The red shoes was written, directed and produced by the team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger and released in 1948. Sir Robert Helpmann starred in the film and choreographed the 20-minute ballet sequence from which this segment is taken. The ballet sequence is based on the story by Hans Christian Anderson.

Dancer and actor Sir Robert Helpmann was born in Mt Gambier in 1909 and educated at Prince Alfred College. In 1926 he joined the touring dance company of the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova and began his professional dance career in 1927 in Sydney. Due to limited opportunities for serious dance in Australia in 1933 he went to London and joined the Vic-Wells Ballet (which later became Sadler's Wells) and later the Royal Ballet. Perhaps the highpoint of Helpmann's dance career was the Royal Ballet's tour of the USA in 1949, where he and Margot Fonteyn danced the leading roles in The Sleeping Beauty. As his dance career entered its twilight phase he developed his acting career including playing Hamlet at the Old Vic Theatre Company and appearing in other films such as The Tales of Hoffmann, The Quiller Memorandum, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Mango Tree.

From 1965 to 1974 Helpmann was co-artistic director of the Australian Ballet with Peggy van Praagh and in 1975 held the position on his own. He was named Australian of the Year in 1965 and was knighted in 1968. He died in Sydney in 1986.

SA Memory : SA People : Robert Helpmann entry

Sir Robert Helpmann Australia Dancing
The Red shoes (1948 film)
The Red shoes (story by Hans Christian Anderson)