Marjorie Hollinshed

Marjorie Lucas (née Hollinshed) (1905–1995) was a ballet dancer and dance teacher from Queensland, Australia. She was instrumental in the development of ballet in Queensland.

Marjorie (Hollinshed) Lucas
Striking a pose with a tambourine. Brisbane, ca. 1930
Born	Marjorie Hollinshed 1905 (1905) Brisbane, Australia
Died	1995(1995-00-00) (aged 89–90) Wooloowin, Queensland
Nationality	Australian
Occupation	Ballet teacher
Spouse(s)	Keith Lucas

Girls attending the first ever Summer School of Classical Ballet in Australia, organised by Hollinshed at Scarborough.

Born in Brisbane, she spent her teen years in Melbourne where she receive some ballet training. Upon her return to Brisbane, she became an assistant to Margaret St. Ledger at her dance school. After St. Ledger's retirement, she took over the school.[1] At the time, most dance schools in Australia taught mixture of dances, including ballroom and theatrical. Anna Pavlova's Australian tours in 1926 and 1929 inspired teachers like Hollinshed to learn and train in classical ballet (then called operatic dancing).[2] In 1932, she retired from teaching and passed her studio on to her pupil Phyllis Danaher.[3][4] Other notable students of hers include Laurel Martyn.[1] She went on to publish two books about ballet in Australia: In Search of Ballet (1987) and Some Professional Dancers of, or from, Queensland (1963).

References

1. Hiller, R. "Early ballet in Queensland". John Oxley Library Blog. State Library of Queensland.
2. Brissenden, Alan; Glennon, Keith. Australia dances : creating Australian dance, 1945-1965. Wakefield Press. ISBN 9781862548022.
3. "Biographical History". Marjorie Lucas Papers and Photographs. State Library of Queensland.
4. Scott, Joanne. "Danaher, Phyllis May (1908–1991)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.