Guide to the Papers of Moya Beaver

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MS 9803

National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record

Created: 2006

Collection Summary

Creator
Beaver, Moya, 1918-
Title
Papers of Moya Beaver
Date Range
1918-1973 (bulk 1934-1941)
Collection Number
MS 9803
Extent
0.3 metres (2 ms boxes + 1 sound/av carrier)
Language of Materials
English
Repository
Special Collections (Manuscripts)
Abstract
Photographs, letters, memorabilia and other papers documenting the career of ballet dancer and teacher Moya Beaver.

Introduction

Scope and Contents

The papers relate to the career of ballet dancer and teacher Moya Beaver. The papers include photographs, letters, memorabilia, newspaper cuttings, her passport, a scrapbook, programs, dance magazines and a video. The letters were written by Gordon Hamilton.

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is available for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.

Preferred Citation

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Moya Beaver, National Library of Australia, MS 9803, [series and file/item number]'.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The papers were donated to the Library in 2003 by Gretel Butler, daughter of Moya Beaver.

Existence and Location of Copies

Selected photographs from Series 1 have been digitised, and are available online through this finding aid and via the Library's catalogue (http://nla.gov.au/catalogue).

Six portraits of Moya Beaver are held in the Library's Pictures Collection (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn3044761).

Arrangement

The collection has been arranged into three series by the Library: beginning with photographs; followed by correspondence, memorabilia and other personal material; then dance magazines.

Biographical Note

Moya Beaver was born in 1918. She trained in Sydney at the Lightfoot-Burlakov School. She danced leading roles in the productions staged by Louise Lightfoot and Mischa Burlakov for their First Australian Ballet including the Ballerina in the first ever production of Petrouchka in Australia in 1936. She established a strong partnership with Gordon Hamilton and notably performed Columbine to his Harlequin in the First Australian Ballet's production Le Carnaval in 1937. She also danced for the J. C. Williamson organisation in musicals, including Funny Side Up in 1940, and with the Polish-Australian Ballet and Leon Kellaway's Ballet Nationale. Beaver also studied and danced overseas. In Paris she studied with Lubov Egorova and toured Denmark with Ballets de la jeunesse.

Beaver began teaching in the 1930s at the Lightfoot-Burlakov School, which she ran during absences overseas by the school's principals. Later she established her own school in Sydney and continued to teach after retiring from professional dancing. She was still teaching into her eighties.

Item Descriptions

Series 1. Photographs, 1918-1973

The series is primarily comprised of black and white photographs and postcards depicting the dancing career of Moya Beaver from 1934 to 1941. Many of the photographs feature annotations by Beaver and others. There are five folders of photographs which have been individually numbered and listed, and one folder of unnumbered duplicates.

Please note: selected photographs from this series have been digitised, and are available online through this finding aid and via the Library's catalogue (http://nla.gov.au/catalogue).

Moya Beaver as a baby, 1918 (Item 1)

Portrait of Moya Beaver on pointe in marching girl costume, c.1934 (Item 2)

Moya Beaver in Indian style costume and pose [1], c.1934 (Item 3)

Moya Beaver in Indian style costume and pose [2], c.1934 (Item 4)

Moya Beaver in Indian style costume and pose [3], c.1934 (Item 5)

Moya Beaver in Indian style costume and pose [4], c.1934 (Item 6)

Moya Beaver in Indian style costume and pose [5], c.1934 (Item 7)

Moya Beaver as Coppelia, Mischa Burlakov as Franz, and Lindsay Kingsmill Shaw (?) as Swanhilda in Coppelia, The Lightfoot-Burlakov First Australian Ballet, 1934 (Item 8)

Portrait of Moya Beaver in Peter Pan (?), The Lightfoot-Burlakov First Australian Ballet, c.1935 (Item 9)

Moya Beaver in costume for Peter Pan (?), The Lightfoot-Burlakov First Australian Ballet, c.1935 (Item 10)

Moya Beaver in Peter Pan (?), The Lightfoot-Burlakov First Australian Ballet, c.1935 (Item 11)

Moya Beaver dancing in costume worn in productions of The Lightfoot-Burlakov First Australian Ballet, c.1935 (Item 12)

Portrait of Moya Beaver in costume worn in productions of The Lightfoot-Burlakov First Australian Ballet [1], c.1935 (Item 13)

Portrait of Moya Beaver in costume worn in productions of The Lightfoot-Burlakov First Australian Ballet [2], c.1935 (Item 14)

