By Abbey Cannan
Proving age is no barrier to doing what you love, a Noosa ballet dancer has reached his 80th birthday with a special surprise from his idol.
Reigniting his passion after moving to the Sunshine Coast, Leon Daulnais was able to meet his favourite ballet dancer, Queensland Ballet Artistic Director Li Cunxin.
To top off the exciting meeting, Li personally signed his book “Mao the Last Dancer” for Leon.
FitBarre teacher Angelika Burroughs said it was the best birthday present for the ballet fan.
“It’s inspirational to have Leon in our class,“ she said.
“I hope to be able to do what he does in 30 or more years of time despite my past dance injuries.
“He is fantastic proof that age is no barrier to do what you love, revoke your passion and stay fit with it.
“I hope his example will make people think, re-value daily life and motivate them to open the new doors of joyful experiences.“
Angelika said Leon was a true gentleman.
“Male dancers have been trained from a very young age how to treat a lady well, support and take care of her,“ she said.
“This training hasn’t changed in 600 years, since ballet began in the 15th century.“
Ballet ’Giselle’ made a significant impression on five-year-old Leon, when his Mum took him to see it as a child.
Leon loved it so much that some years later, at the age of 16, he walked into his local ballet studio.
Vale Joan Halliday was his first inspiring, unforgettable teacher at the Halliday Dance Centre in Sydney.
“Miss Vale Joan was a revered figure in Australian dance history,“ Angelika said.
“Dancing with Kirsova Ballet Company, Borovansky ballet (which later became The Australian Ballet) and Ballet Rambert Joan and her sister Monica became RAD (Royal Academy of Dance) examiners and teachers for many years.“
Leon’s second ballet teacher, Valrene Tweedie was an Australian dancer, teacher and choreographer.
“Tweedie was the only Australian dancer to audition successfully for the Ballet Russes companies that visited Australia between 1936 and 1940,“ Angelika said.
“She joined original Ballet Russe in 1940 at the age of 14. Valrene then changed her name to Russian – Irina Lavrova and danced extensively in North and South America with the ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and ballet Theatre.“
Leon danced until he was 29, when he realised that he needed a stable job and became a hairstylist.
Achieving a successful career in Sydney’s central, elegant Elizabeth Arden’s boutique, opened the doors for Leon to relocate to an even more prestigious Elizabeth Arden salon in London.
Some years later, his passion of learning new skills and eagerness to explore brought him to Hong Kong where Leon enjoyed his lifestyle for 25 years.
Li was highly surprised to hear that it wasn’t their first meeting, as they had previously connected in Hong Kong after one of his touring performances.
