Lucette Aldous

Born in Auckland, New Zealand, she undertook her early training in Australia in 1941, where she studied under Phyllis Danaher. In 1955, she received a scholarship to attend the Royal Ballet School in London.[1] She began her professional career in 1957, dancing with Ballet Rambert (under Dame Peggy van Praagh). Aldous then went on to dance with the London Festival Ballet and The Royal Ballet.

While at the Royal Ballet, she partnered with Rudolf Nureyev during a European tour of The Nutcracker.[2]

Aldous returned to Australia in 1970, where she started as a guest artist with the Australian Ballet and quickly rose to Resident Principal Dancer. She reprised her partnership with Nureyev as Kitri in his production of Don Quixote for the Australian Ballet.

She retired from full-time performing in the mid-1970s and taught at the Australian Ballet School, before joining the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) in 1982.[2]

Currently, she resides in Perth, Australia, where she continues to teach and coach at the Perth School of Ballet in Osborne Park.

Lucette Aldous married Maurice Evelyn Forbes Fitzmaurice, a barrister, in 1960. They divorced in 1973.[3] She later married fellow artist Alan Alder. They have a daughter, Floeur Alder, who is also a dancer and teaches dancers in Perth[1]

Lucette Aldous was made a Companion of the Order of Australia in the Australia Day Honours List in January 2018.[4]

• Austin, Nancy (September 1974). "Interview with Lucette Aldous" (PDF). Elizabeth Trust News (12): 16.
• Graig, Berenice (14 July 1971). "Romance for Lucette and Alan". The Australian Women's Weekly: 3.

• Archived webpage from Australia Dancing
• Archive film of Lucette Aldous dancing Gala Performance in 1959 at Jacob's Pillow