Ballet - Joan Campbell - Carol Bateman School of Dancing - Helena May

Submitted by annelisec on Sat, 05/20/2023 - 12:22

The school  turns 75 this year.  Anyone know anyone who took ballet lessons here ? (I did)

 

https://carolbatemanschool.com/

Yes, I know somebody who took lessons from Joan Campbell at the Kowloon branch of the C. Bateman School which was then located at the junction of Prince Edward Road West and Argyle Street . His name is Cliff LUI who has since settled in USA after a career dancing for a number of overseas ballet companies.  Cliff was one of the first recipients of the HK Ballet Group’s  Heinz Bosl Memorial Scholarship and was sent to the Royal Ballet School in London having been selected for the prize by Dame Margot Fonteyn .

Following his training in London and return to Hong Kong, Cliff danced regularly in the group’s  annual performances  at the City Hall Concert Hall and he often partnered with principal ballerina Sylvia WU.

Cliff Lui & Sylvia Wu in Ballet 'Cinderella' 1983
Cliff Lui & Sylvia Wu in Ballet 'Cinderella' 1983, by Chinarail

 For one week during January 1983 the HK Ballet Group held five performances of Cinderella in Hong Kong and if my memory serves me correctly, we even travelled to Macau for one performance.

Programme for Ballet 'Cinderella' - City Hall 1983
Programme for Ballet 'Cinderella' - City Hall 1983, by Chinarail

 In these performances, none other than Gwulo’s contributor “Chinarail” took to the limelight appearing in this production as Cinderella’s father. The footwork required was very intricate and difficult to execute ;  principally walking on and off the stage graciously and bowing to the palace couriers without tripping over the stage props…… somewhat trying for me after 3 glasses of red wine to calm my nerves.

HK Ballet Group’s ‘Cinderella’ s Father portrayed by ‘Chinarail’
HK Ballet Group’s ‘Cinderella’ s Father portrayed by ‘Chinarail’, by Chinarail

 This provided a temporary diversion for Chinarail from driving miniature trains

Syviia Wu with Chinarail duriing a break at the City Hall 1983
Syviia Wu with Chinarail duriing a break at the City Hall 1983 , by Chinarail

 Chinarail “rehearsing” with Cinderella ( Sylvia Wu) in case he was needed as an emergency stand-in as the Prince. City Hall 1983  hmm..........

Cliff Lui keeps in touch and last week paid a very brief visit to Hong Kong on his way to Thailand. We met up for dinner with a few of our friends from that era.

I took lessons with Carol Bateman - the studio was in the Helena May Building.  She had concerts at the end of the year and I remember being in a couple of them.  My sister was also a student.  We did all the exams (London School of Dancing) and went as far as Elementary.  I remember she told us stories about her time in Shanghai during the war and also how she taught Margot Fonteyn who was then called Peggy Hookham and she was also in China at the time.

Annelisec, you may be interested in the photo I posted yesterday of a group of dancers in costume from one of Carol Bateman's shows that included Joan Campbell.  The photo was taken at Miss Bateman's studio in the Helena May Institute around the mid-1950s.  I previously posted a photo on January 16, 2022 of the group of us who performed to the music of The Swedish Rhapsody, possibly as part of the same show.  This photo was also taken at the Institute.  These performances were held at the Lee Theater in Hong Kong.  Below is the link to this other photo under the heading of Kiki Rasmussen and Swedish Rhapsody Performance.

https://gwulo.com/media/41963

 

I attended ballet lessons around 1957/59 before an ankle tendon problem forced me to stop. Yep did a bunch of classes and exams etc also I remember Jean M Wong teaching a couple of classes. 
Got  to check some photo albums for photos of a some classes. They are there somewhere!! 

Barb Gabriel Mackenzie. 

 

Annelisec, in response to your request that I link my photos to the Helena May page, I am wondering how to best do this.  I added your new page heading as a tag under the photo I posted but this didn't take me to that location.  Please advise, thanks!  

I took classes at Helena May in the 50s, leaving before going en pointe to go to boarding school in Scotland. Loved when I passed my exams and went up a colour. I still have my red scarf after all these years. I remember the exam results being posted in the South China Morning Post.