Fonteyn, Margot << fon TAYN, MAHR goh >> (1919-1991), is generally considered the greatest British ballerina of the 1900’s. Critics praised her precise technique and the warmth and delicacy of her style. Sir Frederick Ashton, a great English choreographer (dance creator), created many ballets for her, including Daphnis and Chlöe and Symphonic Variations. Fonteyn gave perhaps her greatest performances in Ashton’s Ondine. She and Ashton established a refined form of dancing that became known as the British style.
Fonteyn was born on May 18, 1919, in Reigate, England. Her real name was Margaret Hookham. At age 14, Fonteyn began dancing with the Vic-Wells Ballet (now the Royal Ballet) in London. In 1962, she began her partnership with the Russian-born dancer Rudolf Nureyev. Queen Elizabeth II named her a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1956, and she became known as Dame Margot Fonteyn. She died on Feb. 21, 1991.
