Miss Joan Halliday OAM 1919 – 2019
Joan Halliday was born in 1919 in Melbourne, but was educated at the Sacre Coeur Convent in Brisbane. She and her twin sister, Monica began their ballet training in Brisbane, then moved to Sydney where they both trained at the Kirsova School of Ballet and danced with the Kirsova Ballet Company. She also toured with the Borovansky and Rambert Ballet Companies.
Joan gained the Advanced Teachers Certificate of The Royal Academy of Dancing in London, together with the highest technical award, the Solo Seal.
Joan was appointed as a Major examiner of the Royal Academy of Dancing and she toured Australia, America, Asia, South Africa and New Zealand in this role. She was awarded Fellowship of the Royal Academy of Dance in 1991, and was awarded her OAM (along with her sister Monica) in 1993 for serves to classical dance.
Together with her sister Monica, Joan opened a Ballet School known as the Halliday Dance Centre. Many of her ex-students have danced with the Australian Ballet Company, as well as The Royal Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and Madrid’s Nacho Duato.
See Joan and Monica’s “Ballet in the Bush” summer school in this clip from ABC below.
Joan was a member of the Zonta Club of Sydney for over 25 years, and was a Director of the club in 1973- 1975, and again in 1993 – 94.
Zonta Club of Sydney 