History of Ringwood Ballet Group - 1
Compiled by Joan Broadley
Committee member 1968 - 1971
Secretary 1972 - 1975
Secretary/Treasurer 1976 - 1990
With amusing recollections from Alve Rokos
Committee member 1976 - 1977
Assistant Secretary 1978 - 1982
Representative Civic Committees 1983 to the early '90s
The Ringwood Ballet Group Inc.
The Ringwood Ballet Group came into being in April 1962 and the first official meeting was held at the home of Mrs Elva Blackmore with 22 interested people present. In 1961 a group of very enthusiastic ladies had come together with a desire to set up a ballet school in Ringwood. A committee was soon formed and events moved quickly. The first classes commenced in the following year on Monday 30th April under the Artistic Direction of Mr Bruce Morrow, a former soloist with the Borovansky Ballet . Mrs Bernice Morrow, a former dancer with the company also taught classes.
The classes were held in the 1st Ringwood Scout Hall in Bedford Park. In term 3 an extra class was set up for students who wished to take part in the end of year performance held in the Croydon Theatre. Ringwood students continued to be part of the Croydon Annual Recitals in 1963 and 1964. The first independent Annual Recital was held in the Ringwood Town Hall on Monday December 6th 1965 and continued there until 1968 when the complex was demolished. The Town Hall existed until then in the Highway, on the block now bounded by the Melbourne Street Mall and Midway Arcade. During this period the number of students increased rapidly and classes which were originally held in the Scout Hall moved to St. Pauls Church Hall, then located on the Ringwood Street and Civic Place corner (but demolished in April 1967), then to Scots Church Hall part of the site in Adelaide Street now occupied by the Eastland covered car park.
Meanwhile the Lower Town Hall was used for other classes as the number of students continued to grow. Periodically these classes were displaced by Blood Bank visits and extra classes were held at Scots Hall. Mrs Val Wilson was at this time welcomed as an additional member of staff. Committee members looked forward to the day when a ballet studio could be built. A Ringwood City Council grant of land seemed to answer to all difficulties. The land was located in Miles Avenue. A building sub-committee was established as a consequence of the grant, but the project was finally abandoned when extremely protracted soil tests established the site as unsuitable for building foundations due to the creek bed having once taken this course.
The original Croydon Ballet School was discontinued in 1966. Mr and Mrs Morrow set up the Morrow Ballet School in Kilsyth and senior students of the Ringwood School then did most of their classes at the Kilsyth Studio in Churchill Way.
The R.A.D. Teachers Workshop of Victoria conducted Sunday classes giving more advanced students valuable experience. The workshop produced performances over many years with ballets by invited choreographers. Ringwood students were involved in these performances which were held in professional theatres.
The Bruce Morrow Production Club was formed in 1966 and the first performance took place in the Croydon Theatre in May 1967. The club performed with other artistic groups in the area, in particular withthe Warrandyte Experimental Dance Group. Over several years a varied program emerged due to Bruce Morrow's enthusiasm and skills.
One of the greatest problems to overcome was the lack of suitable venues. Hals invariably had unsuitable slippery floors, only basic lighting and very ordinary seating. Until 1968 classes continued to be held in the Lower Town Hall and at Scots Hall. It seemed certain that the Town Hall would be sold and in fact it became unavailable for the 1969 Annual Recital. In 1969 the Annual Recital was held at the Norwood High School Assembly Hall and in 1970 it was moved yet again to the Ringwood High Schol Hall. In 1969 affiliation with the Ringwood Arts and Crafts Society took place with two members representing the Ballet Group at General Meetings.
Significant changes arrived with 1971. The Artistic Director, Mr Bruce Morrow was appointed to the full time staff of the Australian Ballet School. This was at the time devastating to the committee, involving as it did the loss to the group of not only a very talented choreographer and teacher but also one who had produced wonderful sets and props for performances. Some of the ballets which will always be associated with Bruce Morrow were "The Party", "Tamboo", "The Comedians", "Pas Classique", Peer Gynt", and "Valse Concertante".
The committee announced the appointment of Mrs Bernice Morrow as Artistic Director. She is a gifted teacher and during her time with the school several of her students were amongst those accepted for training at the Australian Ballet School. Three students entered the school in 1973 and three more in 1982. Over this period another student was accepted giving Mrs Morrow an extraordinary number to achieve this distinction. She gave quite a number of her senior students the opportunity to learn to teach and choreograph ballets, in fact many of them have developed worthwhile careers as ballet teachers.
Bernice Morrow produced exciting ballets for her Annual Recitals including "Cinderella", "Asian Suite", "Graduation Day", "Sacred and Profane Dances", "The Ugly Duckling", "Hansel and Gretel", "Spring Picnic", "The Shoemaker and the Elves".
Also in 1971 the Forest Hill Theatre, which offered air conditioned comfort and a well equipped theatre became available and was booked for the Annual Recital over two nights. This event in fact continued to be held there for the next three years.
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