Acknowledging the passing of Marion Dent

Marion Dent, née Newman, who has died aged 90, was one of the New Zealand Ballet ‘originals’. 

In 1952, as a ballet student in Auckland, Marion took classes with Danish principal dancer Poul Gnatt when he toured New Zealand with the Borovansky Ballet. When he returned to the city the following year, Marion was one of the young dancers who auditioned and then stepped into leading roles in the inaugural performances of the New Zealand Ballet. 

Marion has the special distinction of being the first dancer to perform as Odette, the White Swan, in any production by the New Zealand Ballet, now the Royal New Zealand Ballet. On 30 June 1953, the first performance by the New Zealand Ballet, she danced the role in excerpts from Act II of Swan Lake, partnered by Poul Gnatt as her Prince.

Marion went on to perform with the New Zealand Ballet until 1957, including touring with Poul Gnatt and fellow original members Gloria Young and Pamela Bishop Williams in ‘Let’s Make A Ballet’ performances promoted by the Community Arts Service. 

She retired from performing in 1957 but continued to be closely and actively involved with the New Zealand Ballet, organising billeting for company dancers when they toured to Hawkes Bay, and in 1983, setting up the RNZB’s first official Friends organisation in the region. This grew to be a national network of committees and members and in 1988, RNZB General Manager Mark Keyworth suggested that a national Friends organisation should be founded. Marion, already serving on the RNZB Board, toured the country to meet with local committees and when the Friends of the RNZB was formally established, became its first President. 

The Royal New Zealand Ballet was honoured to welcome Marion to the company’s 60th birthday celebrations at the St James Theatre in 2013, where she joined fellow ‘originals’ and former directors, including Russell Kerr, Harry Haythorne and Matz Skoog, onstage in a post-Swan Lake curtain call. Until very recently, it was always our pleasure to see her at performances in Napier. 

Since 2017, we have been proud to acknowledge Marion’s many and invaluable contributions to the Royal New Zealand Ballet on the company’s honours board. 

We extend our sympathy to Marion’s family, with immense gratitude for everything that she did to support the RNZB, over 73 years.  

Marion’s funeral will be at St Matthew’s Church, 200 King Street, Hastings, at 11am on Monday 17 August