Portrait of Moya Beaver in costume worn in productions of The Lightfoot-Burlakov First Australian Ballet [3], c.1935 (Item 15)

Moya Beaver putting on her pointe shoe, in costume (with choker) worn in productions of The Lightfoot-Burlakov First Australian Ballet, c.1935 (Item 16)

Moya Beaver dancing in costume (with choker) worn in productions of The Lightfoot-Burlakov First Australian Ballet [1], c.1935 (Item 17)

Moya Beaver dancing in costume (with choker) worn in productions of The Lightfoot-Burlakov First Australian Ballet [2], c.1935 (Item 18)

Moya Beaver posing outdoors in costume for The Reed Pipes of Pan [1], 1935 (Item 19)

Moya Beaver posing outdoors in costume for The Reed Pipes of Pan [2], 1935 (Item 20)

Moya Beaver posing outdoors in costume for The Reed Pipes of Pan [3], 1935 (Item 21)

Moya Beaver posing outdoors in costume for The Reed Pipes of Pan [4], 1935 (Item 22)

Moya Beaver posing outdoors in costume for The Reed Pipes of Pan [5], 1935 (Item 23)

Moya Beaver posing outdoors in costume for The Reed Pipes of Pan [6], 1935 (Item 24)

Moya Beaver posing outdoors in costume for The Reed Pipes of Pan [7], 1935 (Item 25)

Moya Beaver in pose from The Reed Pipes of Pan, 1935 (Item 26)

Outdoor photograph of Moya Beaver in costume for The Reed Pipes of Pan [1], 1935 (Item 27)

Outdoor photograph of Moya Beaver in costume for The Reed Pipes of Pan [2], 1935 (Item 28)

Outdoor photograph of Moya Beaver and four other pupils of Louise Lightfoot and Mischa Burlakov in a free dance pose [1] (large version), c.1937 (Item 29a)

Outdoor photograph of Moya Beaver and four other pupils of Louise Lightfoot and Mischa Burlakov in a free dance pose [1] (small version), c.1937 (Item 29b)

Outdoor photograph of Moya Beaver and four other pupils of Louise Lightfoot and Mischa Burlakov in a free dance pose [2] (small version), c.1937 (Item 30a)

Outdoor photograph of Moya Beaver and four other pupils of Louise Lightfoot and Mischa Burlakov in a free dance pose [2] (large version), c.1937 (Item 30b)

Outdoor photograph of Moya Beaver and four other pupils of Louise Lightfoot and Mischa Burlakov in a free dance pose [3] (small version), c.1937 (Item 31a)

Outdoor photograph of Moya Beaver and four other pupils of Louise Lightfoot and Mischa Burlakov in a free dance pose [3] (large version), c.1937 (Item 31b)

Outdoor photograph of Moya Beaver and 'Josie Vanderfield (nee Heinz)' in a free dance pose, c.1937 (Item 32)

Joan Brandon, Moya Beaver, Jessica Chamberlain, Molva Alcott and artists of The Lightfoot-Burlakov First Australian Ballet, posed in costume during 'Music Week' at Farmers Blaxland Galleries, c.1937 (Item 33)

Moya Beaver, Joan Brandon, Molva Alcott, and two other artists of The Lightfoot-Burlakov First Australian Ballet posed in costume during 'Music Week' at Farmers Blaxland Galleries, c.1937 (Item 34)

Artists of The Lightfoot-Burlakov First Australian Ballet (?) posing in costume outdoors, c.1937 (?) (Item 35)

Moya Beaver in costume for unidentified dance, c.1937 (Item 36)

Moya Beaver (?) posing in costume, c.1937 (Item 37)

Portrait of Moya Beaver as Columbine in Le Carnaval, The Lightfoot-Burlakov First Australian Ballet [1], c.1937 (Item 38)

Portrait of Moya Beaver as Columbine in Le Carnaval, The Lightfoot-Burlakov First Australian Ballet [2], c.1937 (Item 39)

Moya Beaver and Gordon Hamilton as Columbine and Harlequin in Le Carnaval, The Lightfoot-Burlakov First Australian Ballet, c.1937 (Item 40)

Gordon Hamilton as Harlequin in Le Carnaval, The Lightfoot-Burlakov First Australian Ballet, c.1937 (Item 41)

Moya Beaver and Gordon Hamilton in Variations from Swan Lake, The Lightfoot-Burlakov First Australian Ballet, c.1937 (Item 42)

