Coordinates	38°53′51.61″N77°2′11.58″N
Name	Dame Margot Fonteyn de Arias DBE
Birth name	Margaret Hookham
Birth date	May 18, 1919
Birth place	Reigate, Surrey, United Kingdom
Death date	February 21, 1991
Death place	Panama City, Panama
Death cause	Cancer
Resting place	Panama
Resting place coordinates
Nationality	British
Known for	dancing
Employer	Royal Ballet
Occupation	Ballerina
Title	Prima ballerina assoluta
Spouse	Roberto Arias
Footnotes	}}

Dame Margot Fonteyn de Arias, DBE (18 May 191921 February 1991), was an English ballerina of the 20th century. She is widely regarded as one of the greatest classical ballet dancers of all time. She spent her entire career as a dancer with the Royal Ballet, eventually being appointed ''Prima Ballerina Assoluta'' of the company by HM Queen Elizabeth II.

Early life

Fonteyn was born Margaret Hookham on 18 May 1919 in Reigate, Surrey, to an English father and an Irish and Brazilian mother; her mother's father was the industrialist Antonio Fontes of Brazil. Very early in her career, Margaret transformed the ''Fontes'' into ''Fonteyn'' (a surname her brother adopted as well) and Margaret into Margot: thus her stage name. Among her father's family were people in literature and music, but he was an engineer.

When she was four her mother signed her up for ballet classes with her older brother. At age eight, Margot made the long journey to China with her mother and father, who had taken employment with a tobacco company there; her brother Felix remained at his school. For six years Margot lived in Tientsin then in Shanghai, where she studied ballet with the Russian émigré teacher George Goncharov. Her mother brought her back to London when she was 14 in order to pursue a ballet career. Continuing to work in Shanghai, her father was interned during World War II by the invading Japanese.

In 1933, she joined the Vic-Wells Ballet School, the predecessor of today's Royal Ballet School. She trained under the direction of Ninette de Valois and teachers including Olga Preobrajenska and Mathilde Kschessinska. After starting with the Vic-Wells Ballet, she rose quickly through the ranks of the company. By 1939, Fonteyn had performed principal roles in ''Giselle'', ''Swan Lake'' and ''The Sleeping Beauty'' and was appointed ''Prima Ballerina''.

Fonteyn was most noted in the ballets of Sir Frederick Ashton, including ''Ondine'', ''Daphnis and Chloe'', and ''Sylvia''. She was especially renowned for her portrayal of Aurora in Tchaikovsky's ''The Sleeping Beauty''. (Televised versions of ''Sleeping Beauty'' and Ashton's version of ''Cinderella'' are now available on DVD.) Fonteyn also worked with the choreographer Roland Petit and later in life, Martha Graham. In 1949 when the Royal Ballet toured the United States, Fonteyn instantly became a celebrity for her performances.

Dancing with Rudolf Nureyev and others

In the 1940s, she and Robert Helpmann formed a very successful dance partnership, and they toured together for several years. In the 1950s, she danced regularly with Michael Somes (they had first danced together in 1938, when they created Constant Lambert's ''Horoscope''). In 1958 they appeared together in the first British televised version of ''The Nutcracker''.

Fonteyn began her greatest artistic partnership at a time when many (including the head of the Royal Ballet, Ninette de Valois) thought she was about to retire. In 1961 Rudolf Nureyev defected to the West, and on 21 February 1962, he and Fonteyn first performed together in ''Giselle''. She was 42 and he was 24. Their performance was a great success; during the curtain calls Nureyev dropped to his knees and kissed Fonteyn's hand. They created an on-and-offstage partnership that lasted until her 1979 retirement, and were lifelong friends. Fonteyn and Nureyev became known for inspiring repeated frenzied curtain calls and bouquet tosses.

Ashton choreographed ''Marguerite and Armand'' for them, which no other couple danced until the 21st century. They debuted Kenneth MacMillan's ''Romeo and Juliet'', although MacMillan had conceived the ballet for Lynn Seymour and Christopher Gable. Fonteyn and Nureyev appeared together in the filmed versions of MacMillan's ''Romeo and Juliet'', ''Swan Lake'', ''Les Sylphides'', and the ''Le Corsaire Pas de Deux''.

Despite differences in background and temperament, and a 19-year gap in ages, Nureyev and Fonteyn became close lifelong friends and were famously loyal to each other. Fonteyn would not approve an unflattering photograph of Nureyev. He said about her:

"At the end of 'Lac des Cygnes' when she left the stage in her great white tutu I would have followed her to the end of the world."

The well-known photojournalist Michael Peto took many images of Fonteyn and Nureyev, helping their artistry to become widely known and part of the national culture.

