New Zealand-born Lucette Aldous trained
in Brisbane and Sydney before entering
the Royal Ballet School in 1955 on a
Royal Academy of Dancing scholarship.
In 1957 she began her professional career
with Ballet Rambert. Following her time
with Rambert she danced with London Festival
Ballet and then with the Royal Ballet.
During her time in England she danced
the lead in many of the traditional classics,
such as
Giselle,
Coppelia and
La Sylphide, and appeared
in many contemporary ballets including
Antony Tudor's
Lilac Garden. She first
worked with Rudolf Nureyev during her
time at the Royal Ballet, partnering
him in
Nutcracker during a European
tour.
On her return to Australia in 1970 Aldous
made her debut with the Australian Ballet
as a guest artist, and the following
year, 1971, was appointed a resident
principal dancer. Her partnership with
Nureyev developed at this time when Nureyev
asked her to partner him in his production
of
Don Quixote for the Australian
Ballet, which premiered in Adelaide on
28 March 1970. The role of Kitri particularly
suited the vivacious, effervescent and
technically accomplished Aldous and in
1973 she repeated her stage success as
Kitri and as Nureyev's partner when the
Australian Ballet filmed the Nureyev
production of
Don Quixote. Another milestone
in her career occurred in 1975 when Ronald
Hynd created the role of Valencienne
on her in his production of
The Merry Widow for the
Australian Ballet. During the 1970s Aldous
continued to guest with companies in
England, America and Europe and had a
featured role with Fernando Bujones in
the film
The Turning Point.
After retiring from full-time performing
in the mid 1970s Aldous taught at the
Australian Ballet School and then in
1982 joined the faculty of the West Australian
Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), Edith
Cowan University, Perth. She and husband
Alan Alder also spent a number of months
in St Petersburg studying the teaching
methods and philosophy behind the Vaganova
system of training as espoused by the
Kirov ballet school. Aldous has also
been an advocate of Boris Kniaseff's
floor barre as a system of training.
Now retired from full-time work at WAAPA,
Aldous continues to live in Perth and
to coach, adjudicate and teach. She coached
the Australian Ballet 2007 production
of
Don Quixote and in 2010
restaged this ballet for West Australian
Ballet. Aldous received the award for
services to dance at the 2001 Australian
Dance Awards and in 2009 was honoured
with the award for lifetime achievement.
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