Sadler's Wells Theatre - History History Sustainability History New beginnings sometimes happen quietly and sometimes they are announced. On Monday, 7th March 2005 the new director of Sadler’s Wells, Alistair Spalding, decided the time had come to make a splash. “You’ve got the National Theatre for drama, English National Opera for opera and I want Sadler’s Wells to perform the same function for contemporary dance.” With those words, he inaugurated a new chapter in the history of London’s second oldest theatre: its transformation into a contemporary dance house. Sadler’s Wells was not born of an artistic impulse but the discovery of a mineral spring in 1683. Richard Sadler built a music house around the spring to rival the already fashionable Tunbridge and Epsom wells. By the beginning of the 18th century, visitors to Sadler’s Wells could see entertainments that included jugglers, tumblers, ropedancers, ballad singers, wrestlers, fighters, dancing dogs and even a singing duck. In 1765 Thomas Rosoman had the theatre rebuilt for the first time so that it could mount high-calibre opera productions.

However, it wasn’t long before the beer brewed from the spring waters became the primary attraction. By 1801, although a young actor called Edmund Kean and the great clown, Grimaldi, had both appeared on its stage, Sadler’s Wells had become more famous for incidents, both devised (spectacular sea battles) and accidental (a terrible stampede in which 18 people died) than for work of merit. In the 1830s Dickens wrote: “The theatre was in the condition of being entirely delivered over to as ruffianly an audience as London could shake together…Fights took place anywhere, at every period of the performance.” Matters improved in 1843 with the passing of a parliamentary act which enabled the actor-manager, Samuel Phelps, to present a famous run of Shakespeare. But after he left in 1862, the theatre once more sank into the doldrums, suffering conversion into a skating rink and then a cinema. In 1914 the Daily Chronicle’s theatre critic, S.R. Littlewood, described it as “a poor, wounded old playhouse” and in 1915, it closed its doors.

It took another decade for the most significant figure in the modern history of Sadler’s Wells to enter the picture. Since 1898, Lilian Baylis had been presenting drama and opera at the Old Vic at popular prices. Motivated by a profound belief that great art should belong to everybody, in 1925 she began fundraising to rebuild Sadler’s Wells so that the people of north London could enjoy the same opportunities as those in the south. Then Baylis met Ninette de Valois, a striking young Irish woman who deeply impressed her. After their interview, Baylis’s secretary, recorded her saying: “Miss de Valois is going to run her school with the Vic and when we have Sadler’s Wells she’ll run a wholetime ballet company for us.” The fact that it all came to pass says much about the abilities of both women. De Valois was formally hired in 1928 and the fifth Sadler’s Wells, designed by the prolific theatre architect Frank Matcham, opened on 6th January 1931 with John Gielgud and Ralph Richardson in Twelfth Night.

For four years, drama productions, opera and ballet shuttled between the Old Vic and Sadler’s Wells until Baylis decided to dedicate Sadler’s Wells to opera and ballet for eight months of the year and give the Vic-Wells Ballet a permanent base. The new season opened on 27th September 1935 to great acclaim with one critic noting “the splendid dancing of the young newcomer Miss Margot Fonteyn, who has a compelling personality and exceptional gifts, though only just 16.” Whilst opera continued to be important (Peter Grimes premiered at the Wells in 1945), it was in this period that Sadler’s Wells became most strongly associated with dance. It was where De Valois founded British ballet here and built both a company of dancers and a repertory that included her own works and those of Frederick Ashton and Robert Helpmann. She also founded a school which remained throughout World War II, when the theatre was itself acting as a refuge for the homeless. At the end of the war, De Valois took her fledging ballet company to Covent Garden to become the Royal Ballet.

However, her touring ballet company, known first as the Sadler’s Wells Theatre Ballet, then the Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet, remained until 1955 and returned from 1970 to 1990 before moving permanently to Birmingham to become the Birmingham Royal Ballet. By the 1970s Sadler’s Wells’ dance programme had diversified considerably. Alongside Rambert Dance and London Contemporary Dance, who briefly held residencies here, a great variety of touring and commercial work was also presented. However audiences began to drift away. When Ian Albery took over as chief executive in 1994 it was clear that redefinition was needed. He led the campaign to transform Sadler’s Wells into a purpose-built dance theatre. During the two-year rebuild, Sadler’s Wells decamped to Holborn’s Peacock Theatre which it has continued to programme ever since. The rebuilt theatre opened in October 1998 with a design that still incorporates the skeleton of Frank Matcham’s 1931 theatre, which in turn contained bricks from the Victorian playhouse.

It has an expanded 15m² sprung stage, a welcoming 1,500 seat auditorium, and a glass-fronted foyer that captures Lilian Baylis’ belief that theatre should embrace everyone. Here no-one enters the “gods” through a separate entrance. There are also three rehearsal studios and the smaller 200-seat Lilian Baylis studio theatre for the development and presentation of small-scale work. But even with the new facilities, it took some time to establish the theatre as a force for dance. After a thrilling opening season, which included performances by Pina Bausch’s Tanztheater Wuppertal, William Forsythe’s ground-breaking Ballett Frankfurt, and Rambert Dance, it once again struggled to find its voice and its audience. Alistair Spalding took up the challenge to turn things around in 2004. He decided that Sadler’s Wells had been at its best when it had had resident companies and new works being created within its walls. This vision paved the way for an increasing number of Associate Artists and for companies producing work in the building. Today Sadler’s Wells not only promotes but also commissions and produces outstanding dance.

It reflects the best of its history while looking defiantly and brightly towards the future. Sarah Crompton THE ROYAL BALLET The Royal Ballet is an internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the four major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded in 1931 by Dame Ninette de Valois, it became the resident ballet company of the Royal Opera House in 1946 and was granted a royal charter in 1956, becoming recognised as Britain's flagship national ballet company. The Royal Ballet was one of the foremost ballet companies of the 20th century, and continues to be one of the world's most famous ballet companies to this day, generally noted for its artistic and creative values. The company employs approximately 100 dancers and has purpose built facilities within the Royal Opera House. The official associate school of the company is the Royal Ballet School, and it also has a sister company, the Birmingham Royal Ballet, which operates independently. The Prima ballerina assoluta of the Royal Ballet is the late Dame Margot Fonteyn.