The extent of their physical relationship remains unclear; Nureyev said that they had one while Fonteyn denied it. Her biographer Meredith Daneman agreed with Nureyev. They remained close even after she retired to a Panama cattle farm with her husband. Fonteyn would talk with Nureyev by phone several times a week, although her farmhouse did not have a telephone. When she had to be treated for cancer, Nureyev paid many of her medical bills and visited her often, despite his busy schedule as a performer and choreographer. In a documentary about Fonteyn, Nureyev said that they danced with "one body, one soul" and that Margot was "all he had, only her." An observer said that "If most people are at level A, they were at level Z." (Nureyev had his own health problems as he was HIV positive. He died of AIDS in 1993).

In the extremely competitive world of ballet, Fonteyn was renowned for her consummate professionalism and loyalty to her friends. Her dancing stood out for its lyricism, grace, and passion. Although Fonteyn was the Royal Ballet's biggest star, its director, Dame Ninette de Valois, cultivated other talents, so that the Royal Ballet of Fonteyn's day also featured Nadia Nerina, Svetlana Beriosova, Lynn Seymour, and Antoinette Sibley.

Relationships

During the late 1930s and early 1940s, Fonteyn had a long relationship with composer Constant Lambert. Lambert expressed some aspects of this in his ballet ''Horoscope'' (1938).

In 1955, Fonteyn married Dr. Roberto Arias, a Panamanian diplomat to London. Their marriage was initially a rocky one due to his infidelities. She was arrested when he attempted a ''coup'' against the Panamanian government. In 1964, a rival Panamanian politician shot Arias, leaving him a quadriplegic for the rest of his life. Information released on 28 May 2010 indicated Dame Margot knew of, and at one point was involved in, the ''coup'' attempt.

After her retirement, she spent all her time in Panama, and was close to her husband and his children from an earlier marriage. Shortly before her husband's death, Fonteyn was diagnosed with a cancer that proved fatal. She died on 21 February 1991 in a hospital in Panama City, Panama.

Legacy and honors

Fonteyn was awarded a DBE (made a dame) in 1956 at the age of 37.

She was chancellor of the University of Durham from 1981 to 1990. The main hall in Dunelm House, the Student Union building, is named the Fonteyn Ballroom in her honour. Also, the foyer to the Great Hall of University College, Durham in Durham Castle is named after Dame Margot Fonteyn. Fonteyn Court, one of the accommodation buildings at the Parsons Field site of St. Cuthbert's Society, is also named in her honour.

Margot Fonteyn was one of five "Women of Achievement" selected for a set of British stamps issued in August 1996.

In her hometown of Reigate, a statue stands in tribute .

Miscellany

Fonteyn wrote the Introduction for ''Wushu! The Chinese Way To Family Health and Fitness''. The book was translated for the Western market by Timothy Tung from a series of official handbooks published in China by The People's Sports Publishing House, Beijing.

Fonteyn has a school named in her honor, the only school her estate has allowed to do so in Peekskill, New York, http://fonteynacademy.org/sections/

Film and television

Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev starred together in a color film of ''Swan Lake'' in 1967. Under the guidance of the noted director Paul Czinner, they also filmed their famous version of ''Romeo and Juliet'' in 1966.

Fonteyn had appeared with Michael Somes in a live U.S. television color production of Tchaikovsky's ''The Sleeping Beauty'' (1955), for the anthology series ''Producers' Showcase'', on NBC. This production has been preserved on black-and-white kinescope, and released on DVD. Fonteyn starred with Somes in a 1958 British TV production of ''The Nutcracker''. (This is not to be confused with the live U.S. television production telecast by CBS on ''Playhouse 90''.)

The BBC made a film about Fonteyn in 2009, based on Daneman's biography and starring Anne-Marie Duff as the ballerina. It aired on 30 November 2009.

Tony Palmer made a documentary about Fonteyn,entitled simply "Margot" (2005). It includes interviews with Nureyef, Frekerick Ashton, Roland Petit, Ninette de Valois, Robert Helpman, Lynn Seymour, Fonteyn's mother and other relatives, and various members of the Arias family.

Main roles

''The Haunted Ballroom''

''Cinderella''

''Les Sylphides''

''Don Juan''

''Swan Lake''

''Sylvia''

''Apparitions''

''The Firebird''

''Aida''

''Birthday Offering''

''Ondine''

''Night Shadow''

''Horoscope''

''Pomona''

''Pelleas et Melisande''

''The Judgement of Paris''

''Beauty and the Beast''

''The Sleeping Beauty''

''Gayanch''

''Carnaval''

''The Dying Swan''

''Lysistrata''

''Romeo and Juliet''

''Giselle''

''Garden Party''

''A Wedding Bouquet''

''In Nightly Revels''

''The Wanderer''

''The Quest''

''Hamlet''

''Les Demoiselles de la nuit''

''The Fairy Queen''

''The Nutcracker''

Quotations

"The one important thing I have learned over the years is the difference between taking one's work seriously and taking one's self seriously. The first is imperative and the second is disastrous."

