Page 7 - Lansdowne Gardens Newsletter Winter 2017_Final

7 LANSDOWNE NEWS, WINTER 2017

Happy Birthday

We wish the following residents

a very Happy Birthday:

June

6 June Lady Byers
7 June Lady Weller
9 June Lorita R
10 June John K

13 June Elizabeth W

24 June Margaret M
29 June William B
Meet Dawn Swane‐Doring
July
4 July Robert M
Dawn has been a resident of Lansdowne Gardens for two years, having
5 July Joan A
previously lived in an apartment in Wycombe Road, Neutral Bay,
12 July Jacqueline D
artistic and always fashionably dressed, Dawn is a valued member of
15 July Susan H our resident's community.
17 July Chui Ha K
She has had a stellar career with the Sadler Wells Ballet Company in
18 July Mary S England and London’s Festival Ballet (now known as the English
23 July Shelia H National Ballet) dancing for several years before an injury caused her
28 July Eileen M to retire from the company. Before that time, Dawn had joined the
French ballet company Les Danseurs de France as its first soloist and in
30 July Philip H
1955 the company danced for the silver jubilee celebrations of the
August coronation of Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia. Approached by the
4 Aug Peggy R London Festival Ballet, for another opportunity to dance, she joined
after being invited to dance the specially written ballet, “Homage to a
9 Aug Joan G
Princess” at the wedding of Grace Kelly to Prince Rainier in 1956. Due
9 Aug Peter R to the increasing back problems, Dawn retired and returned home to
18 Aug Joy L Sydney for treatment, whilst at the same time, deciding to attend a
18 Aug Marie W make‐up course at Gore Hill Technical College. She had done make‐up
courses at Sadlers Wells in London and on completion of her course
20 Aug Georgene T
took a job with Channel 9. Whilst there was a slight improvement with
28 Aug Adele A her neck and back, she developed an interest in choreography and
created two ballets, ‘Black Opal” and “Jephthat and His Daughter” for
which John Antill composed the music. These were performed at the Elizabethan Theatre. Her interest in theatre
increased and she was persuaded to travel to London in time for the international choreography conference arranged by
the BBC, which got her a job with Granada.

This bought her into contact with the famous artists and English members of parliament, who she ‘made‐up’ for their
films and public appearances. Notable personalities were Harold Wilson, who wore a light face powder for Press
photographs, and George Brown, the Deputy Prime Minister, who had a dark beard shadow and if not made up “looks”
awful, often telling Dawn, “I’m in your hands” before appearing publicly. Michael Caine was one of her favourites, and
used mascara to emphasise his blue eyes (which gave him terrific sex appeal). He often commented that the jar of
mascara Dawn used, is what helped him make money! The Beatles were funny, clever and very polite, and were her
favourites, preferring them to the Rolling Stones. Other personalities included Alfred Hitchcock, Henry Mancini, Diane
Cilento and Sean Connery. Often the stars were big headed, and could be difficult, you just had to know when to
encourage and even help them with their lines, was her comment.

Dawn in 1966 set up a very successful professional make‐up training college 3 Arts Make‐Up Centre training students in
all forms of make‐up for Film, TV, Theatre, Fashion and Special FX. Dawn also taught make‐up at NIDA and the
Conservatorium of Music NSW, a make‐up school in the city of Sydney, and did freelance make‐up work for the
television studios. She also developed her own make‐up products. Her daughter, Melinda, continues the artistic
creativity with her job as Production Designer for films and television.