Do you enjoy ballet?
Yes, I love the Royal Ballet! It is based in the Royal Opera House in London England.
It is spectacular, with such a long tradition. It must be at least 200 years old, wouldn't you say?
Well, from what I understand the Royal Ballet was founded in 1931.
Oh, my mistake. Somehow I thought it was much older. Who are some of the most famous dancers associated with the Royal Ballet?
Well, the Prima ballerina assoluta was Dame Margot Fonteyn.
I have not heard that term, Prima ballerina assoluta. What does it mean? Is it the original prima ballerina?
Sorry about that! Assoluta refers to the most notable of the female dancers.
I learned something new today! Do you dance yourself, or anyone in your family?
dancer Ninette de Valois founded the Academy of Choreographic Art, a dance school for girls. Her intention was to form a repertory ballet company and school, leading her to collaborate with the English theatrical producer and theatre owner Lilian Baylis. Baylis owned the Old Vic and Sadler's Wells theatres and in 1925 she engaged de Valois to stage dance performances at both venues.
Sadler's Wells reopened in 1931 and the Vic-Wells Ballet and Vic-Wells Ballet School were established in premises at the theatre. These would become the
The Royal Ballet
The Royal Ballet is an internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the four major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded in 1931 by Dame Ninette de Valois, it became the resident ballet company of the Royal Opera House in 1946 and was granted a royal charter in 1956, becoming recognised as Britain's flagship ballet company.
The Royal Ballet was one of the foremost ballet companies of the 20th century