Kenneth Gillespie

Sir Kenneth Gillespie (1929–2010), dancer, teacher and founder of the Tasmanian Ballet, left his native Launceston at age sixteen to join the Borovansky Ballet in Melbourne. Soon a lead dancer, he performed with companies including the Royal Ballet, the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo and the New York City Ballet before returning to Launceston in 1960. There he created Tasmania's first ballet studio, built behind his house in Wellington Street. He ran the Tasmanian Ballet School for many years, from which the performing ensemble known as the Tasmanian Ballet was founded in 1961. His students included Graeme Murphy, who credits him as his mentor, Michelle Hawkins, Natasha Middleton, Claire McHugh and Glenn Murray. The Tasmanian Ballet performed and toured around Australia regularly, including in many primary schools, with Gillespie involved in every aspect of all its productions from 1961. By 1975 it was a state and federally funded professional company. Gillespie was its director until he retired in 1979 and moved to Newcastle for the climate. He received a knighthood from the Order of St John of Malta and of Rhodes in 1989.

Dean Beletich sought to photograph Gillespie after seeing him at exhibition openings and events around Newcastle. At their portrait session he found him to be generous and charming, happy to recount stories about his extraordinary life. Beletich observed that from the outside, Gillespie's worker's cottage in Newcastle looked like any other.

Purchased 2015
© Dean Beletich