June 25
Born Today:
Celia Franca
Ballerina Celia Franca (1921-2007) studied at the Royal Academy of Dance and performed with the Sadler’s Wells Ballet (an early version of The Royal Ballet) and was commissioned by the BBC to choreograph for TV. On a trip to Toronto in the 1950s, she was asked to create a Canadian dance company, and along with Betty Oliphant (1918-2004), she co-founded the National Ballet of Canada in 1951, the National Ballet School of Canada in 1959, and served as the artistic director of the company for 24 years.
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Ballet Premiere: The Firebird in 1910