Frank Staff

Frank Staff (1918-1971) was an 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, and worked for the Perfoming Arts Councils (inter alia PACOFS) and for private companies.

Married to Heather Lloyd-Jones, whom he later divorced and long time partner of Veronica Paeper.

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 actually Both performances were also filmed.

Other stage productions include the choreography for Brian Brooke's Irma la Douce (1960) and Brian Brooke and John Kavan’s The Minstrel Show (1966).