BRILLIANT YOUNG DANCER

Southland Times, Issue 23793, 15 April 1939, Page 8

BRILLIANT YOUNG DANCER

RECITAL IN INVERCARGILL BY ROWENA JACKSON

A young dancer for whom a brilliant future has been predicted, Rowena Jackson, formerly of Invercargill, will give a recital, at which leading Invercargill artists will assist, in the Civic Theatre on May 1. She received her early training in Invercargill as a pupil of Mr A. Sutherland and Miss Madge Flaus, and during the past year or two has made exceptional progress in Auckland. The branches of the Australasian Society of Operatic Dancing are organizing a fund to enable this brilliant young dancer to continue her studies abroad, and she will give a recital in each of the centres, beginning in Invercargill. When the Covent Garden Russian Ballet was in Auckland both Madame Baronova and Anton Dolin, the two leading members, were so greatly impressed with her dancing that they offered to guarantee her two years’ free tuition in Paris provided a sufficient sum was collected in New Zealand to assist her and her mother in Paris during that period. “Having seen Rowena Jackson dance,” wrote Anton Dolin, “I was much impressed. She attended all the six classes organized for me in Auckland and I was able to watch and perceive the progress and understanding she displayed even in this short time. The child is brilliantly talented and has what is so important—a ‘real feeling’ for the dance. She reminded me very much of the great dancer Alicia Markova at that age with her sureness and technique. After much careful thought I hope that through various influences and help it will be possible for Rowena to study in Europe. I realize the enormous change it will be, the distance and perhaps the risk of transplanting from her native soil, but as potentially great dancers are rare, it should be done. I will undertake to see that she has the best of training in London and Paris and from that point of view be responsible for her.” Mi- Dolin added that it would be a sad thing if among all those who loved the Russian Ballet there was no help in a practical way for such a valuable home product and, incidentally, what might well be brilliant propaganda for this very lovely country.