"Great artists are people who find the way to be themselves in their art. Any sort of pretension induces mediocrity in art and life alike."

"Life offstage has sometimes been a wilderness of unpredictables in an unchoreographed world."

"Genius is another word for magic, and the whole point of magic is that it is inexplicable."

References

External links

Brief bio at Ballet.co.uk

The Ballerina Gallery - Margot Fonteyn

Margot Fonteyn at PeoplePlay UK

Brief bio at Surrey Choicenet

Brief bio at "My Hero" project

Memories of Margo

The Margot Fonteyn Academy of Ballet

Category:Prima ballerina assolutas Category:English ballet dancers Category:Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire Category:People from Reigate Category:Chancellors of Durham University Category:Principal dancers of The Royal Ballet Category:Cancer deaths in Panama Category:1919 births Category:1991 deaths

de:Margot Fonteyn es:Margot Fonteyn fr:Margot Fonteyn ko:마고트 폰테인 is:Margot Fonteyn it:Margot Fonteyn nl:Margot Fonteyn ja:マーゴ・フォンテイン no:Margot Fonteyn pl:Margot Fonteyn pt:Margot Fonteyn ro:Margot Fonteyn ru:Фонтейн, Марго simple:Margot Fonteyn sl:Margot Fonteyn sr:Марго Фонтејн sv:Margot Fonteyn zh:瑪格·芳登

Coordinates	38°53′51.61″N77°2′11.58″N
name	Rudolf Nureyev
birth name	Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev
birth date	March 17, 1938
birth place	train, near Irkutsk, Siberia, USSR
death date	January 06, 1993
death place	Paris, France
occupation	Dancer, actor
years active	}}

Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev (, , ) (17 March 1938 – 6 January 1993) was a dancer from the former Soviet Union, considered one of the most celebrated ballet dancers of the 20th century. Nureyev's artistic skills explored expressive areas of the dance, providing a new role to the male ballet dancer who once served only as support to the women.

In 1961 he defected to the West, despite KGB efforts to stop him. According to KGB archives studied by Peter Watson, Nikita Khrushchev personally signed an order to have Nureyev brutally killed.

Early life and career at the Kirov

Nureyev was born on a Trans-Siberian train near Irkutsk, Siberia, Soviet Union, while his mother Feride was travelling to Vladivostok, where his father Hamit, a Red Army political commissar, was stationed . He was raised as the only son in a Bashkir-Tatar family in a village near Ufa in Soviet republic of Bashkortostan. When his mother smuggled him and his sisters into a performance of the ballet "Song of the Cranes", he fell in love with dance. As a child he was encouraged to dance in Bashkir folk performances and his precocity was soon noticed by teachers who encouraged him to train in Leningrad. On a tour stop in Moscow with a local ballet company, Nureyev auditioned for the Bolshoi ballet company and was accepted. However, he felt that the Kirov Ballet school was the best, so he left the local touring company and bought a ticket to Leningrad.

Owing to the disruption of Soviet cultural life caused by World War II, Nureyev was unable to enroll in a major ballet school until 1955, aged 17, when he was accepted by the Leningrad Choreographic School, the associate school of the Kirov Ballet.

Alexander Ivanovich Pushkin took an interest in him professionally and allowed Nureyev to live with him and his wife. Upon graduation, Nureyev continued with the Kirov and went on to become a soloist.

In his three years with the Kirov, he danced fifteen rôles, usually opposite his partner, Ninel Kurgapkina, with whom he was very well paired, although she was almost a decade older than he was. He became one of the Soviet Union's best-known dancers and was allowed to travel outside the Soviet Union, when he danced in Vienna at the International Youth Festival. Not long after, for disciplinary reasons, he was told he would not be allowed to go abroad again. He was confined to tours of the Soviet republics.

