Born: 1926 (Invercargill, New Zealand)
Biography:
Rowena Othlie Jackson MBE (also known as Chatfield; born 24 March 1926) is a New Zealand former prima ballerina. She was born in Invercargill to William Ernest Jackson and Lilian Jane, née Solomon. As a young child, her ballet teachers were Stan Lawson and Rosetta Powell in Dunedin. She attended primary schools in Invercargill, Dunedin, and Auckland, followed by Epsom Girls’ Grammar School.
In 1939, a benefit concert was held at His Majesty’s Theatre in Auckland to raise funds for Jackson to continue her study in Paris. However, due to World War II, Jackson and her mother went to Melbourne and Sydney instead. Despite the change of plans, Jackson’s passion for ballet continued to grow. In 1941, she won the first Royal Academy of Dance scholarship in New Zealand.
In 1946, Jackson joined the Sadler’s Wells Ballet in London. She quickly gained recognition for her talent and became notable for her role as Swanhilda in the ballet Coppélia. During her time in London, she had the opportunity to dance with renowned dancers such as Robert Helpmann and her husband Philip Chatfield. By February 1954, she had been promoted to prima ballerina at Sadler’s Wells Ballet.
Not only was Jackson known for her technical skills, but she also possessed a special gift for fast and brilliant turns. In fact, before she left New Zealand in 1940, she set a world record by performing 121 fouettés sur place. Jackson and Chatfield danced together in the Royal Ballet’s production of Giselle shortly after their marriage.
In 1959, the couple retired from the Royal Ballet and moved back to New Zealand. Jackson took on the role of artistic director of the Royal New Zealand Ballet company. Both Jackson and Chatfield also served as directors of the New Zealand Ballet School. Jackson found inspiration in the dancing of Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell, but it was a visit from the Russian ballerina Irina Baronova that truly ignited her passion for ballet and motivated her to pursue it as her life’s ambition.
Outside of her ballet career, Jackson had a fulfilling personal life. On 4 February 1958, she married the British dancer Philip Chatfield. Together, they had a son named Paul and a daughter named Rosetta. In 1991, they were living in Te Atat. After their retirement, they relocated to the Gold Coast in Queensland in 1993. Unfortunately, Chatfield passed away in Brisbane in July 2021, leaving behind a legacy of dance and love.
Awards:
– Member of the Order of the British Empire (1961) for services to ballet. Jackson was the first dancer to receive this honor, recognizing her significant contributions to the world of ballet and her impact on New Zealand’s dance scene.