Frank Staff

(1918-1971) Influential ballet dancer and choreographer. Born in Kimberley, he left the country to work internationally for Ballet Rambert, Sadler's Wells, the Metropolitan Ballet and other companies. Returned in 1955 to found The South African Ballet for which he choreographed 15 dances. His most notable work in terms of theatre history is his works based on South African stories and works and became a precursor of the influential modern dance and physical theatre movements which developed to full strength in the late 1980s. His seminal versions of N.P. van Wyk Louw's poem Raka and the narrative of the Rain Queen were filmed. STAFF, Frank. Dancer and choreographer. Married to Heather Lloyd-Jones. Later divorced. He did the choreography for the hit musical comedy Irma la Douce, staged by the Brooke company in 1960, starring Heather Lloyd-Jones, Siegfried Mynhardt, John Whiteley and Robert Haber. It toured all the major cities and the Rhodesias. He did choreography for Brian Brooke and John Kavan’s co-directed show, The Minstrel Show, which they stage in 1966.

Sources

Tucker, 1997

Return to ESAT Personalities S

Return to South African Theatre Personalities

Return to Main Page