Trailblazing dancer and choreographer Eileen Kramer dies at 110

“Eileen was a trailblazer and a true creative spirit,” her management said in a statement.
Eileen Kramer
Eileen Kramer(Photo | Instagram)
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The dancer, choreographer, artist and writer Eileen Kramer died peacefully at her home in Lulworth House in Sydney at 4.45pm on Friday, exactly a week after her 110th birthday, The Guardian reported.

Kramer was a pioneer in Australian dance across a career that spanned four continents and brought her in touch with some of the 20th century’s greatest artists, according to The Australian.

“Eileen was a trailblazer and a true creative spirit,” her management said in a statement.

“She will be dearly missed by those who knew her and those inspired by her across the world, The Australian added.

“She is the last dancer of the Bodenwieser era, she was the longest living woman in NSW and most likely the longest living dancer internationally.”

She was a founding member of the Bodenwieser Ballet in her 20s, which led to her tour Australia and the world.

She spent 60 years working overseas including in Paris, London, New York and India.

The Bodenwieser Ballet was founded by Austrian choreographer Gertrud Bodenwieser. Of Jewish descent, Bodenweiser escaped Hitler on the eve that he came to Vienna.

Kramer saw the Bodenwieser Ballet perform at age 24 and “fell in love immediately and just knew she had to become a dancer,” her creative collaborator, choreographer and artist Sue Healey said.

“She was fairly late to dance. She was not trained at all, but she managed, after three years, to get into that company.”

Kramer, according to The Guardian, will appear in a final performance as Eurydice on video in Healey’s premiere of her work Afterworld: A requiem for Eurydice at the Sydney festival.

“It’s all about the transition between life and death, which Eileen talked about daily, She loved a good Greek myth – and it’s a requiem for her.”

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