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MARGOT FONTEYN ONE OF GREATEST BALLET DANCERS OF ALL TIME

FULL NAME: Margaret Evelyn Hookham

BORN: MAY 18, 1919, REIGATE, SURREY, U.K.

DIED: FEBRUARY 21, 1991, PANAMA CITY, PANAMA

NATIONALITY: BRITISH

TRUE GRACE

Born Margaret Evelyn Hookham in Surrey, England, to a British father and an Irish-Brazilian mother, Margaret came from a very artistic family. At the age of four, she began ballet classes. At eight, her family moved to China, where she began studying ballet with a Russian teacher. At 14, Margaret returned to London to concentrate on her dancing. Not yet a teenager, the young Margot had already invested a lot into the study of ballet around the world. Margaret’s stage name, Margot Fonteyn, was a play on her own mixed-race roots.

A NATIONAL TREASURE

In 1934, at the age of 15, Margot made her professional debut with the Vic-Wells Ballet in London (later to be called the Royal Ballet—with whom she would spend the rest of her career). The following year, she became one of the troupe’s leading dancers. Margot was renowned for her outstanding interpretations of the classics. Her portrayal of Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, in 1939, is still considered to be the best ever. In addition, she was loved for her creation of contemporary roles in more modern productions. Margot was said to be technically perfect, but she also had great style and musicality. Her charm and charisma also opened up ballet to a wider audience.

FABULOUS FIRSTS
	FIRST BRITISH DANCER TO BE AN INTERNATIONAL BALLET STAR

For several years, Margot’s dance partner was Rudolf Nureyev. The two of them are seen here at the Stockholm Opera, in 1969.

Ballet sensation Margot Fonteyn, pictured in 1969

All of this built her status as an international star—the first to come from an English dance company, and Margot stayed true to her national roots, too. In 1954, Margot became the president of the Royal Academy of Dancing, and in 1956 she was made Dame of the Order of the British Empire (making her Dame Margot Fonteyn, DBE). For many years, Margot’s dance partner was the Soviet ballet sensation Rudolf Nureyev, and their performances wowed audiences across the globe. On Margot’s 60th birthday, she was appointed Prima Ballerina Assoluta of the Royal Ballet—an honor awarded to her by Queen Elizabeth II, and held until Margot’s death.