Brilliant Future for Auckland Girl

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23275, 18 February 1939, Page 18 (Supplement)

Brilliant Future for Auckland Girl

BALLET LEADER'S PRAISE Solely responsible for the discovery of Vera Zoriim, now one of the most outstanding of the younger group of ballet dancers, whom New Zealanders will remember for her appearance on the screen in the film "Goldwyn Follies," Anton Dolin, a figure of world-wide note in the Covent Garden Russian Ballet Company, which ended its Auckland season this week, has found Auckland to be the possessor of a girl dancer of extraordinary talent. Sir. Dolin ensured that Zorina was given adequate tuition, and the results well justified his faith. The development of a dancer such as Zorina augurs well for the future career of the Auckland girl, Rowena Jackson, aged 12, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. Jackson, of Remuera, and Mr. Dolin is willing again to back his judgment to the extent of at least a year's free tuition with one of the great ballet teachers of Paris. He is indeed eager that she should bo given the opportunity to develop her brilliant talents in Europe. Already the sum of £IOO a year for two years has been guaranteed by the New Zealand branch of the Australasian Society of Operatic Dancing and it is hoped that other financial support will be given to allow the girl, wnora Mr. Dolin considers will be a credit to New Zealand, to realise her ambitions. Mr. Dolin has conducted 6everal classes in Auckland as representative of the Royal Academy of Dancing, of which he is an executive member, and he considers that New Zealand has very promising material to offer. While the company was in Australia he saw another New Zealander of considerably more than average talent, a 14-year-old Wellington boy, Brian Ashbridge, who was studying at Sydney.Himself possessing a splendid physique, Mr. Dolin considers that too much emphasis cannot be laid on the value of ballet dancing to the physical development of boys and girls, quite apart from the question of whether they intend to take dancing up as a career. In England the Royal Academy of Dancing was doing important work in connection with the scheme for physical fitness.