ABSTRACT
Louise Lightfoot, born in Yangery on 22 May 1902, was the fourth child and third daughter of Victorian-born parents Charles Lightfoot, a schoolteacher, and his wife Mary, nee Graham. Marion liked Louise as their interests and artistic activities aligned. Through the Griffins, Louise met the Russian folk dancer Misha Burlakov, who had danced with Pavlova's tour. Louise choreographed and produced several ballets a year in the 1930s, sometimes from memory—of productions seen in Australia—and often from descriptions in books and magazines. The extensive notes, commentaries, explanations and interpretation of the art of Kathakali that Louise provided for the public came in as a “valuable aid.” Australian connoisseurs of ballet were “profoundly interested” and “pleasantly impressed” with Shivaram's “original demonstrations.” Louise's discovery, Shivaram, was on his way to becoming an international star. Mary Louise Lightfoot notes that Louise and Shivaram boarded Marseilles from Freemantle bound for Ceylon and Bombay.
