In Memoriam
Jocelyn Terell Allen
Jocelyn Terell (Allen) in Lilac Garden.
The National Ballet of Canada mourns the loss of former Principal Dancer dancer Jocelyn Terell Allen, who died peacefully on September 11, 2022 at the age of 83. Terell was one of Betty Oliphant’s first students when Oliphant had a studio on Sherbourne Street in Toronto. She joined The National Ballet of Canada in 1956 and became a Principal Dancer in 1963, dancing roles such as Odette/Odile in Celia Franca’s Swan Lake and Queen of the Wilis in Giselle.
After a back injury ended her performing career in 1964, she studied English Literature at York University and the University of Toronto. Terell was a major donor to the National Ballet and served on the Boards of Canada’s National Ballet School, The Dancer Transition Resource Centre and Peggy Baker Dance Projects.
Her book, Early Dances Early Dancers (2020), documents the first decade of the National Ballet with a focus on the dancers of the 1950s.
A Personal Homage from Veronica Tennant