Former Royal New Zealand Ballet dancer Mary ‘Dawn’ Russell died in Alexandra on October 2, aged 86 years.

Loving mother of Lee (Alexandra), Rebecca (Tauranga) and Anna (Italy), and proud grandmother of Hunter, Moss, and Maggie, Dawn began her years in Dunedin, and attended Arthur Street School.

As well as a dancer, she led an interesting life as a teacher, an entertainer and was a generous hostess and friend to many.

Her dream was always to study ballet and she finally persuaded her mother to agree. 

Naturally talented, she sailed through her exams and was awarded a scholarship with the Royal New Zealand Ballet, and toured with the company.

Dawn Russell performing with the Royal New Zealand Ballet in her younger years. PHOTO: Supplied

Good friend of 30 years Esme Kilgour, who spoke at her funeral, said she understood Dawn even danced with Sir Jon Trimmer - and along with his wife, became lifelong friends.

Establishing a ballet school in Alexandra in her 20s, at the request of former artist the late Elizabeth Stevens - who wanted someone to teach her children, Dawn used to bus from Dunedin and then back to Roxburgh to give lessons, before heading home again.

The Stevens family introduced her to her future husband Bruce, who was studying architecture.

“Dawn’s life, from what I have gleaned over the years, was one of high achievement, hard work, generous hospitality and friendship,” Esme said.

Travelling by boat to go to Sydney for her overseas experience, Dawn auditioned for the main role in Alice In Wonderland at a pantomime, which she was successful at, and was also a good actress on the stage as well.

In her role of Alice in Alice in Wonderland at a Sydney Pantomime. PHOTO: Supplied

She then continued on to London which took five weeks via sea, and married her husband in Tayaran where he was working at the time.

They returned to Auckland to start a family, where each of the three girls were born, and Dawn took to sewing to supplement the family income.

Several years later they moved to Alexandra where she took over Fay McKay’s ballet school, and Dawn choreographed and acted in many shows for the Alexandra Musical Society. 

At one stage she put on a concert to raise money for Greenpeace.

After the marriage ended after 16 years, Dawn started Alexandra’s first wine bar ‘The Dandelion’ along Limerick St.

“It was a wonderful place, small and welcoming with good food and great music,” Esme said.

Dawn always exuded a warm welcome to anyone visiting her home, and her Christmas dinners always included people whose families were far away.

“She worked hard at any job she took on - nothing was beneath her and all was tackled with a broad smile,” she said.

In her later years she enjoyed the companionship of friends in Tai Chi, book group, mahjong, The Poetry Party and the Shakespeare group.

“No matter how difficult things were, we could always have a glass of wine and laugh,” Esme said.