TWO concerts by Richardson Dance Studio will be held on Saturday to celebrate the career of founder Raylene Richardson.
Richardson has not only had a decorated ballet career, but had also given a number of country kids the opportunity to dance and perform.
Richardson, nee Gleeson, began learning ballet from the age of four, and studied under Bruce Morrow, Michael Anderson, Malcolm Hughes and Harcourt Algeranoff, who had partnered Anna Pavlova.
Richardson furthered her training by studying full time at the Floyd and B’Nay Dance Centre in Adelaide, where she passed her Royal Academy of Dancing examinations with honours and became a member of the South Australian Ballet Company.
To further her dance education, Richardson moved to Melbourne in 1971, taking classes with Paul Hammond, Kathleen Gorham and Betty Pounder, among others. At the same time, she was fitting pointe shoes and specialty costumes for ballet companies, including the Australian Ballet Company and School, as well as visiting overseas companies.
In 1972, Richardson took up the position of ballet mistress with the North West Victorian Ballet Society and began teaching dance in Swan Hill, Ultima, Sea Lake and Balranald, fulfilling her desire to bring ballet to the bush.
She then established Richardson Dance Studio in Swan Hill, as well as her own school under the auspices of the Robinvale Ballet Guild from 2000 to 2011.
She started at Rio Vista in Swan Hill with just 12 students, before moving to Drummond House, where she transformed the space into a studio. Richardson then moved to the squash centre, where she worked with her daughter Letichia, and then on to Kick Start, now known as Voyage Fitness. She settled at the present studio at the masonic hall.
Richardson mentored numerous students and led them into dance careers, including Letichia, who joined her at RDS after training and dancing professionally in the mid-1990s. She was followed by many others, including Jodi Poole (Bowen), Teegan Mudge, Emma Wilkins (Davison), Kaitlyn Blackmore (Walters), Dominic Mezzatesta, Emmalee Walters, Jaimee Kiel, Victoria DiPalma, Nikita Phillips and Cara Devereux.
Richardson semi-retired in 2015, partnering in RDS with her former student Kaitlyn Blackmore. She continues to teach her first love, classical ballet, with passion and dedication.
The Saturday concerts by Richardson Dance Studio will be held at 1pm and 7pm at Swan Hill Town Hall. Tickets are available at the town hall box office.
