DIANA DE VOS OAM, MA, FRAD
Diana was a Principal Dancer with WA Ballet from 1958/66. In Sydney, she performed with Dance Concert, Northside Ballet Co and Kalinka Character Dance Ensemble from 1967/76.
Her teaching career commenced in Perth, followed by ten years in Sydney. She returned to Perth in 1977 to teach for the Graduate College of Dance, and later at WAAPA.
In 1982, she became a member of the RAD Advisory Panel of W.A, and in 1992, she became a Vocational Examiner of the RAD.
In 1981, she began higher education graduating with a B.A. majoring in History from UWA (1991), followed by achieving a Master of the Performing Arts from ECU (2018).
In 2015, she received an Order of Australia Medal for her services to the arts.
In 2012, she was a recipient of the RAD President’s Award and in 2017, she became a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Dance.
In 2018, she completed a Certificate IV, Vocational Education and Training.
In 2021, she was awarded the Dr June Jones Award for the most Inspiring Old Collegian at Presbyterian Ladies’ College. In that same year, she was instrumental in establishing the WA Classical Ballet Teachers’ Association Incorporated (with Terri Charlesworth) and was elected inaugural Chairperson of the Association, holding that position until January 2023.
TERRI CHARLESWORTH OAM
Terri is a former international classical ballet teacher, choreographer, performer & educator. Terri joined the WA Ballet in 1952 under Kira Bousloff, and in 1957, she was invited to perform at the International Arts Festival in Moscow, where she won the prestigious Ulanova award for her performance of the Brolga theme and story. She also performed in China, Italy and London before returning to WA and working with the company as its principal ballerina.
In 1960, she established her own school, and later visited and studied with the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow on a cultural exchange programme. In 1979, she established a junior professional dance course, and founded WA’s first professional contemporary dance company, Kinetikos Dance Theatre. In 1981, she joined the Australian Ballet School as a senior classical teacher, and also taught in Japan, Hong Kong, Monaco, Greece and Italy. She came back to WA to establish a full-time dance course for talented students, which is now Charlesworth Ballet School and Youth Ballet WA, under the direction of Terri’s daughter, Sonya Shepherd. In 2021, she was one of the co-founders of WA Classical Ballet Teachers’ Association Inc, (with Diana de Vos) and became its very first Honorary Life Member.
AWARDS
1957 – The Ulanova Laureate – Moscow – Youth Arts Festival
1970 – Advanced Teachers Certificate of the R.A.D.
1987 – Fellow of the Classical Dance Teachers Australia Inc.
1994 – Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) Arts & Culture
2006 – Western Australian Citizen of the Year for Arts, Culture & Entertainment
2015 – Lifetime Teacher Award– Australian Independent Teachers Assoc.
2016 – Lifetime Achievement – Australian Dance Awards – Ausdance
