Veronica Paeper


Veronica Paeper is a South African choreographer and dancer.

Career

Paeper was born on 9 April 1944 in Port Shepstone but trained with Dulcie Howes at the University of Cape Town Ballet School after her family moved to Cape Town. Although noted as South Africa's most prolific choreographer, Paeper was also a principal dancer with CAPAB, the PACT Ballet and the Orange Free State Ballet.
Paeper choreographed her first ballet, John the Baptist to music by Ernest Bloch for CAPAB in 1972, leading to her appointment as the company's resident choreographer. In 1991, she became the company director of CAPAB and led the company on the first international tour of a South African ballet company, in 1994. She choreographed over 40 works for the company, including a number of full-length works such as Orpheus in the Underwold, A Christmas Carol, Hamlet and Sylvia in Hollywood. She retired from CAPAB in 2005. She was awarded a Molteno Gold Medal in 2005 'in recognition of her lifetime achievements in the performing arts' by The Cape Tercentenary Foundation. In 2009 she founded the South African National Dance Trust with Robyn Taylor and Mike Bosazzo, a nonprofit organisation to promote dance through performance, education and job opportunities.

Personal life

Paeper married fellow dancer and choreographer Frank Staff in 1966. She and Staff had a son together before his death in 1971. She is now married to Ken Kearns.

Choreographed works

1970s