28 Facts About Edouard Borovansky

Edouard Borovansky was a Czech-born Australian ballet dancer, choreographer and director.

Edouard Borovansky was the seventh child of Frantisek Skrecek, a railway clerk, and his wife Arnosta.

Edouard Borovansky began his career as a dancer of character roles by changing his name to Eduard Borowanski.

Edouard Borovansky first performed with the Pavlova Ballet in Hamburg, Germany.

Edouard Borovansky then toured for seasons in Britain, South America and Asia.

Edouard Borovansky first toured Australia with the company in 1929.

Edouard Borovansky married Kruger, a divorcee, on 14 October 1933 at the register office, Westminster, London.

Edouard Borovansky revisited Australia in 1938 with the company, now renamed The Royal Covent Garden Russian Ballet, however he and his wife decided to remain in Australia at the end of the tour.

Xenia was the principal teacher, while Edouard Borovansky handled the administration.

Edouard Borovansky had encouraged the formation of the Melbourne Ballet Club, which displayed and encouraged new choreography.

In 1942, Edouard Borovansky's company presented a five-night season at the Princess Theatre, Melbourne.

Edouard Borovansky now had commercial backing and access to theatres across Australia.

Edouard Borovansky therefore performed "large, colourful, familiar works which were what 'the Firm' preferred".

Edouard Borovansky was naturalised as a British subject in 1944, becoming a well-known figure in Melbourne and "notorious for his despotic treatment of his dancers".

Edouard Borovansky's operation was assisted artistically in no small measure by the presence of his pre-war colleague, the principal dancer, Tamara Tchinarova, whose memory of the choreography surpassed his.

Edouard Borovansky had built a "strong, commercially attractive operation on the basis of the school run by his wife and a keen sense of what the public would pay to see".

Edouard Borovansky's company had expanded and now included such dancers as Paul Hammond, Martin Rubinstein, Leon Kellaway, Peggy Sager, Kathleen Gorham, Vassilie Trunoff and Edna Busse.

Edouard Borovansky was disbanded in 1948 due to lack of financial backing.

In 1951, Borovansky assembled a second company called the Borovansky Jubilee Ballet which was sponsored by the Education in Music and Dramatic Arts Society as well as J C Williamson's.

Edouard Borovansky presented ambitious productions with the company such as a full-sized Petrouchka that year.

Edouard Borovansky commissioned David Lichine to create an original ballet which premiered on 17 February 1956 as Corrida.

Edouard Borovansky choreographed this work to the symphonic poem Ma vlast by Czech composer Bedrich Smetana.

The cast wore white shorts and shirts for their costumes, which suggested that Edouard Borovansky was making a political statement on the nationalistic youth movements of Czechoslovakia with which he was familiar.

Edouard Borovansky discovered and named Rottnest Island and the river on which the city of Perth now stands.

Edouard Borovansky died of a coronary occlusion on 18 December 1959 at Randwick, and was buried with Anglican rites in Box Hill Cemetery, Melbourne.

Edouard Borovansky was survived by his wife; they had no children.

Edouard Borovansky's company provided the basis for the creation of a national Australian company.

Edouard Borovansky was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Australian Dance Awards in 1999.