History of the RAD: The 1950s
1950
Exams are held in Italy for the first time.
1952
Norwegian pioneer in stage dancing Gerd Kjoelaas starting a school Gerd Kjoelaas Ballettakademi in Oslo. Gerd Kjoelaas was also the founder of Den Norske Ballett (later Operaballetten and now Nasjonal balletten). She went on to train at the Royal Academy of Dance in London to enable her to teach RAD grades. Her first exam session was in 1957.
Photo: Gerd Kjoelaas (1909-2000).
1953
Exams are held in Malaysia for the first time.
Queen Elizabeth II becomes Patron of the Royal Academy of Dance.
1954
Upon Dame Adeline Genée’s retirement, she presents a silver plaque to be known as the Coronation Award, given first to Dame Ninette and subsequently to a long line of distinguished contributors to the world of ballet.
Photo: Madame Marie Rambert, recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award in 1956, pictured with (from left to right) Dame Adeline Genée, Madame Tamara Karsavina and Dame Margot Fonteyn. Photo by Brian Worth.
Dame Adeline Genée retires, and Dame Margot Fonteyn becomes President of the RAD.
Photo: Dame Margot Fonteyn as Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, filmed by BBC TV in 1959. Photo by GBL Wilson.
Exams are held in the Caribbean for the first time.
1955
Kathleen Oliver is the first examiner to go to the United States.
Photo: C.Glover.
The first Australian Major Examiner, Nellie Potts, was appointed.
1958
The first Australian Major Examiner Nellie Potts was appointed.
A series of gala matinees took place between 1958 and 1969 to raise funds for the Academy. They were usually held at Drury Lane. The galas attracted a lot of cast of renowned dancers from across the world including Roland Petit, Eric Bruhn, Maria Tallchief amongst many others.
Photo: Erik Bruhn and Maria Tallchief rehearsing the Black Swan pas de deux for the 1960 RAD Gala Matinee at Drury Lane in December. Photo by GBL Wilson.
Various regions of the RAD began to develop throughout Great Britain. In October, Kathleen Gordon went to Edinburgh, where the Scottish region was formed with Marjorie Middleton as first Chairman. In January 1959, Olga Cooper became Chairman of the new South West region. The Irish region formed in May, 1959 when Helena Lehmitski called a meeting in Dublin, declared herself Chairman and selected five teachers to be members of the Committee.
Students are presented for the first time for exams in Malta.
