We are now onto the fourth part of my history of ballet series. Now that several of the world’s leading companies are streaming some of their best and most interesting works, I thought it was the perfect time to return, and into the modern period. Today we are moving into my favourite part of ballet history- the development of English ballet. Although in the 19th century, ballet was a music hall performance art, enjoyed in small pieces as a side-piece, Britain made ballet its own in the 20th century. Let’s get stuck into the history of British ballet!
Looking for the early beginnings of ballet? Read my post on the origins of ballet here!
Wondering about Marie Taglioni and the early schools of ballet? Head here!
Want to know more about why Russia is so important in ballet? Read Part III!
Russian Influences
For the most part, England really wanted nothing to do with ballet. It was too foreign and too over-the-top, and aside from a few performers/brief periods, it did not catch on. (Marie Taglioni was a rarity, rather than a staple.) Theatre and opera continued to take the crown for well over a century. By the time we reach the Post-War period, in the 1950s, Britain had come to dominate ballet. But how did this happen?
The Ballet Russes, Serge Diaghilev’s troop of Russian emigrées, brought classical Russian ballet to the rest of Europe. Performing from 1909 to 1929, they were loved by crowds everywhere. And London was no exception- they were entranced by the romantic feeling of the Russian style and the sumptuous costumes and sets.. When Cecil Beaton first saw the Ballet Russes, he was astounded. His “first glimpse of the Russian Ballet…. The vast stage was decorated only in two colours – and the most startling colours; organe crag-like wings against a brilliant expanse of butcher blue. Against this overscaled scene two diminutive figures appeared… [Lydia] Lopokova, dressed in a lilac tutu and emerald green, was partnered by [Stanislas] Idzikowsky… in his suit and tights of blinding blue and brilliant tangerine.” (Ballet, 13-14.) Although Beaton was a teenager at the time, London society (especially the Bloomsbury set) wholeheartedly embraced the Ballet Russes.
English audiences loved seeing Russian ballerinas such as Anna Pavlova perform, and continued to flock to see her repeatedly. And English ballerinas were influenced by their Russian counterparts, who would “Russian-ise” their names. Alicia Markova, was born Lilian Alicia Marks in London, would be one of the first prominent English dancers. Many Russian dancers would also settle in London after the Revolution, and would teach classes to earn money, leading to many students being trained in the Russian style.
History of British Ballet- Founder, Ninette de Valois
The history of British ballet largely starts with Ninette de Valois. She was an Irish dancer, was born Edris Stannus in County Wicklow, Ireland. She moved to Kent to live with her grandmother, and began taking ballet lessons at the age of 10. Her talent was quickly recognised, and after performing in pantomimes and other shows, she was made a principal dancer of the Beecham Opera (the resident company of the Royal Opera House at the time). In 1923, she joined Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes and danced with the company for three years. Unfortunately, she had to stop dancing due to an undiagnosed case of polio in childhood and the resulting damage. Luckily, she had been studying the craft of running a company from Diaghilev, and continued on in ballet in a different role- that of director.
The Vic-Wells Ballet
De Valois assembled her company, the Vic-Wells ballet, in 1931. She specifically set out “to build a national repertory ballet grounded in the Russian Imperial classics…. English ballet, she insisted, must… be a democratic art- not imposed from above by an omniscient state, as it had been in Russia, but created from below by ‘the practical idealist’ (her!) and the ‘the children of the people’.” (Apollo’s Angels, 413-414)
There were several different companies at the time, but the Vic-Wells had the benefit of de Valois’ knowledge of the working of a company. She kept the company organised and dedicated. They also had the benefit of the Ballet Russes disbanding- Markova, Anton Dolin, and Tamara Karsavina (former principals) joined the Vic-Wells Ballet. And finally she hired the to-be famous choreographer, Frederick Ashton. He began dancing late in life, at the age of twenty, but quickly established himself as a notable choreographer. De Valois and Ashton continued to stage full-length classics and new productions, helping cement the company’s popularity.
