Kathrine Sorley Walker (1920 – 2015)

One of the dance world’s best known writers over many years, Kathrine Sorley Walker has died, apparently in her sleep, the night of 14 – 15 April 2015. Born on 5 March 1920 in Aberdeen and proud of her Scottish heritage, she lived in London most of her life and became an ardent traveler. Sorley Walker studied at colleges in London and Besancon, France. Her mother had introduced her to the ballet and her first published review (during or just after World War 2) was of modern dancer Pola Nirenska (a Mary Wigman pupil). The daytime work Sorley Walker did included curatorial services for the London Archives of the Dance (now part of the Victoria and Albert Museum), editing for Geographical magazine (1951-1956), and then for  many years she assisted literary agent Helga Guinness Greene. At night, Sorley Walker reviewed for The Playgoer (1951-1961), then for the Daily Telegraph newspaper (1962 – 1995), eventually becoming its principal dance critic. To the end she also wrote for specialty publications such as Dance Chronicle, Dance International, Dance Now, Dancing Times and DanceView, as well as entries for the Encyclopedia Britannica. She was a meticulous historian and her books and monographs are considered standard references. They focus on institutions such as DeBasil’s Ballets Russes and Britain’s Royal Ballet as well as on individuals, among them Ninette DeValois, Robert Helpmann, Andree Howard and Cyril W. Beaumont. She was co-editor of her mentor A.V. Coton’s collected criticism and of crime mystery author Raymond Chandler’s correspondence and speeches. Reading who-done-it? novels was her favorite past time. She also was a published poet and wrote children’s books about Sultan Saladin and Joan of Arc. 

 

Kathrine had friends and acquaintances in many countries with whom she shared her admiration of, especially, the art of dance. Yet she remained a very private lady in some ways. During her adult life, only her solicitor knew her birth year for sure. After  learning of Kathrine’s death, I sat down to read again in her “DeBasil’s Ballets Russes” (Hutchinson, 1982).  Amazing how her prose propels the reader along, yet also tempts one to linger.  

 

__George Jackson