History In 1926, the Irish-born dancer Ninette de Valois founded the Academy of Choreographic Art, a dance school for girls. Her intention was to form a repertory ballet company and school, leading her to collaborate with the English theatrical producer and theatre owner Lilian Baylis. Baylis owned the Old Vic and Sadler's Wells theatres and in 1925 she engaged de Valois to stage dance performances at both venues. Sadler's Wells reopened in 1931 and the Vic-Wells Ballet and Vic-Wells Ballet School were established in premises at the theatre. These would become the predecessors of today's Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and Royal Ballet School. Prior to her return to Britain, Ninette de Valois had been a member of the Ballets Russes, one of the most renowned and influential ballet companies of the 20th century. The company disbanded in 1929 following the death of its founder Serge Diaghilev.

When de Valois formed the Vic-Wells Ballet, she employed some of the company's former stars, including Alicia Markova and Anton Dolin, who joined as Principal dancers, and Tamara Karsavina, who worked with the company as an advisor. The Founder Musical Director was the conductor and composer Constant Lambert who had considerable artistic as well as musical influence over the early years of the company. After losing the link with the Old Vic theatre, in 1939 the company was renamed Sadler's Wells Ballet and the school became Sadler's Wells Ballet School. Both continued at Sadler's Wells Theatre until 1946, when the company was invited to become the resident ballet company of the newly re-opened Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, under the direction of David Webster. The company relocated to the opera house the same year in 1946, with their first production at the venue being The Sleeping Beauty. Following the relocation of the company, the school moved to its own premises in 1947. A sister company was established to continue performances at Sadler's Wells, called the Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet, under the direction of John Field.

In 1955, the sister company temporarily lost its link with Sadler's Wells and returned to the Royal Opera House as a touring unit of the main company. In 1956, a Royal Charter was granted for both companies and the school; they were subsequently renamed the Royal Ballet, Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet and the Royal Ballet School.[5] The Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet returned to Sadler's Wells Theatre in 1970, while continuing to tour the country. In 1987, however, the company was invited to become the resident ballet company at the Birmingham Hippodrome. It relocated to Birmingham in 1990, being renamed Birmingham Royal Ballet and it ceased to be part of the Royal Ballet in 1997 when it was made independent of the Royal Opera House, with Sir Peter Wright as Artistic Director. Birmingham Royal Ballet retains close relationships with both the Royal Ballet and Royal Ballet School, although it now has its own associate ballet school, Elmhurst School for Dance. In 1964 the Royal Ballet established "Ballet for All" under the direction of Peter Brinson.

Between 1964 and 1979 "Ballet for All" toured throughout the country, presenting around 150 performances per annum and reaching around 70,000 people each year. In 1976 the Royal Opera House established its schools' matinee programme. Today the Royal Ballet remains the resident ballet company at the Royal Opera House, conducting its own tours internationally, and it continues to be the parent company of the Royal Ballet School, which is now based at White Lodge, Richmond Park and premises in Floral Street which are adjacent to and have direct access to the Royal Opera House. Sergeyev During its formative years, the Sadler's Wells Ballet would become one of the first ballet companies outside the Soviet Union to stage full productions of ballets by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, which were central to the repertory of the Imperial Russian Ballet. To stage these ballets with her newly formed company, de Valois employed Nicholas Sergeyev, a former rï¿½gisseur of the Imperial.

He staged productions of Petipa's The Sleeping Beauty; Petipa and Ivanov's Swan Lake and The Nutcracker; Petipa and Cecchetti's production of Coppï¿½lia; and Petipa's Giselle. Created with the aid of choreographic notation written in St Petersburg at the turn of the 20th century, these works have been included in the repertoire of the Royal Ballet ever since. The company now uses Peter Wright's 1984 production of The Nutcracker, which uses some of Sergeyev's notation. Sergeyev's revivals of these ballets in London are regarded as the foundation point of the traditional classical ballet repertoire, and led to their being restaged throughout the world. Sergeyev is considered to have made one of the most significant contributions to the popularity of ballet worldwide. His choreographic notation and other materials relating to it have been preserved in the Sergeyev Collection, part of the theatre collection of the Harvard University Library.

Prima ballerina assoluta The Royal Ballet is one of the few ballet companies in the world to have staged performances by three dancers considered to be Prima ballerina assoluta, the two 20th-century dancers having studied at the Royal Ballet School. The first was Alicia Markova who, having been mentored by Ninette de Valois as a member of Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, was invited to become one of the founder dancers of the Royal Ballet. She was designated the company's first Prima ballerina, and was later recognised as a Prima ballerina assoluta. Margot Fonteyn spent her entire career dancing with the company and was appointed Prima ballerina assoluta by Queen Elizabeth II . Alessandra Ferri began her career with the Royal Ballet; she was later appointed Prima ballerina assoluta of La Scala Theatre Ballet in Milan. Structure The Royal Ballet has six ranks of dancers in ascending order: Artist: the lowest rank in the company and, together with the First Artists, dancers at this level form the Corps de ballet. Ballet school graduates entering the company usually do so at this level.

First Artist: a rank for the more senior members of the Corps de Ballet. Dancers at this level have the opportunity to perform some of the Corps de Ballet's more featured rï¿½les, such as the Dance of the Cygnets in Swan Lake. First Artists will occasionally be cast in minor Soloist rï¿½les if they are being considered for promotion. Soloist: there are normally 15ï¿½20 soloists in the company. As the title suggests, dancers at this level perform the majority of the solo and minor rï¿½les in a ballet, such as Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet or one of the Fairies in The Sleeping Beauty. First soloist: the rank where dancers are being considered for promotion to principal level. A dancer at this rank will dance a varied repertoire of the most featured soloist rï¿½les, whilst understudying and having the opportunity to perform leading rï¿½les when a Principal dancer is either injured or unavailable. Principal character artist: the rank given to members of the company who perform important character rï¿½les in a ballet. These rï¿½les are normally very theatrical and often include character dance and ballet mime.

