National Ballet School

Dianne Buxton (former NBS student): “She was incredibly skinny – great smile, bad teeth – like sunshine, incredibly sparkly eyes, mane of hair she could hardly keep in an elastic – great laugh. She was very clear when she taught and so easy to see everything on her body. It was great to watch her taking class. She had an intensity. 

She was open hearted, really caring of her students. She would give you a hug – no one was invisible to Amelia. Her take on people was different than that most of the company members.  The company teachers were looking for the next lead dancers – and for them, the rest of the class was invisible. Amelia was really different – she taught everyone and was interested in every body.”

Claudia Moore (former NBS student): “Amelia has been an essential force in my life since my very young dancing days, when I was a student at the National Ballet School. She was one of my first modern dance teachers there. I can still see her moving through the Graham floor work as she was in her knitted body tights and bare feet. I was immediately taken with her delicate fierceness, her sinewy grace – an artist of the highest order, she was a magical, mythical presence on stage and off.”