May 18
Born Today:
Margot Fonteyn
Ballerina Margot Fonteyn (1919-1991) was one of the best-known dancers of the 20th century and her name will always be linked with Rudolf Nureyev (1938-1993), a brash and passionate Russian performer and defector. Their partnership re-energized her career in her early forties, when dancers often retire. Fonteyn continued performing until the age of 60 - although she retired from more demanding roles seven years prior - capping a long performing career, indeed. Fonteyn joined the Royal Ballet in the mid-1930s and was a particular favorite of choreographer Frederick Ashton (1904-1988), who created Ondine (1958) for her. Fonteyn’s appearances on the Ed Sullivan TV show and in a live televised version of The Sleeping Beauty in the 1950s helped to promote ballet to the American public and made her an international star. In 1961, Fonteyn was offered the opportunity to perform with Nureyev in his first production with the Royal Ballet, and the pairing was electric. Throughout the 1960s, Fonteyn and Nureyev were the “rock stars” of ballet, performing classical ballets to sold out audiences all over the world.
Also Born Today: Ballerina Natalia Osipova (1986-) studied at the Bolshoi Academy and danced with the company before relocating to the United States and dancing with ABT in 2011. In 2013, she began dancing with the Royal Ballet.
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Dance Premiere: Parade in 1917