Examples include Carabosse in The Sleeping Beauty or Drosselmeyer in The Nutcracker. Most Principal Character Artists in the Royal Ballet are older dancers who have been high-ranking members of the company. Principal: the highest rank in the Royal Ballet and dancers at this level generally perform the leading and most featured rï¿½les in a ballet. To be a principal is to be recognised as one of the leading dancers in the company and a number of the world's most celebrated dancers have been principals with the company. The Royal Ballet also has special ranks for visiting dancers, they are "guest artist and "principal guest artist". The Company The Royal Ballet employs approximately 100 dancers and a complete list is shown below. The company also has an Executive, Artistic and Music staff, including the following: Director ï¿½ Kevin O'Hare, a graduate of the Royal Ballet School and former dancer with The Royal Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet. Associate Director ï¿½ Jeanetta Laurence, a graduate of the Royal Ballet School and former dancer with the Royal Ballet Touring Company, the New Group and Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet.

Music Director ï¿½ Barry Wordsworth, a British conductor and junior alumnus of the Trinity College of Music Company & Tour Manager ï¿½ Andrew Hurst, a Royal Ballet School graduate who was previously General Manager for Phoenix Dance Company. Resident Choreographer ï¿½ Wayne McGregor CBE, an award-winning choreographer, most noted in the field of contemporary dance and as Artistic Director of Random Dance company. Artistic Associate ï¿½ Christopher Wheeldon SIR FREDERICK ASHTON Sir Frederick Ashton was the founder choreographer of the Royal Ballet. Previously a dancer with the Ballet Rambert, Ashton started his career as a choreogapher under the direction of Dame Marie Rambert, before joining the Royal Ballet as its associate choreographer when the company was founded in 1931. He created the majority of the company's early works and staged their first performance at the Royal Opera House, a production of The Sleeping Beauty in 1946. Ashton was appointed Artistic director of the Royal Ballet from 1963 to 1970, when he retired from the post.

He continued to work as a choreographer internationally, with his final work being the Nursery Suite, for a gala performance by the Royal Ballet School at the Royal Opera House in 1986. His numerous ballets have since been staged by leading dance companies worldwide and feature strongly in the programming of the Royal Ballet today. Choreographic works Ashton created over 100 original ballet works and numerous other productions, some of the most notable including: A Month in the Country Birthday Offering Varii capricci SIR KENNETH MACMILLAN Sir Kenneth MacMillan (11 December 1929 ï¿½ 29 October 1992) was a British ballet dancer and choreographer. He was artistic director of the Royal Ballet in London between 1970 and 1977. Although a talented dancer, MacMillan is best known for his choreography, and particularly for his work with the Royal Ballet. He also worked with the American Ballet Theatre (1956ï¿½7) and the Deutsche Oper, Berlin (1966ï¿½69).

He succeeded Frederick Ashton as Director of the Royal Ballet in 1970 and resigned after seven years, frustrated at balancing the conflicting demands of creating ballets with administration. He continued as Principal Choreographer to the Royal Ballet until his death in 1992. BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Obituary: Moira Shearer Obituary: Moira Shearer Moira Shearer was hugely popular in her day The Red Shoes star Moira Shearer, who has died aged 80, enjoyed three successful careers as a ballerina, an actress and, later as a spirited newspaper columnist. Her broadcaster husband Ludovic Kennedy said she had gradually become weaker after her birthday in January. In 1946, Moira Shearer was just beginning to do the big classics at Covent Garden, in her words, "every classical ballerina's dream". To concentrate on her stage career, Shearer initially refused the lead role in film director Michael Powell's new movie, The Red Shoes. After a whole year of resistance, she finally succumbed to Powell's overtures when Ninette de Valois, the founder and head of the Sadlers Wells Ballet, advised her to take the part. Shearer would not regret her decision.

The film, by far the most popular ballet film ever made, made Shearer one of the best known ballerinas in the world. De Valois' influence Born in Dunfermline in 1926, Moira Shearer began to dance at the age of six. The Red Shoes - the most popular ballet film ever made She made her debut with the International Ballet in 1941, and joined the Sadlers Wells Ballet School the following year. In 1946, she not only danced the leads in Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake and Coppelia for the first time, but also created one of the roles in Frederick Ashton's masterpiece, Symphonic Variations. In advising Shearer to take part in her first film, Ninette de Valois was not acting entirely unselfishly. She hoped the movie would be great publicity for her ballet company, which was planning a coast-to-coast tour of the United States. Acting career And so it proved. Shearer was already famous in the States, when she toured the country with the Sadlers Wells Ballet, first in 1949, and then again in 1950.

Moira Shearer married journalist and broadcaster Kennedy in 1950, and they had four children. She stayed with the Sadlers Wells Ballet until 1953, when she hung up her ballet shoes, but continued to act. She was Titania in the Old Vic's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Edinburgh Festival in 1954, and toured as Sally Bowles in I Am a Camera in 1955. A ballerina from the age of six Other films included The Man Who Loved Redheads and The Tales of Hoffmann. Then, after a 20-year gap, she was in The Cherry Orchard at Edinburgh's Royal Lyceum Theatre in 1977. Multi-skilled She hosted the 1972 Eurovision Song Contest, which was held in Edinburgh. In 1987, she returned to ballet in A Simple Man, playing L S Lowry's mother in a BBC production marking the centenary of the artist's birth. Shearer lectured on ballet and gave poetry and prose recitals around the world.

She worked briefly as a radio announcer in the early 1980s, and wrote for the Daily Telegraph, expressing often fearless views. Moira Shearer's lasting fame, however, was mostly for her performance in the film, The Red Shoes. The critics agreed on her charm and beauty in the role. The New York Star described the best sequences of the film as those in which the leading lady appears, "a delicate, red-haired sprite full of modesty and grace, whose dancing is light, flame and spirit". Ballet E-mail james@movietreasures.com for PRICES, AUTHENTICITY, HISTORY and SPECIAL DISCOUNTS BALLET 8mm of termite damage to lower right corner not affecting image. Tales of Hoffman Ranked, with Red Shoes as a classic ballet film starring Moira Shearer Mini biography Moira was born the daughter of Harold V. King in Dunfermline, Scotland. She was educated at Dunfermline High School, Ndola in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and Bearsden Academy, Scotland. She received her professional training at the Mayfair School and The Nicholas Legat Studio.

