Betty Oliphant

Nancy Elizabeth "Betty" Oliphant, CC, O.Ont (August 5, 1918 – July 12, 2004) was a co-founder of the National Ballet School of Canada. Born in London, she suffered from pneumonia as a child and her doctor prescribed ballet lessons to help with her breathing. She studied with Tamara Karsavina, Laurent Novikoff and Marie Rambert. By the age of 17, she had opened her own school. She moved to Canada in 1947. In 1951, she became ballet mistress for th... more

Nancy Elizabeth "Betty" Oliphant, CC, O.Ont (August 5, 1918 – July 12, 2004) was a co-founder of the National Ballet School of Canada. Born in London, she suffered from pneumonia as a child and her doctor prescribed ballet lessons to help with her breathing. She studied with Tamara Karsavina, Laurent Novikoff and Marie Rambert. By the age of 17, she had opened her own school. She moved to Canada in 1947. In 1951, she became ballet mistress for the National Ballet of Canada at the request of Celia Franca, the company's director. She and Franca founded the National Ballet School of Canada in 1959. Alumni include Frank Augustyn, Rex Harrington, Karen Kain, James Kudelka and Veronica Tennant. Her training was based on the Cecchetti method of classical dance. In 1969, she became associate artistic director for the National Ballet of Canada, but resigned in 1975 to devote herself to the school. She retired in 1989. She was known for her strict manner, high standards and insistence on... less