Joan Lawson (1907-2002). British dancer, teacher and writer

Joan Lawson was born in London. She studied ballet and dance under Serafina Astafieva and Margaret Morris, and also at the Moscow State Academy and the Vaganova School in Leningrad. From 1933 to 1934 she danced with the Nemtchinova-Dolin Ballet, but, as a frequent visitor to the Soviet Union, she principally made her name as an expert on Russian training and technique. Lawson wrote many books and articles on ballet, its history and training, especially for Dancing Times. She directed the Teachers’ Course at The Royal Academy of Dance from 1947 until 1959, and taught at The Royal Ballet School from 1963 until 1971.