caption death_date death_place birth_place image_size nationality name birth_date image article_title birth_name occupation
alicia markova in 1940 2 december 2004 bath , somerset , england , uk london , england , uk 200px british dame alicia markova dbe 1 december 1910 alicia markova.jpg alicia markova
 lilian alicia marks ballerina
alicia markova

dame alicia markova dbe -lrb- 1 december 1910 -- 2 december 2004 -rrb- was an english ballerina and a choreographer , director and teacher of classical ballet .
most noted for her career with sergei diaghilev 's ballets russes and touring internationally , she was widely considered to be one of the greatest classical ballet dancers of the twentieth century .
she was the first british dancer to become the principal dancer of a ballet company and , with dame margot fonteyn , is one of only two english dancers to be recognised as a prima ballerina assoluta .
markova was a founder dancer of the rambert dance company , the royal ballet and american ballet theatre , and was co-founder and director of the english national ballet .