She made her debut in the International Ballet with 1941 and then danced at Sadler's Wells in 1942. From 1942 to 1952 she danced all the major classic roles and a full repertoire of revivals and new ballets. Her first ballerina role was Sleeping beauty at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 1946. She toured the United States with the Sadler's Wells ballet in 1949 and in 1950/51. She toured as Sally Bowles in "I am a Camera" in 1955 and appeared at the Bristol Old Vic as "Major Barbara" in 1956. Although these performances were the start of her secondary career as an actress, she continued her primary career as a ballerina. She has appeared on TV as a ballerina and as an actress -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trivia When her first daughter was born, the Sydney Morning Herald prefaced the article with the heading "Pink Booties for Red Shoes". She married Ludovic Kennedy in February 1950 at the Chapel Royal in Hampton Court Palace, London.

She was a principle dancer with the Royal Ballet at Sadler's Wells in London. Moira and Ludo have one son and three daughters. Moira was a Member of the Scottish Arts Council, 1971-73 Moira was a Member of the BBC General Advisory Council 1970-77 Moira toured the USA., lecturing on the history of ballet and Sergei Diaghilev between 1977 and 1982. A joint portrait of Moira Shearer and Ludovic Kennedy by the Israeli artist Avigdor Arikha is now part of the permanent collection of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Peeping Tom (1960) ï¿½ 2,000 for 6 days over 2 weeks Biography from Leonard Maltin's Movie Encyclopedia: Actress, dancer. (b. Jan. 26, 1926, Dunfermline, Scotland, as Moira King.) She only made a handful of films, but no one who's ever seen her as the tragic ballerina of The Red Shoes (1948) will ever forget the beautiful, delicate Moira Shearer.

A real-life ballerina who was an international star at age 16, this radiant redhead delivered an exquisite performance under the direction of Powell and Pressburger, who also starred her in their Tales of Hoffman (1951), a less successful but equally intriguing production. She also costarred in The Story of Three Loves (1953). Shearer's fiery hair made her an ideal subject for The Man Who Loved Redheads (1955), a charming comedy that proved she didn't have to dance to be an eminently watchable screen performer. Powell used her again in his controversial, disturbing thriller Peeping Tom (1960), the creepy story of a photographer who records his models' death throes; it has since been cited as having influenced many directors of contemporary horror films. Shearer contributed a lovely ballet sequence, built around Rostand's "Cyrano," to Black Tights (1960); shortly thereafter she married British novelist Ludovic Kennedy and retired from acting (although she did return to the stage during the 1970s).

Carmen Amaya World's Greatest Spanish / Flamenco Dancer I wish to purchase this: 47" x 63" or 100mm x 150mm Poster, framed or unframed on canvas or not. Signed Photo Dated 1938 NOT FOR SALE Carmen Amaya is considered by many to be one of the greatest flamenco dancers who ever lived. During the peak of her career in the 40's and 50's, she was an international cultural icon who combined fury with tenderness--a wild, exotic woman with the fierce pride of Spain and the uncontrolled vagrancy of the Gypsy spirit. Carmen Amaya's career began at the age of four and throughout her childhood, she performed alongside her father in the taverns and music halls of Barcelona. By the time she reached her teens, she was on her way to becoming an international success, having received accolades from audiences in Madrid and Paris. With the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in the 1930's, Amaya traveled the world and achieved her greatest fame in the Americas, mesmerizing audiences from Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, to Mexico and the United States.

Fueled by romantic images of Spain, exotic gypsies, toreadors, and dons, the North and South America fell in love with Carmen Amaya--the embodiment of Spanish pride and passion. She made films in Hollywood, appeared on Broadway, danced for Roosevelt and Churchill, and toured the world--often accompanied by the great guitar virtuoso, Sabicas. And though she triumphed on stages all around the world, she always remained true to her Gypsy heritage. Throughout most of her performing life, her huge company was made up almost entirely of her extended family, and they traveled together in the traditional Gypsy way, sharing their luck as well as their hardships. And hardship indeed fell on Carmen Amaya. In 1963 at the age of 50, she died in her native Barcelona of kidney failure. Flamenco today is deeply indebted to Carmen Amaya. Through her artistry and virtuosity, she effectively altered the history of flamenco dance forever. She crossed the traditional boundaries of flamenco by teaching herself the fast and furious footwork usually reserved for the male dancer.

Donning a man's pants and jacket, she skillfully combined the elegance and grace of the female style with the ferocity and high-impact footwork of the male style sending shockwaves through the flamenco world unaccustomed to seeing a passionate and powerful woman in pants dancing a man's dance. Today, her legend lives on. The influence of the proud and passionate Gypsy woman taking her art to its limits is visible today in her great-niece, Omayra Amaya . Carmen Amaya Screen, stage actress, flamenco dancer. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Filmography as: Actress, Miscellaneous crew -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Canciones de nuestra vida (1975) Tarantos, Los (1962) Mï¿½sica en la noche (1955) See My Lawyer (1945) .... Specialty ... aka In a Padded Cell (1945) (USA: reissue title) Amores de un torero, Los (1945) ... aka Luna enamorada, La (1945) (Mexico) Knickerbocker Holiday (1944) .... Gypsy dancer Follow the Boys (1944) .... Herself ...

aka Three Cheers for the Boys (1944) (USA) Aires de Andalucï¿½a (1942) Panama Hattie (1942) (uncredited) .... And Her Dance Troupe Marï¿½a de la O (1936) Don Viudo de Rodrï¿½guez (1936) Hija de Juan Simï¿½n, La (1935) .... Soledad ... aka Juan Simon's Daughter (1935) (International: English title) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Filmography as: Actress, Miscellaneous crew -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mï¿½sica en la noche (1955) (dancer) (as Carmen Amaya and her flamenco dancers) Premiere Danseuse Ballerina Natalia Makarova Born in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), Nov. 21, 1940, is considered one of the most dramatically enthralling and technically perfect ballerinas of her generation. She graduated from the Leningrad Choreographic School in 1959, and immediately joined the Kirov Ballet company.

During the Kirov's initial European tour (1961) she danced her first Giselle in London, to universal critical acclaim. In 1965, Makarova won a gold medal at the Second International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria. With the Kirov she danced mostly in the full-length classical ballets such as Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and Raymonda. On Sept. 4, 1970, during another Kirov European tour, Makarova chose to remain in London, giving as her reason a search for artistic freedom. She joined American Ballet Theatre (ABT) that same year, and with the company danced in contemporary works--such as Anthony Tudor's Lilac Garden, Dark Elegies, and Pillar of Fire--as well as in the classics. From 1972 she also danced with Britain's Royal Ballet, with particular success in Kenneth MacMillan's Manon and Sir Frederick Ashton's Cinderella. She staged Act 4 of La Bayadere for ABT in 1974 and in 1980 choreographed and directed the ballet in its entirety.