Defection

left|thumb|Rudolf Nureyev at his defection from Soviet Union 1961.By the late 1950s, Nureyev had become a sensation in the Soviet Union. Yet, as the Kirov ballet was preparing to go on a European tour, Nureyev's rebellious character and a non-conformist attitude quickly made him the unlikely candidate for a trip to the West, which was to be of crucial importance to the Soviet government's ambitions to portray their cultural supremacy. However, in 1961, the Kirov's leading male dancer, Konstantin Sergeyev, was injured, and Nureyev was chosen to replace him on the Kirov's European tour. In Paris, his performances electrified audiences and critics, but he broke the rules about mingling with foreigners, which alarmed the Kirov's management. The KGB wanted to send him back to the Soviet Union immediately. As a subterfuge, they told him that he would not travel with the company to London to continue the tour because he was needed to dance at a special performance in the Kremlin. When that didn't work they told him his mother had fallen severely ill and he needed to come home immediately to see her. He knew these were lies and believed that if he returned to the U.S.S.R., he would likely be imprisoned, because KGB agents had been investigating him.

On June 16, 1961 at the Le Bourget Airport in Paris, Rudolf Nureyev defected with the help of French police and a Parisian socialite friend - Clara Saint. Within a week, he was signed up by the Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas and was performing ''The Sleeping Beauty'' with Nina Vyroubova. On a tour of Denmark he met Erik Bruhn, a dancer who became his lover, his closest friend and his protector for many years.

Although he petitioned the Soviet government for many years to be allowed to visit his mother, he was not allowed to do so until 1987, when his mother was dying and Mikhail Gorbachev consented to the visit. In 1989, he was invited to dance with the Kirov Ballet at the Maryinsky theatre in Leningrad. The visit gave him the opportunity to see many of the teachers and colleagues he had not seen since he defected, including his first ballet teacher in Ufa.

Royal Ballet

Nureyev's first appearance in Britain was at a ballet matinée organised by The Royal Ballet's Prima Ballerina Dame Margot Fonteyn. The event was held in aid of the Royal Academy of Dance, a classical ballet teaching organisation of which she was President. He danced "Poeme Tragique", a solo choreographed by Frederick Ashton, and the Black Swan ''pas de deux'' from Swan Lake.

Dame Ninette de Valois offered him a contract to join The Royal Ballet as Principal Dancer. His first appearance with the company was partnering Margot Fonteyn in ''Giselle'' on 21 February 1962. Fonteyn and Nureyev would go on to form a partnership. Nureyev stayed with the Royal Ballet until 1970, when he was promoted to Principal Guest Artist, enabling him to concentrate on his increasing schedule of international guest appearances and tours. He continued to perform regularly with The Royal Ballet until committing his future to the Paris Opera Ballet in the 1980s.

Nureyev and his dance partnerships

Rudolph Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn became longstanding dance partners and continued to dance together for many years after Nureyev's departure from the Royal Ballet. Their last performance together was in ''Baroque Pas de Trois'' on 16 September 1988 when Fonteyn was 69, Nureyev was aged 50, with Carla Fracci also starring, aged 52. Nureyev once said of Fonteyn that they danced with "one body, one soul".

Together Nureyev and Fonteyn premiered Sir Frederick Ashton's ballet ''Marguerite and Armand'', a ballet danced to Liszt's Piano Sonata in B minor, which became their signature piece. They always completely sold out the house. Kenneth MacMillan was forced to allow them to premiere his ''Romeo and Juliet'', which was intended for two other dancers, Lynn Seymour and Christopher Gable.Films exist of their partnership in ''Les Sylphides'', ''Swan Lake'', ''Romeo and Juliet'', and other rôles.

Nureyev danced with many of the top ballerinas of his time. He celebrated another long-time partnership with Prima Ballerina Assoluta Eva Evdokimova. They first appeared together in ''La Sylphide'' (1971) and in 1975 he selected her as his ''Sleeping Beauty'' in his staging for London Festival Ballet. Evdokimova remained his partner of choice for many guest appearances and tours across the globe with "Nureyev and Friends" for more than fifteen years.

Film and television

In 1962, Nureyev made his screen debut in a film version of ''Les Sylphides''. In 1977 he played Rudolph Valentino in Ken Russell's ''Valentino'', but he decided against an acting career in order to branch into modern dance with the Dutch National Ballet in 1968. In 1972, Robert Helpmann invited him to tour Australia with his own production of ''Don Quixote'', his directorial debut. The film version (1973) features Nureyev, Lucette Aldous as Kitri, Helpmann as Don Quixote and artists of the Australian Ballet.

