979 we ran a full-time ballet company funded by the Federal and State Governments with 6 dancers and crew who toured extensively by air and road to all regions in WA, NT and SA.

International tours

Between 1979 and 1991, I personally led 20 dancers on 5 extensive tours to Europe with performances in England, Scotland, Wales, Switzerland, Italy, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Yugoslavia and Austria. We toured Asia visiting Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. We were the first ballet company to ever tour to the Shetland Islands.

Excellent feedback from schools

Over 100,000 School children have attended the free Dance Proms performances since 2000 funded by Act, Belong, Commit/Healthway.

My Mental Health

My Mental Health Check Report dated 27 August 2021 is attached from Dr. Mike Darcy-Evans
I am available to speak to you at any time.

Diana Waldron OAM
Director – Ballet Workshop Incorporated
Encompassing Perth City Ballet/Prompt Corner
enquiries@promptcorner.com.au
Mobile: 0412 104 041