Posed portrait of Moya Beaver and Gordon Hamilton in costume, c.1937 (Item 43)

Portrait (head and shoulders) of Moya Beaver in costume for Variations from Swan Lake, c.1937 (Item 44)

Portrait of Moya Beaver in Le Spectre de la Rose, The Lightfoot-Burlakov First Australian Ballet, c.1937 (Item 45)

Moya Beaver (?) with female colleague in gymnastic pose on a beach, c.1937 (Item 46)

Moya Beaver and Phyllis Wardrop in Indian costume, c.1937 (Item 47)

Moya Beaver and Mischa Burlakov dancing on a beach, c.1937 (Item 48a)

Moya Beaver and Mischa Burlakov dancing on a beach (close-up), c.1937 (Item 48b)

Moya Beaver and unidentified partner dancing on a beach, c.1937 (Item 49a)

Moya Beaver and unidentified partner dancing on a beach (close-up), c.1937 (Item 49b)

Moya Beaver with Gordon Hamilton (?) on a beach, c.1937 (Item 50)

Moya Beaver with unidentified partner on a beach, c.1937 (Item 51)

Phyllis Wardrop dancing with The Lightfoot-Burlakov First Australian Ballet, 1939 (Item 52)

Helene Deizon (centre) with artists including Moya Beaver (second from left) in A Waltz Dream, c.1939 (Item 53)

Moya Beaver (far left) and other artists in A Waltz Dream, c.1939 (Item 54)

Moya Beaver travelling with two colleagues, c.1939 (Item 55)

Moya Beaver with three colleagues, c.1939 (Item 56)

Natasha Sobinova, Alexandra Denisova and Moya Beaver on deck en route to Europe, 1939 (Item 57)

Maria Sanina, Alexandra Denisova and Moya Beaver on deck en route to Europe, 1939 (Item 58)

Gordon Hamilton with female colleague in the Norwegian mountains, c.1939 (Item 59)

Gordon Hamilton, Alla Shishkina and Oenone Talbot at Cheltenham, c.1939 (Item 60)

Moya Beaver and Joy Camden at 'Old Barn Cottage', c.1939 (Item 61)

Moya Beaver and Gordon Hamilton in 'fish-dive' pose at 'Old Barn Cottage', c.1939 (Item 62)

Moya Beaver, Gordon Hamilton, Joy Camden and Aimee Saxlund (?) in Copenhagen, 1939 (Item 63)

Moya Beaver, Gordon Hamilton and Chris (?) on deck en route for Denmark, 1939 (Item 64)

Portrait of Moya Beaver in costume for the Strauss Waltz performed with Henry Legerton in Ballet Nationale production [1], 1941 (Item 65)

Portrait of Moya Beaver in costume for the Strauss Waltz performed with Henry Legerton in Ballet Nationale production [2], 1941 (Item 66)

Portrait of Moya Beaver in Spanish Dance, Ballet Nationale [1], 1941 (Item 67a)

Portrait of Moya Beaver in Spanish Dance, Ballet Nationale [1] (annotated verso), 1941 (Item 67b)

Portrait of Moya Beaver in Spanish Dance, Ballet Nationale [2], 1941 (Item 68)

Portrait of Moya Beaver in Spanish Dance, Ballet Nationale [3], 1941 (Item 69)

Moya Beaver posing in costume with unidentified partner [1], c.1941 (?) (Item 70)

Moya Beaver posing in costume with unidentified partner [2], c.1941 (?) (Item 71)

Moya Beaver posing in costume with unidentified partner [3], c.1941 (?) (Item 72)

Moya Beaver and Gerald McErlean in A Romance in Dresden China from the J C Williamson production Funny Side Up [1], 1941 (Item 73)

Moya Beaver and Gerald McErlean in a pose from A Romance in Dresden China from the J C Williamson production Funny Side Up, 1941 (Item 74)

Moya Beaver and Gerald McErlean in A Romance in Dresden China from the J C Williamson production Funny Side Up [2], 1941 (Item 75)

Gerald McErlean and Moya Beaver with other artists in A Romance in Dresden China from the J C Williamson production Funny Side Up, 1941 (Item 76)

Tableau from A Romance in Dresden China from the J C Williamson production Funny Side Up, 1941 (Item 77)

View from the wings of A Romance in Dresden China from the J C Williamson production Funny Side Up, 1941 (Item 78)

Moya Beaver in the dressing room in costume for Chopiniana from the J C Williamson production Funny Side Up, 1941 (Item 79)

