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Discover the story behind the stage

On March 22 1937, in Brisbane, a small band of dedicated ballet teachers, led by the indomitable Miss Phyllis Danaher, established the Queensland branch of the newly formed Australasian Society of Operatic Dancing, an umbrella organisation for teachers of ballet.

This was the genesis of Ballet Theatre Queensland (BTQ), now arguably Queensland’s, if not Australia’s, leading youth ballet company.

Eighty years of existence for any arts organisation takes passion, resilience and imagination, and BTQ’s history, reading like a who’s who of the State’s dance luminaries, is also a reflection of the history of dance in Queensland.