Dame Adeline Genée DBE

Dame Adeline Genée DBE had a long and illustrious career as a dancer before she co-founded the Association of Operatic Dancing in 1920, as the Academy was then known. Born in Denmark, Adeline Genée had been taught exclusively by her uncle, and received her early stage experience with his touring company. By the age of 15 Genée was already a veteran of five years on the stage, she had danced at the Zentralhallen Theatre at Stettin and at 17 appeared at the Imperial Opera in Berlin. In 1897, at the age of 19, Genée's reputation was such that it earned her an engagement, albeit a provisional one, as a ballerina at the Empire Palace of Varieties in Leicester Square. She remained a star of the Empire ballet for more than 12 years, winning not only the adoration of theatre-goers but also a growing respect that did much to raise the standing of the dancing profession in the general public’s estimation.

The first of what has been described as the “Genée Ballets” was a modest production, The Milliner Duchess, in 1903. Another Genée Ballet was Cinderella, in 1906. Her best-loved role was probably that of Swanhilda in Coppelia. Genée’s influence on the ballet world did not end with her performing career. She joined Philip Richardson, Edourd Espinosa and other ballet professionals at a series of ‘Dancer’s circle’ dinners and, when a resolution was passed to set up an Association of Teachers of what was then called Operatic Dancing, she was elected President.

Two of its most significant developments were directly due to Genée: Queen Mary’s acceptance to become the Association’s Patron in 1928, and eight years later, the granting of a Royal Charter which transformed the Association into the Royal Academy of Dancing, known today as the Royal Academy of Dance.

Throughout the Second World War Genée remained at the head of the Academy and worked tirelessly on its behalf. In 1950 her services to ballet were recognised by the honour of a DBE, the first to be bestowed on a member of the dance profession. She retired as President in 1954 but took a healthy interest in the Academy’s affairs until her death in 1970.

Today Adeline Genée’s name is remembered by the studio at Academy headquarters and by the annual Genée International Ballet Competition. The competition originated in 1931 with the Adeline Genée gold medal awarded to Felicity Garratt. The medal was introduced as a further goal for candidates who had passed the Solo Seal examination (also introduced in 1931) to aim for. Other medals were later added to this: the silver medal (1934) the bronze medal (1956) and the gold and silver medals for male dancers (1938). The competition has taken place almost every year since, even during the Second World War. 2003 was only the second time that the competition has been held outside of London. In 2002, Sydney Opera House played host to the competition’s record number of candidates. The competition is now held in the UK every other year, so following last year’s stunning event in Athens at the Herod Odeon Atticus under the auspices of the Cultural Olympiad, Greece 2004, the Genée International Ballet Competition returns to London where Sadler’s Wells Theatre is the kind host.