During the 1970s, Nureyev appeared in several films and toured through the United States in a revival of the Broadway musical ''The King and I''. He was one of the guest stars on the television series ''The Muppet Show'' where he danced in a parody called "Swine Lake," sang "Baby It's Cold Outside" in a hot tub duet with Miss Piggy, and sang and danced in the show's finale, "Top Hat". In 1981, Thames Television filmed a documentary with Nureyev, including a candid interview, as well as access to him in the studio, rehearsing. In 1982, he became a naturalized Austrian. In 1983 he had a non-dancing role in the movie ''Exposed'' with Nastassja Kinski. Also in 1983, he was appointed director of the Paris Opera Ballet, where, as well as directing, he continued to dance and to promote younger dancers. He remained there as a dancer and chief of choreography until 1989. Among the dancers he groomed were Sylvie Guillem, Isabelle Guerin, Manuel Legris, Elisabeth Maurin, Élisabeth Platel, Charles Jude, and Monique Loudieres. Despite advancing illness towards the end of his tenure, he worked tirelessly, staging new versions of old standbys and commissioning some of the most ground-breaking choreographic works of his time. His own Romeo and Juliet was a popular success.

Personality

Nureyev was notoriously impulsive and did not have much patience with rules, limitations and hierarchical order. His impatience mainly showed itself when the failings of others interfered with his work. Most ballerinas with whom he danced, including Antoinette Sibley, Gelsey Kirkland and Annette Page paid tribute to him as a considerate partner.

He socialized with Gore Vidal, Freddie Mercury, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Mick Jagger, Liza Minnelli, Andy Warhol and Talitha Pol, but developed an intolerance for celebrities. He kept up old friendships in and out of the ballet world for decades, and was considered to be a loyal and generous friend. He was known as extremely generous to many ballerinas, who credit him with helping them during difficult times. In particular, the Canadian ballerina Lynn Seymour – distressed when she was denied the opportunity to premiere Macmillan's ''Romeo and Juliet'' – says that Nureyev often found projects for her even when she was suffering from weight issues and depression and thus had trouble finding rôles. He is also said to have helped an elderly and increasingly impoverished Tamara Karsavina.

By the end of the 1970s, when he was in his 40s, he continued to tackle big classical rôles. However by the late 1980s his diminished capabilities disappointed his admirers who had fond memories of his outstanding prowess and skill. Towards the end of his life, when he was sick, he worked on productions for the Paris Opera Ballet. His last work was a production of ''La Bayadère'' which closely follows the Kirov Ballet version he danced as a young man.

Final years and death

When AIDS appeared in France around 1982, Nureyev took little notice. For several years he simply denied that anything was wrong with his health. When, about 1990, he became undeniably ill, he is said to have attributed the symptoms to other ailments. He tried several experimental treatments but they did not stop his deteriorating health.

In March 1992, Rudolf Nureyev, living with advanced AIDS, visited Kazan and appeared as a conductor in front of the audience at Musa Cälil Tatar Academic Opera and Ballet Theater in Kazan, which now presents the Rudolf Nureyev Festival in Tatarstan

At his last appearance, a 1992 production of ''La Bayadère'' at the Palais Garnier, Nureyev received a standing ovation. The French Culture Minister, Jack Lang, presented him with France's highest cultural award, the ''Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres''. He died in Levallois-Perret a few months later, aged 54.

His grave, at a Russian cemetery in Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois near Paris, features a tomb draped in a mosaic of an oriental carpet. Nureyev was an avid collector of beautiful carpets and antique textiles.

Influence

Nureyev's influence on the world of ballet changed the perception of male dancers; in his own productions of the classics the male rôles received much more choreography. Another important influence was his crossing the borders between classical ballet and modern dance by performing both. Today it is normal for dancers to receive training in both styles, but Nureyev was the originator, and the practice was much criticized in his day. (Though Gene Kelly had done much to combine the two styles in film, he came from a more Modern Dance influenced "popular dance" environment, while Nureyev made great strides in gaining acceptance of Modern Dance in the "Classical Ballet" sphere.)

See also

List of Eastern Bloc defectors

Notes

References

Reviews

Anna Kisselgoff, ''Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme'', April 9^th, 1979">NY Times, Anna Kisselgoff, ''Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme'', April 9^th, 1979

External links

Rudolf Nureyev Foundation

BBC Interviews with Nureyev

Birthday tribute

''New York Sun'' review of PBS's "Nureyev: The Russian Years"