Moya Beaver in costume for Chopiniana from the J C Williamson production Funny Side Up, 1941 (Item 80)

Moya Beaver and other artists in Chopiniana from the J C Williamson production Funny Side Up [1], 1941 (Item 81)

Moya Beaver and other artists in Chopiniana from the J C Williamson production Funny Side Up [2], 1941 (Item 82)

Moya Beaver and other artists in Chopiniana from the J C Williamson production Funny Side Up [3], 1941 (Item 83)

Moya Beaver and other artists in Chopiniana from the J C Williamson production Funny Side Up [4], 1941 (Item 84)

Moya Beaver and other artists in Chopiniana from the J C Williamson production Funny Side Up [5], 1941 (Item 85)

Moya Beaver and other artists in Chopiniana from the J C Williamson production Funny Side Up [6], 1941 (Item 86)

Chopiniana from the J C Williamson production Funny Side Up, 1941 (Item 87)

Moya Beaver in costume for The Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square from the J C Williamson production Funny Side Up, 1941 (Item 88)

Moya Beaver seated in the dressing room in costume for The Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square from the J C Williamson production Funny Side Up, 1941 (Item 89)

Moya Beaver seated in costume for The Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square from the J C Williamson production Funny Side Up, 1941 (Item 90)

Artists including Betty Bryant, Kitty Bluett, Joan Robbins and Moya Beaver in the dressing room, in costume for the J C Williamson production Funny Side Up, 1941 (Item 91)

Moya Beaver in costume for the J C Williamson production Funny Side Up, 1941 (Item 92)

Moya Beaver in the dressing room in costume for the J C Williamson production Funny Side Up, 1941 (Item 93)

Moya Beaver with unidentified artist in costume for the J C Williamson production Funny Side Up, 1941 (Item 94)

Portrait of Moya Beaver in full length gown, c.1941 (Item 95)

Mischa Burlakov teaching students [1], 1963 (Item 96)

Mischa Burlakov teaching students [2], 1963 (Item 97)

Mischa Burlakov teaching students [3], 1963 (Item 98)

Mothers and daughters at the Moya Beaver Ballet School, 1973 (Item 99)

Moya Beaver teaching at her ballet school [1], 1973 (Item 100)

Moya Beaver teaching at her ballet school [2], 1973 (Item 101)

Moya Beaver receiving flowers at a performance by her ballet school, 1973 (Item 102)

Ludmilla Shollar and Anatole Vilzak ('Chollar and Wiltzak') as Columbine and Harlequin in Le Carnaval, c.1920 (Item 103)

Portrait of Hélène Kirsova as Columbine in Le Carnaval, Monte Carlo Russian Ballet, c.1936-1937 (Item 104)

Portrait of Tatiana Riabouchinska and David Lichine in Le Spectre de la Rose, Ballets Russes, 1930s (Item 105)

Portrait of Tatiana Riabouchinska in Le Spectre de la Rose, Ballets Russes, 1930s (Item 106)

Tamara Tchinarova Finch as a gypsy in Petrouchka, Ballets Russes, 1930s (Item 107)

Portrait of Lelia Roussova in costume, Ballets Russes, 1930s (Item 108)

Portrait of Leon Woizikowsky as Petrouchka, Ballets Russes, 1930s (Item 109)

Portrait (head and shoulders) of David Lichine, Ballets Russes, 1930s (Item 110)

Portrait of Lubov Tchernicheva in Spanish costume, Ballets Russes, 1930s (Item 111)

Portrait of Lubov Tchernicheva in Spanish costume, Ballets Russes, 1930s (Item 112)

Lubov Tchernicheva in Thamar, Ballets Russes, 1930s (Item 113)

Portrait (head and shoulders) of Lubov Tchernicheva in costume for Cléopâtre, Ballets Russes, 1930s (Item 114)

Portrait (head and shoulders) of Serge Grigorieff, Ballets Russes, 1930s (Item 115)

Portrait (head and shoulders) of Valentina Blinova, Ballets Russes, 1930s (Item 116)

Valentina Blinova and Valentin Froman in Serenade, Ballets Russes, 1930s (Item 117)

Two Ballets Russes artists in pose from unidentified ballet, 1930s (Item 118)

Portrait of Tamara Toumanova and unidentified partner, Ballets Russes, 1930s (Item 119)

Portrait (head and shoulders) of Nina Raievska, Ballets Russes, 1930s (Item 120)

Portrait of Roland Guerard in costume, Ballets Russes, 1930s (Item 121)

