Ninette de Valois

Ninette de Valois
de Valois (c. 1920s)
Born
Edris Stannus

(1898-06-06)6 June 1898
Blessington, Ireland
Died8 March 2001(2001-03-08) (aged 102)
NationalityIrish
Education
Occupations
Years active1900s–1990s
Organizations
Known forBallet
Notable work
TitleFounder and Artistic Director
Term1931–1963 (Royal Ballet)
PredecessorNone (Founder)
SuccessorSir Frederick Ashton
Spouse
Arthur Blackall Connell
(m. 1935; died 1987)
Awards

Dame Ninette de Valois OM CH DBE (born Edris Stannus; 6 June 1898 – 8 March 2001) was an Irish-born British[1] dancer, teacher, choreographer, and director of classical ballet. Most notably, she danced professionally with Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, later establishing the Royal Ballet, one of the foremost ballet companies of the 20th century and one of the leading ballet companies in the world. She also established the Royal Ballet School and the touring company which became the Birmingham Royal Ballet. She is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of ballet and as the "godmother" of English and Irish ballet.[2][3][4]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Britannica was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Segal-2001 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference CandC-2009 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference independent1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).