Robert Murray Helpmann, the eldest of three children, was born in Mount Gambier, Australia, to James Murray Helpman, a stock and station agent, and Mary Gardiner. The family relocated to Adelaide in 1914, where Helpmann was educated at Prince Alfred's College. However, he left school at the age of 14 to pursue his passion for dance, specifically ballet, under the tutelage of Nora Stewart.
Helpmann made his solo debut at the Theatre Royal in Adelaide in 1922, performing in "The Ugly Duckling". Two years later, in 1926, he was trained by Alexis Dolinoff, the leading male dancer for Anna Pavlova, and soon became her apprentice. The following year, in 1927, he joined J. C. Williamson Ltd. as their star dancer.
Throughout his illustrious career, Helpmann went on to become the principal dancer at Sadlers Wells Ballet from 1933 to 1950, earning recognition as a world-renowned dancer and choreographer. He also directed the Australian Ballet Company and led the world tour of Margot Fonteyn in 1963.
In his later years, Helpmann resided in Balmoral, a suburb of Mosman, in Sydney, Australia. Unfortunately, he passed away on September 28, 1986, at the age of 77, in the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney, due to complications from emphysema, a condition exacerbated by his lifelong smoking habit.
