Gailene Stock obituary

http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2014/may/22/gailene-stock

Version 0 of 1.

During her 15-year tenure as director of the Royal Ballet School, my colleague Gailene Stock, who has died aged 68, had an immeasurable impact on the lives of young dancers in her care. From her first days in post in 1999, she breathed energy and vitality into the organisation, paving the way for it to become one of the top three vocational dance schools in the world.

Her approach, which prepared students for a career in dance through adding a third year to the upper school and providing greater opportunities for performance and touring, resulted in a dramatic rise in graduate employment rates – from 48% before she joined to 96% three years afterwards. The proportion of students offered contracts has since risen to 100%.

But Gailene wanted to ensure students left the school as rounded individuals, not only world-class performers. She said that we should "not only produce dancers of excellence but also dedicated, balanced, well-mannered, thinking individuals who will be an asset to any community and in any environment – not only a joy to watch but a pleasure to know".

Born in Ballarat, Victoria, Gailene trained initially in Australia and then at the Royal Ballet upper school, in London, thanks to a scholarship awarded by the Royal Academy of Dance. She danced as a principal artist with the Australian Ballet, the National Ballet of Canada and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, performing many of the leading roles in major classics and also many dramatic works.

After a 16-year professional dancing career, she accepted the positions of director of the National Theatre Ballet School, Victoria, for eight years and of the Australian Ballet School for nine years, before taking on the role of director of the Royal Ballet School.

In 1997, Gailene was made a member of the Order of Australia for services to ballet. She received the Governors of the Royal Ballet gold medal in 2013. Her knowledge and experience were regularly sought in the dance community worldwide. She participated as a jury member in many international competitions including the Prix de Lausanne, Switzerland, and the Youth America Grand Prix, New York.

Last year, she was made CBE.

Gailene is survived by her husband, Gary, and daughter, Lisa.