Dance
Shona in her solo El Fauno (The Faun), created for her during the South American tour by Bodenwieser.
In 1935, Shona and her family travelled from New Zealand to Europe, where she studied dance in Paris and Riga, and became a pupil in the private studio of expressionist dancer/ choreographer Gertrud Bodenwieser, professor at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna.
Bodenwieser and many of her dancers were Jewish, and needed to escape Vienna in 1938, when the Nazis invaded Austria. Fortunately the family of one of the dancers, Magda Brunner, was able to arrange a tour for part of the Bodenwieser Ballet to Colombia, South America, and young Shona was included in this ‘Revista Vienesa’.
10 months later, with visas obtained by Shona’s family, Bodenwieser and her pianist/composer Marcel Lorber were able to settle in Australia, reforming the company to perform in Sydney, touring to New Zealand during the late 1940s.
Shona became principal dancer and assistant to Bodenwieser, and taught dance in Sydney schools, including Abottsleigh Girls’ School.
Sydney, Australia: Bodenwieser Reunion
(Hosted by Barbara Cuckson, guests including Eileen Kramer)
Shona danced The Blue Vase (‘I want to dance’) to Ruth Arnison’s poem spoken by daughter Terry
Photo: Chris Sullivan/School of Physical Education 
“I have danced in many countries and many strange venues. In bull arenas, hospitals, theatres, prisons, city squares, gypsy caves, vast cathedrals and tiny chapels, at prestigious conferences, with isolated tribal people, and on-board ships. I have danced at Thai Buddhist séances, by the shores of Galilee and the gates of Damascus. I have danced for celebration and I have danced for revolution. As a heroine of mine, Isadora Duncan, declared “A free spirit can live only in a freed body!” I feel sorry for those who have never experienced what the power dance gives to stimulate the body and fire the mind in one act – to draw people of diverse cultures and backgrounds together and to give an insight into the mind of God.”
– Dr. Shona
“Reach beyond your self”
Dr. Shona
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BODENWIESER
CHOREOGRAPHY
DANCE IN WORSHIP
DUNEDIN DANCE THEATRE
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