Sadler’s Wells Ballet and the Royal Ballet
The company became the Sadler’s Wells Ballet in 1939 when it made the Sadler’s Well Theatre its permanent home, and headed into an uncertain time in Europe- the Second World War. Obviously this was a difficult time for everyone. With very little resources, they continued to travel and perform throughout the UK. They even performed for Allied troops on a tour of England.
The company moved to their current home, the Royal Opera House, in 1946. They also established a smaller, touring company that would go on to become the Birmingham Royal Ballet. And after 25 years of performing and touring in the UK and in Europe, they were granted a royal title in 1956, becoming the Royal Ballet. The Royal Ballet is still one of the most prominent companies in ballet, and is a leader in both ballet education and performances.
Want to read more on the Royal Ballet? Read my History of the Royal Ballet post here!
Margot Fonteyn
If you have heard no other name in the history of British ballet or ballet in general, you would have heard of Margot Fonteyn. Born in 1919, she grew up moving around the globe with her parents and older brother. She took ballet classes wherever she was, which would give her a well-rounded training, though she was not in love with ballet from the beginning. Her mother saw her talent, and brought her back to England to launch her ballet career at 14. De Valois spotted her and invited her to join the Vic-Wells Ballet School (as it was known then), and her first performance was in 1933. (Though it was in a pantomime and not a ballet production)
She worked well with Frederick Ashton, and he appreciated her unique style. He created many roles on her, and de Valois gave her the leading roles in Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and Giselle by 1939. It was then that she was appointed prima ballerina of the Vic-Wells Ballet (soon to become the Sadler’s Wells). Throughout the war years and once the company moved to Covent Garden, she struggled somewhat in her personal life, but continued to dance and captivate audiences.
Fonteyn is arguably best known now for her years performing with Rudolf Nuryev. The 24 year old star of the Kirov Ballet in Russia defected to the UK, and although she was considering retiring, she decided to continue dancing. They were partners at the Royal Ballet from 1961 to 1979, and were celebrities both inside and outside the dance world. She retired at the incredible age of 60, and although she passed away in 1991 of ovarian cancer, she is still renowned in British dance and the global dance community.
Interested in Margot’s fashion? See my Dior post featuring her gown here, and a review of the Ballerina exhibition book with a chapter on her clothing!
The Royal Academy of Dance
British ballet still has quite the influence world-wide, due to the Royal Academy of Dance and the Commonwealth. The Royal Academy of Dance (formerly the Royal Academy of Dancing) was established in England in 1920 to create a syllabus for all students, not only pre-professional students. The editor of Dancing Times “brought together representatives of each of the five great styles of the time: Adeline Genée of Denmark, Tamara Karsavina of Russia, Lucia Cormani of Italy, Edouard Espinosa of France, and Phyllis Bedells of England. The goal was to combine the best of all the major schools to improve the quality of training in England.” (The Ballet Companion, 68-69.)
It was carried throughout the British Empire, which then evolved into the Commonwealth and is still a common method of dance education. You will find it in England, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, South Africa, and pretty much everywhere (other than the US). I am biased as I was trained in RAD, but it “produces a strong, clean dancer, well-trained and well-placed.” (The Ballet Companion, p. 69) There is both a graded and a vocational syllabus, and you can train for any level of dance with RAD teachers.
Note: The Royal Ballet School uses their own syllabus, which is separate from the RAD.
*Homans, Jennifer. Apollos Angels: a History of Ballet. London: Granta, 2011.
*Gaynor Minden, Eliza. The Ballet Companion: A Dancer’s Guide to the Technique, Traditions, and Joys of Ballet. New York: Fireside, 2005.
*Beaton, Cecil. Ballet. London: Doubleday, 1951.
Were you surprised by the history of British ballet, and how it came to dominate in the 20th century?
Cheers,
The Historian
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Bloglovin’
2 thoughts on “History of Ballet: British Ballet”