In 1983, Makarova danced in the Broadway musical On Your Toes. She returned to Leningrad for an appearance with the Kirov Ballet in 1989. International Ballet Star also in many films Ballet Russe Star Vera Zorina was born in Germany in 1917 as Birgitta Hartwig. Her mother was Norwegian, and she was to make clear in future years that she considered herself to be a Norwegian. Zorina was brought up in Kristiansund where she debuted as a dancer at the old Festiviteten. She was a star in Europe in the mid 1930s and danced all over the continent and had several tours in the U.S. So acclaimed was she in the West End production of "On Your Toes" in London that Samuel Goldwyn Studios brought her to the U.S. in 1937 (where she has lived since). Her seven films are listed below. She became a regular on Broadway in a succession of hits. During the 1960s, Zorina scored a success as director of the musical "Cabaret" in Oslo. She continued touring the U.S.

until her retirement in the early 1980s. Zorina now lives in New Mexico. Classically trained dancer who achieved success onstage in the 1930s before making a handful of Hollywood films. Zorina married legendary choreographer George Balanchine in 1938, who successfully guided her in several carefully packaged theatrical showcases before the two of them went to Hollywood for "The Goldwyn Follies" later that year. A leggy, talented dancer and an appropriate vehicle for many of Balanchine's modern-dance innovations, the strong-featured Zorina was a very limited actress who never achieved substantial success in films. In retrospect, her most enjoyable film--and performance--was in the unjustly overlooked tale of cross and double-cross among thieves, "I Was an Adventuress" (1940), in which Zorina was brilliantly supported by Erich von Stroheim and Peter Lorre. In her later years Zorina enjoyed success as an opera and record producer. One of the Greatest Dancers All Time!

Autographed Children's story book Original Signed 8" x 10" Photo Sold Original Signed 8" x 10" Photo Biography for Mikhail Baryshnikov Mini biography His father was an engineer and his mother a dressmaker. While starring with the Kirov Ballet, he defected to the United States in 1974, joining the American Ballet Theatre. In 1978-9 he danced with George Ballanchine's New York City Ballet. He received an Oscar nomination for his film debut as Yuril in Turning Point, The (1977). He played a defecting Soviet ballet star in White Nights (1985). In 1989 he made his Broadway debut acting in "Metamorphosis". Jessica Lange bore him a daughter, Shura. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trivia Ballet dancer turned actor Father of 4 children. Live together with girlfriend Lisa Rinehart. Owner of balet troupe "White Oak Dance Project". Hobby is golf. Baryshnikov's and Lange's daughter full first name is Alexandra. Following his defection in Canada, the first ballet troupe that he performed with was the Royal Winnipeg Ballet Company in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Biography from Leonard Maltin's Movie Encyclopedia: Actor, dancer. (b. Jan. 27, 1947, Riga, Latvia.) Accepted by the prestigious Kirov Ballet at the age of 15, Baryshnikov performed with the troupe from 1966 to 1974, when he defected to Canada. He joined the American Ballet Theatre later that year, and solidified his reputation as one of the world's most celebrated dancers. Turning to film work in 1977, he won an Oscar nomination for his film-debut role as a self-absorbed ballet star in The Turning Point Since that time he has occasionally dabbled in screen acting. White Nights (1985) was concocted as a vehicle for him and tap dancer Gregory Hines, and Dancers (1987) was another hand-tailored script about an amorous ballet star. But Baryshnikov has never achieved real screen stardom to match his stature in the world of dance. Other films: That's Dancing! (1985, as one of the on-camera hosts), The Cabinet of Dr.

Ramirez and Company Business a spy thriller (both 1991). The bedroom-eyed Baryshnikov is also well known for his much-publicized romantic liaisons, including one with actress Jessica Lange, with whom he fathered a daughter, Alexandra. Full-blood American Indian who became America's Premiere Danseuse Ballerina. 3.5" x 5.5" SIGNED Original Vintage Postcard. Dated on reverse 4-8-71 Born a mixed-blood named Betty Marie Tall Chief, daughter of an Osage father and Scotch-Irish mother, Maria Tallchief spent eight years in the Indian lands of northeastern Oklahoma. She was born in the small town of Fairfax, Oklahoma in 1925. Like so many Oklahomans, her family moved to Los Angeles in 1933. She enjoyed music and dancing, and practiced being a star -- a considerably challenging dream for a Native American child in those days. Reporting her story would be interesting, regardless of her accomplishments. She would surely have fascinating experiences as she looked back at her mixed Indian and European heritage, her eight years in the Osage Hills north of Tulsa, her journey to California and life among the many people in Los Angeles.

After all, those were the days when people became rich with oil fields and poor with dusty crops. Of her childhood she wrote, "I was a good student and fit in at Sacred Heart (Catholic School). But in many ways, I was a typical Indian girl -- shy, docile, introverted. I loved being outdoors and spent most of my time wandering around my big front yard, where there was an old swing and a garden. I'd also ramble around the grounds of our summer cottage hunting for arrowheads in the grass. Finding one made me shiver with excitement. Mostly, I longed to be in the pasture, running around where the horses were..." But, there's more. She became a "Woman of Two Worlds." The Osage Nation became rich from the oil found beneath their land. Young Betty Marie vacationed with her family in Colorado Springs, where she attended a ballet lesson at the Broadmore Hotel. She followed her dream to be a ballerina. Studying with Bronislava Nijinska for five years led to a nervous appearance at the Hollywood Bowl. Madame Nijinska's philosophy of discipline made sense to Tallchief. "When you sleep, sleep like ballerina.

Even on street waiting for bus, stand like ballerina." Betty Marie continued to work hard and mastered technical skills well beyond her years. A refined professional, Maria Tallchief, as she called herself, left Los Angeles at the age of 17 and auditioned in New York City. She joined the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and quickly rose to the status of featured soloist. Choreographer, George Balanchine wrote several of his most famous works for her and the two briefly married. She performed for the New York City Ballet from 1947 to 1960, where Balanchine was the principal choreographer. Her performance of Balanchine's Firebird in 1949 and their earlier collaboration at the Paris Opera elevated Maria Tallchief onto the world stage. She received high praise from critics for her performances in France and Russia. Much of the world had never seen anything like Maria Tallchief.

