Born Today:
Frederick Ashton

Choreographer Frederick Ashton (1904-1988) began studying ballet with Leonid Massine (1896-1979) at the late age of 20 and danced for Ballet Rambert before finding his voice as a choreographer, joining the Royal Ballet. He created some of his most memorable works for the company, including Symphonic Variations (1946) and a full-length Cinderella (1948), playing one of the evil stepsisters himself, en travesti.

Also Born Today: Choreographer Arthur Saint-Leon (1821-1870) created the ballet Coppélia (1870). Dance historian, teacher, and author, Marcia B. Siegel (1932-2019), wrote The Shapes of Change: Images of American Dance (1979). Postmodern dancer Valda Setterfield (1934-2023) danced with Merce Cunningham (1919- 2009) and married postmodern choreographer David Gordon (1936-2022). Ballet choreographer David Bintley (1957-) choreographed for the Royal Ballet and directed the Birmingham Royal Ballet from 1995-2019.