Category:AIDS-related deaths in France Category:Burials at Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois Russian Cemetery Category:Danseurs Category:Eastern Bloc defectors Category:Soviet emigrants to France Category:LGBT dancers Category:LGBT people from France Category:LGBT people from Austria Category:LGBT people from Russia Category:Principal dancers of The Royal Ballet Category:Russian ballet dancers Category:Russian film actors Category:Soviet defectors Category:Tatar people Category:1938 births Category:1993 deaths Category:Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Category:Prix Benois de la Danse jurors

an:Rudolf Nureyev bg:Рудолф Нуреев ca:Rudolf Nurèiev cs:Rudolf Nurejev cy:Rudolf Nureyev da:Rudolf Nurejev de:Rudolf Chametowitsch Nurejew el:Ρούντολφ Νουρέγιεφ es:Rudolf Nureyev fr:Rudolf Noureev gl:Rudolf Nureyev hr:Rudolf Nurejev io:Rudolf Nureyev it:Rudol'f Nuriev he:רודולף נורייב nl:Rudolf Noerejev ja:ルドルフ・ヌレエフ no:Rudolf Nurejev pl:Rudolf Nuriejew pt:Rudolf Nureyev ro:Rudolf Nuriev ru:Нуреев, Рудольф Хаметович sr:Рудолф Хаметович Нурејев fi:Rudolf Nurejev sv:Rudolf Nurejev tt:Rudolf Nuriev th:รูดอล์ฟ นูเรเยฟ tr:Rudolf Nureyev zh:魯道夫·紐瑞耶夫

Coordinates	38°53′51.61″N77°2′11.58″N
Name	Sir Robert Helpmann
Birth date	April 09, 1909
Birth place	Mount Gambier, South Australia, Australia
Death date	September 28, 1986
Death place	Sydney, Australia }}

Sir Robert Helpmann CBE (9 April 190928 September 1986) was an Australian dancer, actor, theatre director and choreographer.

Early years

He was born Robert Murray Helpman (spelt with one "n") in Mount Gambier, South Australia and also boarded at Prince Alfred College in Adelaide. From childhood, Helpman had a strong desire to be a dancer. This was an unusual ambition in provincial Australia of the 1920s. In a 1974 interview he recalled that he was taught the moves and dances of a girl because his dance teacher had no prior experience teaching boys.

In the Margot Fonteyn biography, he is described as being dark haired, pale, and having large dark eyes. Helpman had a younger sister Sheila Helpman, and a younger brother Max, or Maxwell Helpman, and he welcomed them both into his theatrical world, both of them becoming part of it like audience members and then becoming involved into his style of work as actors themselves.

Career

Early career

In 1926 he joined the touring dance company of the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova. The introduction came via his father, who was on a business trip to Melbourne, where he met Pavlova who was dancing there. One of the many versions of the cause for his decision to change his surname from Helpman to Helpmann, was that Pavlova, a devotee of numerology, suggested that he should change his surname to avoid his name Robert Helpman having 13 letters. In 1927 Helpmann first appeared professionally, in Sydney, but opportunities to dance at any serious level in Australia were limited. By 1930 he was headlined in a J. C. Williamson production of ''The New Moon'' then as "Bobby Helpman, burlesque dancer" in Hugh D. McIntosh revues. In 1932 he choreographed the burlesque ''Business a la Russe''. In 1933 he went to London to study under Ninette de Valois at the Vic-Wells Ballet Ballet School and was soon in the corps de ballet of ''Coppelia'', then as an understudy to Anton Dolin. Soon he was principal dancer with Vic-Wells Ballet (which later became Sadler's Wells and now the Royal Ballet. Here he formed his great professional partnership with (later Dame) Margot Fonteyn. Together they created many roles in ballets choreographed by Frederick Ashton, including the comical "ugly stepsisters" in the pantomime-style ballet ''Cinderella''.

The highpoint of Helpmann's career as a dancer was the Sadler's Wells Ballet tour of the United States in 1949, with Fonteyn and Helpmann dancing the leading roles in ''The Sleeping Beauty''. The production caused a sensation, which made the names of both the Royal Ballet and its two principals; public and press alike referred to them affectionately as ''Bobby and Margot''. Although Helpmann was past his best as a dancer, the tour opened doors for him in the United States as an actor and director.

Later career

In the 1940s, as he passed his peak as a dancer, Helpmann turned to production and to acting. He produced his own ballets — ''Comus'' (1942), ''Hamlet'' (1942), ''The Birds'' (1942), ''Miracle in the Gorbals'' (1944), ''Caravan'' (1946), ''Adam Zero'' (1946) and ''Elektra'' (1963). He performed roles from Shakespeare at the Canadian Stratford Shakespeare Festival and at the Old Vic theatre company in London, playing the title role in ''Hamlet'' two years after having danced the same part.

Helpmann also appeared in many films, including the two Powell and Pressburger ballet films ''The Red Shoes'' (1948), for which he was the choreographer, and ''The Tales of Hoffmann'' (1951). In 1942 he played the Dutch Quisling in the Powell/Pressburger film ''One of Our Aircraft Is Missing'' (1942) and later played the Chinese Prince Tuan in ''55 Days at Peking'' (1963).