Admired by millions, she became America's preeminent dancer, a Prima Ballerina, and in 1953, President Dwight Eisenhower declared her "Woman of the Year." When the Governor of Oklahoma honored her that same year for her international achievements and her proud Native American identity, Maria Tallchief was named Wa-Xthe-Thomba, "Woman of Two Worlds." She continued to dance with the American Ballet Theatre through 1965, when her retirement saddened the artistic world. Throughout her career, Maria Tallchief managed an intense rehearsal and performance schedule, and taught at the School for American Ballet in New York City. Following her retirement, she continued to give her creative talents to the art by directing at the Lyric Opera Ballet of Chicago. With her sister Marjorie, she founded the Chicago City Ballet in 1981 and served as its artistic director through 1987. Maria Tallchief was honored as one of America's most revered artists by the Kennedy Center in 1996, along with prize-winning playwright Edward Albee and music legend Benny Carter. But all of her fame and glory never changed her understanding of her culture. She always admired the Osage ceremonial dances and the ways of her ancestors.

She reported being upset by teasing that she and other Native American children suffered. She researched the history and origin of her tribe, learning how they came to reside in Oklahoma. Of the terror her tribe and her own relatives experienced she wrote, "Cousin Pearl was an orphan, and our family was concerned for her well-being. When she was small, her house had been firebombed and everyone inside killed, murdered for their headrights (oil royalties paid to each member of the Osage Nation). Pearl's situation was not uncommon. In the 1920s, villainous White men married into Osage families, then poisoned their wives or shot them in order to get their money, another example of the slaughter of Indians that is a notorious chapter of U.S. history." Tallchief's ideals and many accomplishments have strong influence on young scholars today.

A 10-year-old student from Burbank, California, who enjoys sharing the same first name with the famous dancer, wrote to Maria Tallchief, "You made a great impact on the world and on me with your great talent." In a school report published on the Internet, a fourth grade student named Veronica wrote, "She is still alive right this minute and inspiring young people to do ballet." -- Mark D. Lacy Original Vintage poster 39" X 55" Ulanova 1957 The Bolshoi Ballet The very name is synonymous with perfection. During the Bolshoi Ballet's first tours abroad in the mid-20th century, Western audiences were brought to their feet by the Bolshoi style; thrilling athleticism that never lost the essential beauty of the dance. It is a company geared to massive endeavour, one of the marvels of the ballet world. The company are based at the Bolshoi Petrovsky Theatre in Moscow, one of the largest theatres in Europe and truly magnificent. The Bolshoi have made a significant contribution to ballet over the years and established themselves as a great force of international stature.

Original Vintage poster 39" X 55" on oaktag Margot Fonteyn & Nureyev 1966 The Royal Ballet has an exceptional heritage and a limitless future. Dame Ninette de Valois founded the company with a thoroughly contemporary vision, creating radical new ballets herself and engaging the most adventurous Choreographers of the day. It is clear from the repertory of those early years that Dame Ninette saw ballet as a continuum, with its heritage forming a springboard for the present and future. As the Company's sixth Director, I believe that Dame Ninette's vision is still an ideal one for The Royal Ballet. The Royal Ballet has a fine repertory of full-length and one-act ballets, and I am proud to present several of the company's signature works this season, placed in their international context through the complementary selection of outstanding ballets from the world repertory. The programmes of one-act ballets are designed to illuminate the similarities and differences that arise from different artistic influences and different cultural environments. However, my main aim has been to present ballet as a fascinating and enjoyable art form, one which can express our most intimate thoughts and enhance our understanding of the world.

I hope this season brings you all the enchantment, inspiration and fulfilment that ballet can offer. Vintage Original 3.5" x 5" Postcard Signed in Ink Original one-sheet poster 21" x 47" Poster included FREE with above item Two Original Vintage 11 x 14 lobby cards from an early ballet movie (click an image to enlarge) 11 x 14 Original Vintage Lobby cards from 1977 movie "Nureyev is Valentino" (click an image to enlarge) Rudolf Nureyev Mini biography He was educated at the Leningrad Ballet School and starred with Kirov Ballet. His first film was a USSR short "Le Corsaire" (1958). While performing in Paris in 1961 he defected to the West. He then performed internationally, becoming an Austrian citizen in 1982. The English/French documentary "I Am a Dancer" (1972, "Un Danceur: Rudolph Nureyev"), directed by Pierre Jourdan featured him and his long-time partner Margot Fonteyn.

He played Rudolph Valentino in the film "Valentino" (1977) and Daniel Jelline in "Exposed" (1983), his last film. In 1982 he starred in the US stage revival of "The King and I". ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Personal quotes: "The only critic is a full house." MORE (from the American Ballet Theatre, All Rights Reserved : Soviet-born ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev was one of the most celebrated dancers of the 20th century and the first male superstar of the ballet world since Vaslav Nijinsky. He mesmerized audiences with spectacular leaps and turns, but it was his passionate temperament and flamboyance onstage and off that made him a phenomenon. Nureyev, who was of Tatar descent, was reared in Moscow and Ufa, where he studied dance and apprenticed with the Ufa Ballet. He was an outstanding but rebellious student at the Leningrad Ballet School from 1955 to 1958, when he bypassed the corps de ballet and graduated directly to solo roles with the Kirov Ballet.

Three years later, on June 17, 1961, while on tour with the Kirov in Paris, he eluded Soviet security guards and requested asylum from officials at Le Bourget airport. In the following months he performed in Paris, New York City, London, and Chicago, but he reached a turning point in 1962 when he partnered the British Royal Ballet's acclaimed ballerina Margot Fonteyn, who was 19 years his senior. Nureyev's fiery virtuosity proved to be a perfect counterpoint to Fonteyn's elegant maturity, and their long partnership rejuvenated her career and established his. Despite his association with the Royal Ballet as a "permanent guest artist" for 20 years, Nureyev was not formally affiliated with the dance company. He worked as a guest artist around the world, both as a dancer and later as a choreographer. In the 1970s Nureyev branched into other performing arts. He appeared on television and in motion pictures, he also toured the U.S. as the King of Siam in a revival of the Broadway musical The King and I, and he even tried his hand at conducting.

