Anne Woolliams

Woolliams, Anne (b Folkestone, 3 Aug. 1926; d Canterbury, 8 Jul. 1999). British dancer and teacher. She studied with J. Espinosa and Volkova and danced with, among others, Kyasht Ballet, Russian Opera Ballet, and in the film The Red Shoes. She taught at Essen Folkwang School (1958-63), was character artist, ballet mistress, and then assistant director at Stuttgart Ballet (1963-75) and also director of Cranko Ballet school which she co-founded with Cranko in 1964. In 1976 she became artistic director of Australian Ballet (1976-8) where she staged a new version of Swan Lake (1977). She was appointed Dean of Dance at Victoria College of Arts, Melbourne. In 1988 she returned to Europe and established the Schweizerische Ballett-berufsschule in Zurich, then in 1993 became artistic director of the Vienna State Opera Ballet, finally retiring to live in Canterbury.