After his return to Australia as co-director of The Australian Ballet, he continued to appear in films. Notable productions included one of his most recognized screen roles, the sinister Child Catcher in the family classic ''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'' (1968). His performance in the film rating in Empire magazine as among the 100 most frightening ever filmed. Another family film he starred in was ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (1972), in which he portrayed the Mad Hatter. And for The Australian Ballet he co-directed with Rudolf Nureyev the ballet-film ''Don Quixote'' (1973), in which he also played the title role.

The Australian Ballet

In 1965 Helpmann returned to Australia to become co-director of the Australian Ballet. Since he was gay and flamboyant, his arrival in what was at that time a very conservative country caused some consternation. Australians were proud of his international fame, but not sure what to make of him personally. He did not endear himself with the comment: "I don't despair about the cultural scene in Australia because there isn't one here to despair about."

His most significant contribution to the development of dance in Australia was his time with The Australian Ballet. Here he joined Dame Peggy van Praagh at the helm of the fledgling company, as her co-director until 1974 and sole director until 1976. He choreographed ballets including ''Yugen'' (1965), ''Elektra'' (1967, revised from the original version created for the Royal Ballet in 1963), ''Sun Music'' (1968),, ''Perisynthyon'' (1974) and produced and directed ''The Merry Widow'' (1975). This was not his first encounter with ''The Merry Widow'' – he had directed a production of the operetta in His Majesty's Theatre in London in 1944, with Madge Elliott as "Anna" and Cyril Ritchard as "Danilo". In the 1930s he had also danced in a production with Gladys Moncrieff as "Anna".

The avant-garde nature and sexual overtones of much of his work unsettled many Australians. His most controversial work was ''The Display'' (1964), with music by Malcolm Williamson. Helpmann claimed that this was the "first one hundred per cent Australian ballet to have been choreographed", however it was predated by several works and the true first all-Australian ballet was Edouard Borovansky's ''Terra Australis'' which premiered in Melbourne on 25 May 1946. ''The Display'' used the courtship dance of the lyrebird as a metaphor for Australian male attitudes. Helpmann dedicated the ballet to his friend American actress Katharine Hepburn, who wanted to see a male lyrebird dancing during her visit to Australia in 1955. The novelist Patrick White wrote the scenario, but Helpmann disliked it intensely. It was rejected, causing a furious row between these two extremely opinionated artists. Both the subject matter and the presentation of the ballet were well in advance of Australian tastes at the time.

The Australian Opera and later work

In 1981 Helpmann worked with the Australian Opera, directing ''Alcina'' by Handel, a production later re-staged with Joan Sutherland in the title role. In 1983 he celebrated his sixtieth year in theatre with involvement in productions in the three main auditoriums of the Sydney Opera House: in the Concert Hall he directed Anson Austin and Glenys Fowles in Gounod's ''Roméo et Juliette'' for the Australian Opera; in the Opera Theatre he re-choreographed ''The Display'' for the Australian Ballet.

In the Drama Theatre he starred for the Sydney Theatre Company in the world premiere of Justin Fleming's play ''The Cobra''. Helpmann's portrayal of the elderly Lord Alfred Douglas, reflecting bitterly on his notorious youthful relationship with Oscar Wilde, was unforgettable. He also played the man servant in the stageplay ''Stardust'', with Googie Withers and John McCallum.

Helpmann directed the London production of the stage musical ''Camelot'', with designs by John Truscott.

He also did work on a short family cartoon film, ''Don Quixote of La Mancha'', where he provided the voice of the main character Don Quixote.

Personality

According to the novel based upon the life of Margot Fonteyn, Helpmann is characterized as being a very hard man, but also a very kind one. Fonteyn said herself that out of all her partners, Helpmann was her favourite. He was also extremely confident and always pushed Fonteyn to her highest potential. The novel also says that Helpmann would stand up to anyone, and that he could look into the face of the devil himself and laugh.

Personal life

In 1938, Helpmann met a young Oxford undergraduate while fulfilling an invitation to dance at the university. He was immediately drawn to the handsome and intelligent Michael Benthall, and the pair formed a relationship that was to last for 36 years until Benthall's death in 1974. The couple lived and often worked together quite openly for the time. Although devastated by the loss of his longtime companion and collaborator, "Sir Bobby" continued to act, direct and produce with his legendary theatrical flair until his death.

Death

Sir Robert Helpmann died in Sydney in 1986. His obituaries in the Australian media were suitably laudatory, but also reserved. The country paid him the highest final recognition it could by honouring him with a state funeral in Sydney, the eulogy calling him "a genius, an outstanding communicator of unique inspiration and insight. He asserted his rights to pursue a path that improved the quality of life of the nation, and defeated the common herd of detractors".

