Cecil Beaton is a figure who looms large in twentieth century British culture. Primarily a photographer, Beaton was connected in all areas of society. His portraits of the British Royal Family are still used by publications all over the world. (Princess Margaret’s 21st birthday portrait, anyone?) He worked with several ballet and opera companies in the UK, and was friends with countless writers, artists, and socialites, and luckily for us, he wrote his thoughts down. This Culture Bite is all about Cecil Beaton and the Ballet!
Cecil Beaton and the Ballet
As I said before, Beaton had connections like no other. And not-shockingly, he worked closely with British dancer and choreographer, Frederick Ashton. (I chatted about him for another of my Culture Bites, you can find it here!) He first designed sets for Ashton in 1936 for his production of Apparitions for the then-Vic-Wells Ballet. He also worked on Ashton’s Marguerite and Armand, one of the Royal Ballet’s most popular productions to this day.
Beaton wrote quite a bit, but one of his books specifically looks at his lifelong relationship with the ballet, and it is one of my most treasured possessions.
Ballet, Cecil Beaton
Cecil Beaton’s recollections of the ballet, set down in this sparkling personal memoir in his pungent and highly individual prose, commences when, as a boy during World War I, he admired the precision drill of the ‘Palace Girls’ in London. From then on much of Beaton’s life and activities have centered on dances and dancing, and he has worked intimately – as designer, photographer, collaborator, and enthusiastic connoisseur – with all the great figures of the ballet, Diaghileff, Lifar, Lopokova, Christian Berard, Balanchine, Markova, Margot Fonteyn, Frederick Ashton, Massine, all of whom are here deftly characterized. Over 100 of Beaton’s superb photographs are included in this book – portraits of star dancers, close-ups, scenes of ballet in action, and scenes behind the scenes. In addition the text is embellished with dozens of drawings from his sketchbooks, and there is an enchanting title page.
Did you know: Beaton designed the costumes for both the stage and film versions of My Fair Lady, winning several awards for his designs?
Cheers,
The Historian
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