It has been rightly suggested that Dame Ninette de Valois is one of the
most important women of the century. It was due to her drive and
ambition that the modern English ballet was created. In that respect
she changed history single handed. Born in Ireland, young Ninette (her
stage name was her mother's suggestion) came to England aged 7 to study
dance.
At that time (1905) the only ballet seen in England was touring Russian
or French companies. Inspired by a perfromance of the Ballets Russes
under Diaghilev, she joined them in 1923. By the mid 1920's she was
convinced that Britain needed and should be capable of producing it's
own National Ballet and she set about working towards it with a single
minded determination.
By 1926 she opened her first school in London, called the Academy of
Choreographic Arts. By the early 1930s she had, with the help of
Lillian Bayliss, the director of The Old Vic that the theater needed
it's own ballet company and school. With help from Lillian Bayliss,
Madame (as she was known by her pupils), bought the old Sadler's Wells
Theatre and opened her new Ballet School there.
As well as starting the new theatre and ballet school she also found
time to choreograph such works as The Rake's Pregress (based on the
Hogarth prints) for the new company. She soon attracted quite a few
talented people around her including the young Frederick Ashton.
By 1934 the new theatre and ballet school were in full operation and
they produced full length ballets such as Giselle and Copellia
(featuring Alicia Markova). That year a young dancer may have been found in
the ranks by the name of Margot Fonteyn. de Valois had realised from the
beginning that the only way to make a truly British Ballet was to have
a complete system in place from school to stage.
She had developed what came to be known as the English Ballet style of
narrative, lyrical ballet and this was taught in the school. She was
also still an innovative choreograph such innovative works as Checkmate
(1937). During the years of the second world war they toured
extensively and became a major morale booster.
For all her work Ninette was created a Dame of the Order of the British
Empire in 1951. In 1955 she started a new ballet school in White Lodge,
Richmond Park, Surrey. Away from the busy metropolis the Royal Ballet
(as they had become) had a perfect home here. Although retired since
1963, Dame Ninette is still a powerful force in the world of
ballet.
