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Dancer
Louise is former Principal dancer of the Royal New Zealand Ballet, the Hong Kong Ballet and a soloist of the National Ballet of Portugal. She was also Ballet Mistress for the Singapore Dance Theatre and a Guest Ballet Mistress of the Royal New Zealand Ballet.
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As Louise McElroy, she was chosen for the New Zealand Ballet as a soloist at the age of sixteen and performing in early repertoire including Petrouchka and Les Rendezvous.
She then travelled to London for professional ballet classes with Hungarian émigrée teacher Maria Fay.
An offer of a soloist contract with the Gulbenkian National Ballet of Portugal by Director Walter Gore, avant garde and former principal of the Sadlers Well Ballet, continued her professional career.
In Portugal Louise was chosen for principal roles in Firebird, Le Beau Danube, Aurora's Wedding and Les Sylphides by legendary dancers of the Ballet Russe, Serge Lifar, Leonide Massine and Beriosoff.
As Louise Hawke in Hong Kong, she danced principal roles for David Bintley, Director of the Birmingham Royal Ballet, for Choo San Goh of Washington Ballet and for Jack Carter from Festival Ballet London. Roles included full length Giselle, Cinderella and Grands Pas de Deux from Le Bayadere, Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker, Paquita, Le Corsaire, Don Quixote, Swan Lake and in the Bournonville repertoire in Napoli and the Flower Festival at Genzano.
As a guest for the Royal New Zealand Ballet the principal role in Pineapple Poll for New Zealand television and in gala pas de deux with Sir John Trimmer of Black Swan and Nutcracker.
Childhood
Louise was born in Auckland and began ballet at the age of 3, training with Creina Gee and Rowena Jackson of the Royal Ballet, New Zealand’s most famous ballerina.
She gained her RAD Elementary with Honours and Intermediate and Advanced with Highly Commended. She received two consecutive QE11 Bursary study awards.
Rowena Jackson
