Anya Linden

Anya Linden, Baroness Sainsbury of Preston Candover (born 3 January 1933) is a retired English ballerina. 

She was born Anya Eltenton and spent her childhood in California, where she received her early training with Koslov in Hollywood.  She returned to England in 1947 and studied at the Sadler's Wells Ballet School, joining the company in 1951.  She was promoted to soloist 1954 and to ballerina 1958. 

She married John Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Preston Candover in 1963 and retired from dancing in 1965.  In 1987, she founded the Linbury Biennial Prize for Stage Design to identify and encourage talented newcomers to the field of theatre design.  Along with her husband, she founded the Linbury Trust, named from a combination of the names Linden and Sainsbury. 

The retailer Sainsbury's, formerly lead by her husband, developed a potato variety in 1996 that was named 'Anya' in her honour. 

References
 Anya Linden, Ballerina Gallery
 Anya Eltenton, The Peerage
 John Sainsbury's official site
 Dictionary of Dance: Anya Linden
 The Linbury Trust

Category:English ballerinas
Category:1933 births
Category:Living people
Category:British baronesses
Category:Dancers of The Royal Ballet