[3] In performances of these works Poole's particular talent was recognised by Howes, who added a special solo for him to her ballet entitled Suite (1936), set to music by Bach, and who recommended him for a bursary for study abroad.
There, under the strong supervision of Ninette de Valois and the administration of Arnold Haskell, he flourished, becoming proficient in classical ballet technique in remarkably short order.
[4] He enjoyed quick recognition by both fans and the press, winning praise particularly for his performances as Pierrot in Fokine's merry romp Le Carnaval and in de Valois's gloomy and ghostly depiction of The Haunted Ballroom.
During the first six months of 1957, he took leave from the stage to teach ballet technique at Kurt Jooss's Folkwang Schule in Essen, Germany, after which he returned to Britain and resumed his performing career, appearing with notable success at the Edinburgh Festival in 1958.
During his twelve years dancing in Great Britain, he performed in numerous new works choreographed by de Valois, Cranko, Frederick Ashton, Andrée Howard, Walter Gore, Kenneth MacMillan, and Alfred Rodrigues, among others.
In 1957, he staged Ashton's Les Patineurs and Cranko's Beauty and the Beast, in which he partnered Patricia Miller, another South African who had trained and danced in London.
[11] The Rain Queen, a work conceived by choreographer Frank Staff, was set to a commissioned score by Graham Newcater and had décor and costumes by Raimond Schoop.
[12] Besides these original works, Poole enriched the company repertory with new productions of classic ballets, including Giselle, Le Corsaire, Coppélia, and Swan Lake.