The Teachers Who Shaped Me
An Inspirational Beginning
My first ballet teacher was Louanne Wing, a Maestro Cecchetti Diploma holder and International Fellow of the Cecchetti Society. As a young child, I admired her so much that I even named my favourite doll after her!
She was everything a young dancer could hope for in a teacher – elegant, inspiring and passionate about sharing the joy of ballet. She had been taught by Eileen Keegan in her home studio in Kloof, South Africa. Here she learnt the rigour and understanding required of a Cecchetti student from a masterful teacher, and went on to study a PhD in Dance at the University of South Africa.
Her productions were delightful, with beautiful costumes and imaginative themes. One of my happiest memories is dancing in her production 4Seasons, where I performed as Hail in Winter, a Rose in Spring, a Harvester in Summer and a Leaf in Autumn. She required dedication from all of us leading up to the productions, modelling this by spending countless hours in costume design, sewing, measuring, choregraphing and rehearsing us. It was magical & joyous.
In the 1990s, Louanne moved to Colorado in the United States, where she continued to teach, as well as set up a non-profit dedicated to providing dance arts and confidence to ‘at-risk’ youth in the area. Many of her students moved to join the classes of her own teacher, Miss Eileen Keegan, so that they could continue with their ballet journeys.
Learning from the Best
Studying under Eileen Keegan was an extraordinary privilege. A Maestro Cecchetti Diploma holder whose knowledge and experience were exceptional across a number of dance genres, she is widely recognised as one of the pioneers who established and developed the Cecchetti Method in South Africa.
Eileen Keegan moved to London in 1932 to study under Margaret Craske. She danced with Anna Pavlova’s company, and toured with the Dandré-Levitoff Company (formed by Pavolva’s widower, Dandré, and impresario Levitoff) as well as Molly Lake’s company. She qualified as a Cecchetti examiner after being examined by Cyril Beaumont, and returned to South Africa in 1936 to teach.
Miss Keegan produced many fine dancers and teachers, most notably Nadia Nerina, said to be one of the most gifted, versatile and inspiring ballerinas of the Royal Ballet in the 1950s and 1960s.
Miss Keegan inspired both discipline and artistry. She taught us to respect the technique, musicality and precision of the Cecchetti Method, while never losing sight of the beauty and joy of dance. Even later in life, she could effortlessly demonstrate movements with remarkable strength, balance and elegance – something we all admired.
Under her guidance, I achieved Advanced level in ballet by the age of fifteen. Along the way came the expected callouses, the occasional broken toe, and countless lessons in perseverance, discipline and determination.
A Proud Cecchetti Heritage
The Cecchetti Method has a rich and distinguished history. Italian ballet master, Enrico Cecchetti, was influenced by his professional dance career and his teachers. They held a strict philosophy of conforming to the rigid training regime with a thorough understanding of the theoretical principles when learning to dance. It was widely said that no dancer could be considered complete without passing through Cecchetti’s instruction.
British writer and dance historian Cyril Beaumont collaborated with Cecchetti and others to document the method in print, preserving the method’s exercises principles and structure. Beaumont established the Cecchetti Society in London in 1922, with Cecchetti organisations subsequently spreading throughout the world..
Eileen Keegan was examined in London by Cyril Beaumont, before returning to South Africa to teach and pass on the Cecchetti legacy.To have learned within this remarkable teaching lineage is something I continue to value deeply, and it is a tradition I am proud to share with every Silver Swans® class I teach today.
