Ballet Mistress & Rehabilitation Facilitator
Noelle Shader was born in Caracas, Venezuela and emigrated to the United States, where she studied at the School of American Ballet in New York City. She was one of the last intakes into the school under Balanchine's direction. In 1976 Noelle joined the New York City Ballet and remained with the company until 1981. Emigrating to Australia, Noelle worked as a classical dance lecturer at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts with Dame Peggy van Praagh, and in 1984 assumed the position of Ballet Mistress with the West Australian Ballet. In 1989 she joined The Australian Ballet as Ballet Mistress under the direction of Maina Gielgud. After six years she returned to freelance work as a full-time classical dance lecturer at the Victorian College of the Arts; restaging choreographic works and teaching in the larger dance community. She rejoined The Australian Ballet as Ballet Mistress in 1997 and continues as Ballet Mistress and Dance Rehabilitator for the company under Artistic Director David McAllister. Over the years, Noelle has been involved in the premieres of many ballets now in the company's repertoire, including Nutcracker, Divergence, Rites, Bella Figura, Requiem and Madame Butterfly and has enjoyed working with great artists, choreographers and directors. Noelle has been a dance panel member for the Department of the Arts (WA) and the Australia Council, and has choreographed works for West Australian Ballet and for the Festival of Perth. In 2003 Noelle was awarded a Centenary Medal.
