Betty Oliphant
The exacting co-founder of Canada's National Ballet School, whose rigorous standards forged the technical backbone of classical dance across the nation.
1918–2004 (age 86)·Canadian dance educator·Birthday: August 5·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Betty Oliphant did not suffer fools, and she had little patience for anything less than excellence. A trained dancer from England, she brought a fierce, uncompromising vision to a young Canada's ballet scene. In 1959, she partnered with Celia Franca to establish the National Ballet School of Canada, creating an institution that would feed the National Ballet company and shape the country's dance identity for decades. As its principal for over thirty years, Oliphant was the school's relentless engine, designing a syllabus that fused the athleticism of the Russian method with the precision of the Cecchetti technique. Her eye was legendary, capable of spotting a misplaced pinky from the back of the studio. She trained a generation of dancers who became international stars, instilling in them a discipline and a technical purity that became known as the 'Canadian style'—a direct reflection of her own formidable will.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Betty was born in 1918, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Betty Was Born
The biggest hits of 1918
Betty's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1918Born
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1923Started school
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1931Became a teenager
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1934Could drive
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1936Could vote
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1939Turned 21
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1948Turned 30
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1958Turned 40
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1968Turned 50
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 60
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 70
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 80
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2004Died at 86
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
Key Achievements
- Co-founded the National Ballet School of Canada in 1959 and served as its Principal for 30 years.
- Developed a unique, hybrid ballet training syllabus that became the standard for professional training in Canada.
- Mentored and trained numerous dancers who became principal artists with major companies worldwide.
- Was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada for her contributions to dance education.
Did You Know?
She was a qualified examiner in the Cecchetti method of ballet before moving to Canada.
She initially came to Canada to recover from a back injury, not to teach.
She authored an autobiography titled 'Miss O: My Life in Dance'.
“You cannot train a dancer by post.”
