Tips for Teachers and Dancers
Ever since she began her dancing career, Phyllis Spira has been compared to legendary ballerinas such as Alicia Markova and Margot Fonteyn. It is said that she had the qualities of both these great dancers, but she still remains uniquely and totally herself. Phyllis Spira danced with such impeccable style, grace, and strength that she … Read more
Well there were actually two Monotones Ballets. Monotones Ballet I was a ballet done in one act. It was choreographed by Frederick Ashton and the music was Satie Trois Gnossiennes by Lanchbery. It was first performed by the Royal Ballet at Covent Garden on the 25th of April 1966. The dancers were Antoinette Sibley, Geogina … Read more
There was absolutely nothing grey about Beryl Grey Ballerina of yesteryear as she has made such an impact on British Ballet over the years. She was born in 1927 and apparently still had her ebony hair well into her old age. She was elegant and had the most beautiful lines when she danced. She died … Read more
Days Ulanova I own Days Ulanova in hard cover and it is extremely interesting reading, especially if you are interested in the history of ballet or dance of any kind. If you would like to find out how to get a copy, just click on the link above or the picture of the book. Days … Read more
It is always interesting as a dancer to get a background of ballet ,or any particular art form which you study. As modern dance and all its styles belong mainly to the twentieth century, any earlier dance work for the European theater was likely to have been created using the technique and the style of … Read more
La Fille Mal Gardee Ballet is one of my favourites. It is light-hearted and funny, and one of those ballets that I could watch again and again. This post may contain affiliate links. The literal translation for La Fille Mal Gardee means ‘The Wayward Daughter.’ Some of the first productions of this ballet were known … Read more
If you are wondering who Dusty Button Ballerina is, there has been quite a bit of bad press coverage of her lately. This bit of ballet history is very recent, unlike a lot of the other history on this website. Dusty Button the ballerina was born on the 6th of June 1989 in Myrtle Beach, … Read more
Cinderella has been a popular story for over a hundred years, but it was only turned into a ballet after 1945, when Sergei Prokofiev finished writing the musical score. The Cinderella Ballet Story has different versions, but the synopsis below is the most popular. Fredrick Ashton was the first person to stage a full-length Cinderella ballet … Read more
Scenes de Ballet is a ballet in one act choreographed by Frederick Ashton. The music was written by Stravinsky and the decor done by Andre Beaurepaire who was a young Frenchman who was heavily influenced by Picasso. This ballet was first performed by Sadler’s Wells Ballet at Covent Garden on the 11th of February 1948. … Read more
Symphonic Variations Ballet is a one-act ballet and it was choreographed by Frederick Ashton. The music was done by César Franck and set to the eponymous music (Variation Symphonies for piano and orchestra). The decor was done by Sophie Fedorovich (who had decorated Ashton’s first ballet twenty years prior – A Tragedy of Fashion), and … Read more