The Lady Retires

June Roper's students continued to impress those who were informed concerning dancing and her pupils found work in a variety of productions. However, her life wasn't all work. In 1940, she became engaged to a prominent Vancouver businessman, Duncan Crux. She was thirty-three years old and decided to give up her career for marriage. She began to make a practical transition from her intense programme of teaching and productions.

Dorothy Wilson, from Victoria, agreed to take over the B.C. School of Dancing in 1940. Wilson had toured Europe extensively as a teacher of ballet. Dorothy agreed to begin her tenure in the spring. June continued to coach her special students and collaborated with Wilson on the Stars of Tomorrow revue for that year.

Wilson brought in Princess Sylvia Arfa, a Cecchetti disciple and daughter of the Persian Ambassador to the Russian Imperial Court to be her partner.

Following her marriage in 194, June gradually loosened her ties to the school. And article in the 1945 issue of Dance Magazine, written by Montreal dance writer, Francis Coleman, recognized June's contribution to the dance world, calling her a "ballet starmaker". The following year, June was one of the founding members of the Vancouver Ballet Society. After a time, June made her home in Palm Springs, California though she did maintain an apartment in Vancouver for some years.

June's first born daughter, Elizabeth, became an expert ballet teacher and used many of June's training techniques in her studios in Santa Cruz, California and West Vancouver, B.C. as well as Scottsdale, Arizona. Lauren, June's second daughter is a psychotherapist in Santa Cruz, California.

Leland Windreich, the author of the book June Roper, Ballet Starmaker, where I am getting my information, spoke with June Roper in the late 1970s when she came to Vancouver. Windreich attended a reception at her apartment where former students of June's were in attendance. They graciously supplied Windreich with some of the information he used for the book.

In 1978, the Dance in Canada Association honoured June at it's annual meeting at the University of British Columbia. She was recognized for her outstanding role as a pioneer in the development of ballet in Canada. 

June was plagued by bad health in her final years. She had Alzheimer's disease and died on November 21, 1991. Her legacy will live on forever - the dancers she trained have gone on to influence others and the stars she trained will remain in the hearts of dance followers forever.

 This photo is of June Roper - now Mrs. A.G. Duncan Crux, with a baby on her lap. Taken in August of 1942. I got it from the City of Vancouver archives 

I took this photo of a photo of June Roper when I toured the Orpheum theatre.

Another photo of a photo from the Orpheum theatre. This one of June Roper's dancers.

I hope you enjoyed my look at this fabulous woman. One thing about writing this blog that I love is some of the people I get to 'meet'.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

June Roper's B.C. School of Dancing

June Roper fulfilled her commitment to Yvonne Firkins and Vivien Ramsay but she didn't go back to Los Angeles. Instead, she joined with a twenty-three-year-old woman, Hope Brealey, who had an aptitude for bookkeeping to open June Roper's B.C. School of Dancing. Brealey was working in clerical position, which although secure, wasn't that challenging. She and June agreed Hope would earn sixty dollars a month and a ten percent share of the school's take.

The two rented a suite at 887 Seymour Street - adjacent to the Orpheum Theatre. The space was suitable for two studios. A student later recalled the area to be surprisingly spacious. The school contained a reception room, a sewing room, a business office and a studio large enough to accommodate thirty dancers. The studio had an excellent wooden floor, strong barres of two heights and one fully mirrored wall. There was a smaller studio and an airless, crowded dressing room without showers, which occupied the remaining area. 

June was able to direct the school with minimum assistance for the next five years. Colonel de Basil's Ballets Russes appeared three times in Vancouver during that time and June continued to be inspired as a teacher and a choreographer by those shows. The young Canadians who came to her studios had innate talents, strong bodies and the kind of dedication she demanded.

The school was open Monday through Friday from early morning until nightfall. The late afternoon classes were for the young beginners and the advanced ballet class was held at 10:00 am for ninety minutes. Early afternoons were devoted to rehearsals for upcoming shows and recitals. Some pupils would choose to spend a full day at the studio and they paid a monthly rate of thirty-five dollars. That fee included morning class and a half-hour of private instruction each week with June. These students were the ones interested in a career in the ballet.

June taught the beginning and advanced classes. She called upon associates and experienced students for special teaching assignments. Most of her advanced students took part in teaching the younger children. Ted Cawker, a local performer, offered classes in tap dancing. Vancouver athletes shared their skills in acrobatics for performance training.

When she taught her private lessons, June gave personal attention to a dancer's special needs. She would often provide programmes of intensive correction. For example, Robert Lindgren was given a series of exercises to elevate his arches.

Usually an advanced class drew twelve to fifteen pupils. Each day of the week was assigned a different ballet activity. Mondays were leaps and jumps; Tuesdays, turns; Wednesday, combinations; Thursday, adagio and Fridays, character class.

Thanks goes to the book June Roper Ballet Starmaker and its author, Leland Windreich for the information. Wednesday, I will tell you more about June's school.

I hope you find the beauty around you.