The ballerina takes a bow

As thoughts turn to the visions of sugarplums that spice up the holiday ballet season, Yvonne Mounsey stands—regally, of course—for the grace and fortitude behind the glitter.

The acclaimed ballet instructor and former ballerina wears the mantle of her 90 years so lightly that she virtually bounded up to the dais recently to receive special birthday honors from Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky and his board colleagues. With her ageless vitality (not to mention her envy-inspiring posture), Mounsey graciously acknowledged the tribute. “I really love what I do, and have been doing for so many years, and hope to continue to do what we do for ballet, particularly in Los Angeles,” the dancer explained simply.

The journey from international dancer to Westside ballet doyenne was anything but simple. Consider the person behind the proclamation:

A native of South Africa, Mounsey found her artistic calling at an early age. In 1949, after more than a decade of work in several ballet troupes that carried her to varied locales on the Continent, throughout North America, Central America, Cuba and Australia, legendary choreographer George Balanchine recruited her for his fledgling New York City Ballet. There, she performed as a soloist and later principal dancer in memorable roles such as the Siren in Balanchine’s “Prodigal Son” and many others before returning to South Africa in 1960 to co-found the Johannesburg Ballet.

Later, she relocated to Los Angeles with her husband and daughter. In 1967, she took over a struggling dancing school and formed an enduring artistic partnership with former Royal Ballet dancer Rosemary Valaire. Together, they established the Westside Ballet, today one of the West Coast’s most esteemed ballet academies.

“We present performances of the Nutcracker every year and the spring performance, at reasonable prices so all the children can come and see us,” Mounsey told the Board, “so that’s our aim, is to give ballet and the arts to the children.” That she has done for more than seven decades, and the world of dance is richer for it.

Watch Dance TV’s earlier birthday tribute here, and learn more about the Westside Ballet here.