Lucette Aldous AC, one of Australia’s few internationally acclaimed ballerinas, died peacefully at the age of 82 on 5 June 2021, surrounded by roses and photographs arranged by her daughter Floeur Lucette Alder. Her husband Alan Alder, born in Canberra, died in 2019. Former Artistic Director of The Australian Ballet, David McAllister said, “Lucette was the first ballerina I ever saw live on stage. For me, as for the thousands of dancers around the world who saw her dance in the theatre or in the film of Don Quixote, she was an inspiration. She was a star in our great national company for so many years and we will miss her deeply.”

Lucette Aldous and Rudolf Nureyev in Don Quixote, The Australian Ballet. Photograph © Paul Cox

Indeed, Aldous’s performances as the fiery Kitri opposite Rudolf Nureyev as her lover Basilio were exceptional in the superstar’s new production of Don Quixote for The Australian Ballet, where they danced as guest artists. Both pint-sized by today’s standards, and equally obsessed with perfection, they filled the stage with a tour de force of provocation and joyous romance. The world premiere at the 1970 Adelaide Festival,...