Our Founder

FOUNDER

Phyllis Danaher MBE, FRAD

(1908-1991)

Phyllis Danaher was a dancer, teacher of dance, and choreographer. Born in Brisbane, she helped establish the Queensland branch of the newly formed Australasian Society of Operatic Dancing, an umbrella organization for teachers of ballet. This was the genesis of Ballet Theatre Queensland (BTQ), which she went on to direct well into the 1980s. Miss Danaher was the first Queensland teacher to gain the Advanced Teacher Certificate from the Royal Academy of Dance. From 1957 to 1982, she was a children’s examiner for the Royal Academy of Dance. Her contributions were recognized when she was made a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Dance and a Member of the British Empire for service to dance in Queensland. Two of Miss Danaher’s more successful students were Principal Artists with the Australian Ballet, Garth Welch and Lucette Aldous. For more background and history, please visit our BTQ archive here.