Portrait of Igor Yousskevitch in The Firebird, Ballets Russes, 1930s (Item 122)

Portrait (head and shoulders) of Tamara Tchinarova Finch as a nursemaid in Petrouchka, Ballets Russes Australian tours, c.1937 (Item 123)

Portrait of Sonia Woizikowska, Monte Carlo Russian Ballet, c.1936-1937 (Item 124)

Sonia Woizikowska in costume for Le Carnaval, Ballets Russes, c.1937 (Item 125)

Portrait (head and shoulders) of unidentified dancer from Les Ballets de la Jeunesse, c.1939 (Item 126)

Portrait of Thomas Armour, Monte Carlo Russian Ballet, 1937 (Item 127)

Portrait of Nina Raievska in Schéhérazade, Monte Carlo Russian Ballet, 1937 (Item 128)

Portrait (head and shoulders) of Hélène Kirsova in Swan Lake, Monte Carlo Russian Ballet, 1937 (Item 129)

Hélène Kirsova as the Ballerina in Petrouchka, Monte Carlo Russian Ballet, c.1936-1937 (Item 130)

Portrait of Igor Yousskevitch, Monte Carlo Russian Ballet, 1937 (Item 131)

Posed photograph of Valentina Blinova in costume as the Street Dancer in Le Beau Danube, Monte Carlo Russian Ballet, c.1936-1937 (Item 132)

Posed photograph of Leon Woizikowski and Valentina Blinova in costume as the Street Dancer and the Hussar Le Beau Danube, Monte Carlo Russian Ballet, c.1936-1937 (Item 133)

Portrait of Lina Lerina, Ballets Russes, 1930s (Item 134)

Reproduction of sketched portrait (head and shoulders) of Vera Nemtchinova, Ballets Russes, 1930s (Item 135)

Portrait (head and shoulders) of Tamara Grigorieva, Ballets Russes, 1930s (Item 136)

Portrait (head and shoulders) of Paul Petroff, Ballets Russes Australian tours, c.1939 (Item 137)

Portrait (head and shoulders) of Paul Petroff as the Prince in Cendrillon, Ballets Russes Australian tours, c.1939 (Item 138)

'Duo Ritasso' - male and female duo in Spanish dance pose, c.1939 (Item 139)

Portrait (head and shoulders) of Vera Nelidova, Ballets Russes, 1930s (Item 140)

Two unidentified male dancers in eighteenth century costume, c.1940 (?) (Item 141)

Margaret Dale and Gordon Hamilton in Les Patineurs, Sadler's Wells Ballet, c.1940 (Item 142)

Portrait (head and shoulders) of Gordon Hamilton, c.1940 (Item 143)

Margot Fonteyn in Giselle, Sadler's Wells Ballet, c.1940 (Item 144)

Portrait of La Meri in costume for Goyesca dance, c.1940 (?) (Item 145)

Gordon Hamilton as Avarice in The Quest, Sadler's Wells Ballet, c.1944 (Item 146)

Series 2. Correspondence and memorabilia, 1934-1959

The series contains two letters to Moya Beaver from fellow dancer Gordon Hamilton and one from 'Nina', who wrote after Gordon's death. There are eight pages of notes made by Beaver whilst travelling, her passport, portraits, a video, a scrapbook and other memorabilia, and publications from the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, including Beaver's Associate's Certificate.

Correspondence, 1939-1959 (File 1)

Programs and memorabilia, 1936-1941 (File 2)

Ballets de Monte-Carlo, 1939 (File 3)

Scrapbook, 1934-1941 (File 4)

Portraits, 1939-1940 (File 5)

Videocassette titled 'The Castlecrag Estate', with a note from Albert Burlakov (File 6)

The Castlecrag Estate - Screen Sound Australia (Item NLA.MS-VID000054) - Shelf-Tall OH1-18-001
1 item, Consumer formats - VHS, S-VHS etc.

Series 3. Dance magazines, 1926-1939

The Dance Journal, September 1937, December 1938 and March 1939 (File 1)

The Dancing Times, March 1937 (File 2)

The Dance Magazine, January 1926, November 1926, August 1927, April 1928, January 1930 and March 1930 (File 3)

Container List

Series File Item(s) Box
1 1 1-28, 33-51 1
1 2 52-91 1
1 3 92-95, 99-124 1
1 4 125-146 1
1 5 29-32, 96-98 1
1 6 Duplicates 1
2 1-3 1
2 4-6 2
3 1-3 2

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