An obituary in ''The Times'' in London characterised his appearance as "strange, haunting and rather frightening", and portrayed him as "a homosexual of the proselytizing kind" whose impact upon a company was "dangerous as well as stimulating", creating fresh headlines in Australia.

Honours

In 1964 he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). In 1965 he was named "Australian of the Year", and in 1968 he was appointed a Knight Bachelor.

By the 1970s, Australia had grown used to Helpmann's flamboyant persona. His appointment as Artistic Director of the Adelaide Festival of Arts from 1970 to 1976 was well-received. People of Melbourne honoured him as their 1974 ''King of Moomba''.

Posthumous recognition

The Helpmann Academy in South Australia was named in his honour; it is a partnership of the major visual and performing arts education and training institutions in South Australia offering award courses for people seeking professional careers in the arts. The Helpmann Awards were instituted 2001, and recognise distinguished artistic achievement and excellence in Australia's live performing arts sectors.

''Lyrebird (Tales of Helpmann)'', a play about the life and career of Helpmann, has been performed in Australia, New Zealand and the UK. The play premiered in the United States in 2009.

Further reading

Kathrine Sorley Walker, ''Robert Helpmann, An Illustrated study of his work'', 1957

Elizabeth Salter, ''Helpmann : The Authorised Biography of Sir Robert Helpmann'', 1978

Frank Van Straten, OAM, "Helpmann: A Knight To Remember"

Anna Bemrose,"A Servant of Art: Helpmann in Australia", PHD Thesis, 2003, University of Queensland.

Tyler Coppin, "Lyrebird: Tales of Helpmann", A play

Mary Helpmann, "The Helpmann Family Story 1796–1964", 1967

Caryl Brahams, "Robert Helpmann (Choreographer)", 1943

Gordon Anthony, "Studies of Robert Helpmann", 1946

References

External links

The Helpmann Awards The Australian Entertainment Industry Association's annual awards are named in Helpmann's honour.

Robert Helpmann (1909–1986) – Australia Dancing

Helpmann files in the NLA PROMPT collection / National Library of Australia

A Dash of Helpmann – NLA News

Frederick Ashton's "Cinderella" ballet

Josef Weinberger: The Creation of The Merry Widow Ballet

"The Display" (1964) – Australia Dancing

Category:1909 births Category:1986 deaths Category:Australian ballet dancers Category:Australian choreographers Category:Australian expatriates in the United Kingdom Category:Australian film actors Category:Australian stage actors Category:Australian theatre directors Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:Danseurs Category:Gay actors Category:LGBT people from Australia Category:Actors awarded British knighthoods Category:Knights Bachelor Category:Australian knights Category:Australian of the Year Award winners Category:People educated at Prince Alfred College Category:Choreographers of The Royal Ballet Category:Dancers of The Royal Ballet Category:Jubilee 150 Walkway *Helpmann, Robert

es:Robert Helpmann fr:Robert Helpmann it:Robert Helpmann no:Robert Helpmann sv:Robert Helpmann tr:Robert Helpmann

Michael George Somes CBE (28 September 191718 November 1994), was a leading English ballet dancer. He was a principal danseur of the Royal Ballet, London, and was the frequent partner of Margot Fonteyn.

Somes was born in Horsley, Gloucestershire, England. In 1934, he was awarded the first scholarship given to a male by the Royal Ballet (then known as the Vic-Wells Ballet). In 1938, he and Fonteyn created the principal rôles in the Frederick Ashton/Constant Lambert ballet ''Horoscope'', after which he was described as "potentially the finest British male dancer of the half century". He originated rôles in 24 ballets choreographed for the company by Ashton, and was the lead male dancer for the company from 1951 until the arrival of Rudolf Nureyev in 1962. From then on, Somes appeared in character rôles, most notably as Lord Capulet in ''Romeo and Juliet''. Somes was assistant director of the company under Ashton from 1963-70.

Somes appeared on ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' in 1954, and in television versions of ''The Sleeping Beauty'' (1955), ''The Nutcracker'' (1958), and ''Romeo and Juliet'' (1966).

In 1959, Somes was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). He was married to and divorced from ballerina Dame Antoinette Sibley, and later married ballerina Wendy Ellis. He died of a brain tumour in London in 1994.

References

External links

Dance magazine obituary, February 1995

Biography at Ballet.co.uk, 30 September 1997

Category:1917 births Category:1994 deaths Category:Cancer deaths in England Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:Danseurs Category:Deaths from brain cancer Category:English ballet dancers Category:Dancers of The Royal Ballet

es:Michael Somes sv:Michael Somes