Betty Pounder AM 1921-1990

Pounder became an expert in the styles of the great Broadway choreographers – Fosse,
Champion, Kidd, Robbins – who all knew and respected her talents. Sometimes, however, she was given the opportunity to create original choreography – for example, on Funny Girl, Camelot and Half a Sixpence. She was even sent to Amsterdam to supervise the production of Sweet Charity there. Pounder also created the choreography for several Australian musicals, such as The Sentimental Bloke (1961) and Peter Scriven’s Nex’ Town (1973).

In 1964 Pounder choreographed the Australian Ballet’s first truly modern dance piece – Jazz Spectrum, with music by Les Patching, designs by John Truscott, and Marilyn Jones and Garth Welch as the principals. Pounder delighted in teaching the Australian Ballet’s classically trained dancers the intricacies of jazz dance. A zesty blend of bright colours and dazzling movement, Jazz Spectrum remained in the repertoire until the 1966/67 season, when it resurfaced with fresh designs and a new name, Jazz Suite.

After 35 years’ as Williamson’s dance director, choreographer and casting director, Pounder was promoted to director for Salad Days in 1973. She went on to direct the second season of Godspell, and The Wiz in 1976, J.C. Williamson’s final musical. Pounder worked as a freelance for its successor, J.C. Williamson Productions Ltd, on shows like Annie and More Canterbury Tales. For the Victoria State Opera she directed La Belle Hélène, their inaugural production, in 1977, and Orpheus in the Underworld in 1978. In 1979 she directed and choreographed Frank Hatherley’s The Ripper Show, a new small-scale Australian musical, for the Playbox Theatre in Melbourne.

Eventually Pounder relinquished her beloved little office at Her Majesty’s in Melbourne and started a new career as television casting director for Crawford Productions. After that she joined for the Victorian Ministry for the Arts, arranging summer concerts at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, organising various community dance events, and taking school groups on backstage tours of Melbourne theatres. Later still she produced the Victorian Arts Centre’s Morning Melodies shows for seniors. Her last major choreographic commission was the 1988 revival of My Fair Lady directed by Rodney Fisher, which toured nationally.

Betty Pounder’s extraordinary contribution to Australian theatre was recognised with a Footlighters Award, and a Green Room Lifetime Achievement Award. She was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1983. The Green Room Awards Association’s annual award for Excellence in Dance is named in her honour.

Betty Pounder died on 7 December 1990, survived by her husband, John Baines, whom she had met when he was a member of Williamson’s Melbourne orchestra. As a dancer, choreographer, director, teacher, producer, casting director and much loved show business legend, she had always followed her own advice. ‘Life is a performance,’ she would say. ‘It’s not a rehearsal – so make the most of it.’

Frank Van Straten, 2007