Although he became an Austrian citizen in 1982, he lived mainly in Paris, where he was director and principal choreographer of the Paris Opera Ballet. In 1989 he danced in the Soviet Union for the first time since his defection. Nureyev made his last public appearance in October 1992, taking a bow at the Paris premiere of his new production of La Bayadere. Nureyev died in 1993, in Paris, France. Here's a link to some very interesting stuff about Rudolf Nureyev from the Freedom of Information Act -- (it requires that you have Acrobad Reader on your computer in order to read the text relating to suspected spy activity. These Items are FOR SALE to knowledgeable Collectors. Please ask all questions of provenance before purchase. Items are only exchangeable if autographs are not authentic.

E-mail james@movietreasures.com for INFORMATION Glory days: A Sadler’s Wells Who’s Who | The Australian Ballet Glory days: A Sadler’s Wells Who’s Who 26 August 2011 | By Maura Edmond Margot Fonteyn Moira Shearer Robert Helpmann and Margot Fonteyn Last night’s opening performance of our British Liaisons program kicked off with Ninette de Valois’ Checkmate. The ballet, with its fabulous Futurist millinery and stylised choreography and colourful history, got us thinking about the 1930s and 40s and the glamour days of British ballet. Ah, Sadler’s Wells! So instrumental in popularising ballet in the West, so full of compelling personalities and fascinating anecodotes, and with a history more tangled than a drawer full of ballet tights. Maura Edmond provides a guide to the key players. Dame Ninette de Valois Born in 1898, when Queen Victoria was still on the throne, “Madame” was passionately involved in British ballet for nearly all of her incredible 102 years.

She’s sometimes referred to as the “godmother” of British ballet, but that quaint title doesn’t do her justice. The founder and director of Sadler’s Wells Ballet (which would become The Royal Ballet), de Valois was a monumentally important impresario and a ferocious perfectionist (even demanding that the journalists who interviewed her had perfect posture ). A dramatic, dark-haired beauty who had danced with Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes, de Valois’s own approach to dance was far stricter and more meticulous than that adopted by her avant-garde European colleagues. The Russians, she said, had so many rules they could afford to break a few, but British ballet, then in its infancy, needed first to develop its own repertoire and technique: a feat de Valois almost single-handedly achieved. Sir Frederick Ashton The second architect of Sadler’s Wells was resident choreographer Frederick Ashton, whose prodigious knowledge of classical ballet rivalled even de Valois’. Described by the critic Laura Jacobs as an “unabashed romantic, serially infatuated fool-for-love”, he was also a stickler for the rules (apparently he once declined a romantic proposal by sending the love letter back with the spelling mistakes corrected).

His style was warm and witty but also restrained and neo-classical and it totally defined English ballet, earning its own adjective – Ashtonian. Constant Lambert Composer and conductor Constant Lambert is the third architect of the Sadler’s Wells ballet company. Son of a Russian-Australian artist, Lambert was a child prodigy and a raffish raconteur, described by ballet historian Alexander Bland as having “a face of deceptively cherubic beauty”. He achieved incredible success at just 21 when Diaghilev asked him to compose the score for Romeo et Juliette. When he became the music director at Sadler’s Wells in 1931 his fame continued to grow, as did his reputation as a scandalous alcoholic and womaniser. Dame Margot Fonteyn Early on a very young Margot Fonteyn caught the attention of Frederick Ashton, who began to tailor his choreography to show off her unique skills and extraordinary beauty. She, meanwhile, was taking note of resident rake Constant Lambert, who became her secret lover for several years. (Perhaps this explains Fonteyn’s immense musical sensitivity).

The most important ballerina in British history, Fonteyn danced with Sadler’s Wells and then the Royal Ballet in a monumental 57 roles between 1933 and 1979. As dance critic Richard Buckle exclaimed, she supported “the honour and glory of our nation and empire on one beautiful foot!” Sir Robert Helpmann One of the ingredients missing from the young Sadler’s Wells Ballet company were male dancers. “She would have welcomed anything male on two legs,” joked Robert Helpmann of his audition for Ninette de Valois. De Valois, meanwhile, remembered being bowled over by the young Australian’s theatrical looks and his resemblance to Leonide Massine. Within just six months Helpmann was starring in the biggest male roles in the repertory. Although best remembered for his flamboyance and dramatic flair, he was also the backbone of the company. During the years of dancing on war rations, surviving air raids and losing colleagues to the frontline, Fonteyn recalled that Helpmann was “the person who more than any other kept the company going”. Moira Shearer During the spring of 1942 the company toured England in increasingly difficult (and dangerous) conditions.

At this time a number of new dancers demonstrated their mettle and their dancing chops, especially the tenacious Scottish redhead Moira Shearer. Although she is chiefly remembered as the doomed heroine in The Red Shoes (1948), Shearer was never comfortable with the fame that followed. She was a meticulous, assured dancer and she wanted approval for her ballet skills, not her beauty or her bright red locks or her celebrity. De Valois, who had encouraged Shearer to take the role in The Red Shoes, perhaps knew something that Shearer didn’t; that film had the potential to reach a far bigger audience than Sadler’s Wells ever could.

It also attracted the attention of Shearer’s future husband, Ludovic Kennedy, who gushed, “here was this apparition with the reddest of red hair, a figure like an hour-glass, blue-green eyes the size of saucers … And as if that weren’t enough, she danced with a grace and lightness that were breathtaking.” Get a touch of Sadler’s Wells glamour by catching Checkmate in the British Liaisons program, playing in Melbourne until 3 September BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Timelime: The Royal Ballet Timelime: The Royal Ballet 15 May, 1931 The VicWells Ballet debuts with The Sleeping Beauty In 1926 Irish dancer choreographer and entrepreneur Dame Ninette de Valois formed a small company of dancers and a dance school calling it the VicWells Ballet. It made the Sadler's Wells Theatre in north London its home and debuted with a performance of The Sleeping Beauty on 15 May 1931. Choreographer Frederick Ashton and musical director Constant Lambert were the founding members of the VicWells ballet along with De Valois.

