Daphne Margaret Stanley-Harris was born on August 5, 1924 in Winnipeg. Her ancestors included her great-grandfather Sir Charles Tupper, who was a Father of Confederation and Prime Minister in 1896 and her grandfather, William Johnston Tupper, who was the 12th Lieutenant-Governor of Manitoba.
Daphne was the only child of Bertrand Stanley-Harris and Emma Tupper. For a few years during her childhood, Daphne lived with her mother and grandparents at Government House in Winnipeg, while her father remained on the family's fruit plantation outside Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Daphne's interest in dance was encouraged by her mother and she studied and performed with companies in South America and Canada before returning to Winnipeg in 1948. She married Taras (Ted) Korol who was a renowned costume and set designer in 1956. He predeceased her in 1998.
Daphne dedicated her life to the arts. She was a dancer, actor, teacher, choreographer, artistic director, producer and mentor. Daphne received significant recognition during her lifetime for her immeasurable contributions to the arts. She taught ballet, drama, tap and flamenco over a period of 50 years. She earned an Advanced Certificate from the Royal Academy of Dance, London, England.
Memorable Manitobans - Daphne Margaret Korol[
As an actor, Daphne worked under the direction of John Hirsh at the Manitoba Theatre Centre. She founded Shakespeare in the Park, which later became Shakespeare in the Ruins. She also founded the Children's Dance Theatre and co-founded Actor's Showcase, which later became Manitoba Theatre for Young People. Adding to her list of achievements, she also directed shows for the Winnipeg Fringe Festival.
As an Honorary Member of Dance Canada, her choreography earned her Gold Honours. She was a former dancer with the Ballet Ruse, as well as the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, where she danced under the artistic direction of Arnold Spohr. Daphne performed in many of the early productions of Rainbow Stage. As an actor, she appeared in television programs and in movies such as Shall We Dance. In 2007 Daphne was the recipient of the Victor Cowie ACTRA Manitoba Lifetime Achievement Award and in January 2014 she was the recipient of Dance Manitoba's Distinction for Excellence Lifetime Achievement Award and was personally congratulated for this honour by Winnipeg Mayor, Sam Katz. In August 2014, at the time of Daphne's 90th birthday, she was honoured at the premiere of Red Czarina Entertainment's documentary "Daphne Korol - The Drama Queen of Winnipeg".
She will forever be remembered for her passion, inspiration and vision for the future of the arts community. Daphne Margaret Korol passed away peacefully on January 5, 2015 in Winnipeg. She was 90 years of age.
