“I spent nine years in Sydney, dancing, teaching, touring… When there was a lull in the Bodenwieser Ballet’s engagements, I worked towards a dance recital for my own pupils. My first longer ballet, The Moving Finger, was inspired by the poem of Omar Khayyam… My second choreography effort was based on Tennyson’s Lady of Shallot.” – MacTavish

Later works with her students ranged from the ambitious “Occupation of Japan” and “Pavane for a Dead Infanta”, to lighter works like “The Spider” and “Will o’ the Wisp”, and of course numbers based on Bodenwieser’s choreography, like the Temple and Slavonic dances.

Shona, aged 40, on a visit to Sydney giving a private lesson to young dancer, Barbara Cookson.

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