1934 Margot Fonteyn makes her first solo performance Teenager Peggy Hookham danced her first solo role in De Valois' The Haunted Ballroom under the name of Margot Fontes in 1934. She would soon become known as Margot Fonteyn and go on to become one of the most famous dancers of the 20th century. Her partnership with Rudolph Nureyev which came later in her career remains one of the most revered ballet partnerships. The company's other leading dancers during the 1930s were Alicia Markova and Anton Dolin. 1939 World War II brings changes to the ballet company LETTERSPACING0 KERNING0In 1939 the VicWells Ballet was renamed The Sadlers Wells Ballet after the theatre where it was based. LETTERSPACING0 KERNING0The war years were a turning point for the company. The dancers dodged bombs endured rations and military callups to continue performing. The company also toured the UK performing for civilians and soldiers alike firmly establishing themselves as a much loved national company in the process.

LETTERSPACING0 KERNING0 20 February, 1946 The ballet company arrives in Covent Garden LETTERSPACING0 KERNING0At the end of World War II the Sadlers Wells Ballet moved to a permanent home at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden debuting with a new fulllength production of The Sleeping Beauty. A second company The Sadlers Wells Theatre Ballet was formed and remained based at the north London venue. 1946 Frederick Ashtons creative influence Ashtons sensual and lyrical choreographic style had begun to shape Sadlers Wells Ballet during the 1940s and would remain a major influence. Before war broke out he had already created several works such as Faade 1935 and A Wedding Bouquet 1937 while Symphonic Variations 1946 the first new ballet to be created at Covent Garden was considered a masterpiece. October, 1949 Fonteyn and Helpmann wow New York Sadlers Wells Ballets first performance in New York with Fonteyn and Robert Helpmann dancing the lead roles in The Sleeping Beauty created a sensation.

The audience was captivated by Fonteyn's luminous stage presence musicality and quality of her lines. The company gained a strong an international reputation with that single show. October, 1956 Royal Charter granted on 25th anniversary To mark the companys 25th Anniversary the Royal Charter was granted in October 1956. The companies were renamed The Royal Ballet and the Sadlers Wells Royal Ballet later renamed Birmingham Royal Ballet following its move there in 1990. The following year HRH The Princess Margaret became president of The Royal Ballet. March, 1962 Fonteyn and Nureyevs sensational debut Talk of Fonteyns retirement was rife by 1960 but her career was rejuvenated with the arrival of the Russian dancer Rudolph Nureyev in 1962. Despite an age gap of almost 20 years their chemistry was unrivalled. Their first public performance in Giselle left audiences hungry for more. Nureyev came to the Royal Ballet as a guest artist and Covent Garden remained his base throughout his career.

1963 Ashton becomes Royal Ballet director Ashton succeeded De Valois as director in 1963 but continued to create his own ballets throughout the 1960s including Monotones 19656 and Enigma Variations 1968. At the same time Kenneth MacMillan who had started his choreographic career with Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet began to make works for the Covent Garden stage scoring a huge success with his first fulllength ballet Romeo and Juliet 1965. His muse was the hugely talented Lynn Seymour. 1964 Dowell and Sibley make a dream couple Ashton cast rising star Anthony Dowell with principal ballerina Antoinette Sibley in The Dream in 1964 laying the foundations for another ballet golden couple. Dowell played Oberon to Sibley's Titania and were so ideally matched that their considerable individual talents seemed to blossom when they danced together. 1970 MacMillian takes over as director MacMillan became director on Ashton's retirement in 1970 but both choreographers continued to create for the company.

Ashton produced another acknowledged masterwork A Month in the Country 1976 followed by Rhapsody 1980 while MacMillans Manon 1974 and Mayerling 1978 were highly rated. He gave up the directorship of the company in 1977 to concentrate on his choreography and was succeeded by Norman Morrice formerly of Ballet Rambert. 1986 Dowell goes from dancer to Royal Ballet director Anthony Dowell succeeded Morrice as director in 1986. The company had been in a shaky state throughout the later part of the 1970s and early 1980s as stars from the 1960s began to retire. Dowell decided to capitalise on the rising talent within the Royal Ballets own ranks most notably Darcey Bussell. He also went on the attract guest dancers such as Sylvie Guillem and Russian star Irek Mukhamedov to Covent Garden.

19 August, 1988 Sir Frederick Ashton dies at his home in Suffolk 1989 Darcey Bussell makes her Royal Ballet debut MacMillan choreographed The Prince of the Pagodas in 1989 to showcase the talents of 19yearold Bussell who was then with Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet. She transferred to the Royal Ballet as a soloist then made a rapid rise to principal ballerina by the age of 20. MacMillan followed The Prince of the Pagodas with Winter Dreams 1991 with central roles for Bussell and the newlyarrived Mukhamedov. 29 October, 1992 Sir Kenneth MacMillan dies at the age of 62 July, 1997 Royal Opera House closes for redevelopment The Royal Opera House closed in July 1997 for a ï¿½214m redevelopment. During this time the Royal Ballet continued to perform in other London venues. The theatre was reopened by the Queen on 4 December 1999 but not until after the redevelopment had suffered a host of problems including bitter rows resignation threats and reports of delays and spiralling costs.

8 March, 2001 Royal Ballet founder Dame Ninette de Valois dies De Valois who had kept a close relationship with The Royal Ballet died 8 March 2001 at the age of 102. A memorial service took place in Westminster Abbey in the autumn of 2002. August, 2001 The Royal Ballet sees more changes at the top Ross Stretton previously director of Australian Ballet took over the directorship of The Royal Ballet for a controversial twelve months in August 2001. He was succeeded by former assistant director Monica Mason on 18 December 2002. Mason took the company back to its classical roots encouraging the Royal Ballet virtues of upperbody detail and precise footwork. One of her biggest triumphs was reviving some of Ashtons ballets including his 1952 ballet Sylvia for his centenary year celebrations during the 200405 season. 9 February, 2002 HRH Princess Margaret dies HRH Princess Margaret president of The Royal Ballet died on 9 February 2002. The Prince of Wales became president in spring 2003.

December, 2005 Darcey Bussell announces her retirement Bussell announced her plans to retire as principal dancer for the Royal Ballet at the end of the 200506 season aged 36. She will return as a guest dancer. 15 May, 2006 75th Anniversary of The Royal Ballet The Royal Ballet celebrates its 75th anniversary with a recreation of the 1931 performance of The Sleeping Beauty. Celebrations will continue throughout the year.

Question: Which ballerina, born in Ireland, was the founder of the Sadler's Wells Ballet?
Answer: NINETTE DE VALOIS