Kathleen Gorham OBE 1928-1983

In 1957 Borovansky imported Robert Pomie, a dashing Moroccan-born French choreographer
and dancer. He and Gorham married in December 1958. They had one son, but divorced some years later. In 1959 Gorham danced in several classical and original works with Pomie’s own short-lived company at his Ballet Theatre le Français in Pitt Street, Sydney. After that she and Pomie returned to the Borovansky Ballet, which had survived its founder’s death in December 1959. In January 1960 she, Pomie and Grinwis premiered Grinwis’ Journey to the Moon. It was the company’s first full-length ballet and Grinwis dedicated it to Borovansky’s memory. Gorham and Pomie’s interpretation of Giselle was rapturously received, as was their Coppélia and their Don Quixote Pas de Deux.

In 1961 Gorham and Pomie danced in an extended version of The Surfers, which he had created for his own company in 1959. It was one of the Borovansky Ballet’s final offerings. The company disbanded in February 1961.Gorham went to Europe, but was persuaded to return in 1962 to become a prima ballerina and foundation member of the newly-formed Australian Ballet. In its early programs she danced Swan Lake and Pomie’s moving Pas Classique, choreographed to Bizet’s Symphony in C. Gorham created the role of Archer in Rex Reid’s Melbourne Cup and the Fiancée in The Night is a Sorceress. For Robert Helpmann she created leading roles in The Display and The Soldier’s Tale (1964), Yugen (1965) and Elektra (1966). The Display was one of the highlights of the Australian Ballet’s first overseas tour, in 1965. With Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev as guest artists, the company was a principal attraction of the first Commonwealth Arts Festival. With Gorham in the title role, the company’s Giselle won the Grand Prix de Paris at the Third International Festival of Dance in Paris.

Gorham retired from the Australian Ballet in 1966. Her final performance was in Giselle at the Princess Theatre on 18 May. At the end of a night of streamers, flowers and tears, Madame Borovansky told the audience: ‘Many years ago my late husband and myself discovered a seed... We nurtured and tended it, and over the years have seen it grow and develop into a rare and beautiful flower in the form of Australia’s prima ballerina, Kathleen Gorham.’ Two years later Gorham was awarded the Order of the British Empire.

Gorham transferred her energies to the ballet school in Melbourne that she had taken over from Rex Reid. As passionate a teacher as she had been a dancer, she claimed she found teaching far more interesting. In December 1968, perhaps with memories of that Peter Pan in which she had debuted 23 years before, she produced Nutcracker at the Comedy Theatre in Melbourne, showcasing dozens of her devoted students. Elaine Fifield was the Sugar Plum Fairy and Leon Kellaway, Gorham’s old teacher, made a guest appearance as Uncle Heinrich. Keith Little danced the role of Drosselmeyer and shared the choreographic credit with William Akers, a Borovansky colleague, who also directed.