The Dancer of Britain's Hearts
Margot Fonteyn, by Roger Wood
Margaret Evelyn Hookham, known by her stage name Margot Fonteyn, was a renowned English prima ballerina assoluta under the Royal Opera House during the 20th century. She had an extensive dancing career that lasted long into her 60s, uncommon to many dancers then and now. She also faced many adversities during a time where Russian ballerinas were favored and sought after, all while overcoming these challenges and became famous for her interpretations of popular productions and earned many awards, such as the British Commanders Officers award for her dance. As a child, I had a fascination for ballerinas and was always intrigued by those who achieved the highest honorary title of Prima Ballerina or Prima Ballerina Assoluta during their lifetime. Furthermore, due to her incredible accomplishments, such as being appointed as a CBE by Queen Elizabeth II, and dances during her life, Fonteyn was the prime person to research and write about in my eyes. This essay will discuss Dame Margot Fonteyn's journey in becoming one of Britain's most renowned ballerinas and her little-known life behind the curtains.
Margot Fonteyn was born on May 18, 1919, in Reigate, United Kingdom to an engineer father and half-Brazilian mother. She also had a brother and from a young age, her mother greatly supported them in their ballet interests, often traveling with Fonteyn wherever she needed to go for her dance lessons and later dancing career (Macaulay). Fonteyn was enrolled in her first dance lessons at the age of 4 in 1923 at Ealing, London. As a young child, her family moved often due to her father’s job, leading her to grow up in Tientsin and Shanghai, China for 6 years and learned ballet under a Russian ballet teacher, George Goncharov (Margot Fonteyn). Even while in a foreign country, she attended ballet lessons, showing her dedication and passion for ballet from a young age. She then moved back to England with her mother and brother, while her was dad left behind as he was imprisoned by the Japanese (Snodgrass 133). There she enrolled into Vic-Wells dance school, which was later renamed to Sadler Wells and became part of the Royal Ballet Company. At Sadler Wells, she was taught by Ninette de Valois, an Irish-British dancer who was also awarded the title of Dame Commander in 1947-1951 for her accomplishments in dance as well (Haskell 15). From moving to China, back to London and learning ballet under Ninette de Valois at Sadler Wells, all this will come into play and lead to her remarkable career as a ballet dancer soon after.
Margot Fonteyn age 16, London, 1935, by E.O. Hoppe
Her ballet career started when she was still a student at Sadler Wells. Her first dance job was as a snowflake in the production, “The Nutcracker,” and her first solo debut was in the ballet production, “Les Sylphides,” as the Mazurka (Folkart). At Sadler Wells, there was another famous prima ballerina, Alicia Markova, but she later left the company due to the company’s struggling state, which led to 16-year-old Fonteyn taking over almost all the roles that were originally played by Markova (Haskell 13). It was due to this shift in the company that led to her rise to the spotlight while also helping the company boom. As she rose to popularity and fame, she began to attract many choreographers who admired her skill and choregraphed roles specifically for her. Some such choreographers were Frederick Ashton, who choreographed the production “Nocturne” and “Apparitions and Horoscope” (Haskell 13). However, she was most known for her dancing in famous productions like “Swan Lake,” as Odette-Odile, Giselle in “Giselle,” and Aurora in “The Sleeping Beauty” (Folkart). In her 40s, she was still performing which was and is still uncommon for many dancers as they tend to retire at this age or earlier. However, it was during this time that she started performing with her dance partner, Rudolf Nureyev, which furthered both of their careers into popularity (Margot Fonteyn). She soon retired in 1979 at the age of 60, but she still performed in guest appearances, such as the Queen Mother in “The Sleeping Beauty” (Folkart). During her retirement, she often taught master classes and was even chancellor at the University of Durham (Snodgrass 134). Margot Fonteyn later passed away on February 21, 1991 in Panama City, Panama from bone/ovarian cancer (Snodgrass 134). Thus, ending her dance career that spanned roughly 30-40 years.
While researching Fonteyn’s career, there were many interesting facts and events in her life that piqued my interest. To start, at the age of 32, Fonteyn was awarded Commander of the Order of the British Empire, also known as CBE, by Queen Elizabeth II herself in 1951 (Haskell 13). This award is a highly honorable award that is granted to individuals who made great contributions to their field of work, dance in this case for Fonteyn. The title was then upgraded to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, shortened to DBE, in 1956 at the age of 37. Furthermore, she was in a romantic relationship with Roberto Arias, a Panamanian ambassador, and they later married in 1955, when Fonteyn was 36 years old. Their relationship was not the easiest as her husband was involved in an assassination attempt in 1964 that rendered him paralyzed, resulting in great financial difficulties for his treatments and care (Folkart). Fonteyn was not just an incredible dancer, but a devoted wife, and would often juggle her dancing career and caring for her husband with no moments of rest, even moving to Panama with him. Lastly, after her death in 1979, she was given the highest title in ballet, Prima Ballerina Assoluta (Folkart). She is one of currently 11 other ballerinas who earned this title, truly showcasing her skill, passion, and dedication to ballet throughout her life.
Overall, Margot Fonteyn was a very talented ballerina who always worked hard to bring her audience a wonderful performance. She held an incredibly long and extensive dancing career, never stopping until her death, which had earned her many awards and honors. If it were not for Margot Fonteyn and her teacher, Ninette de Valois, Saddler Wells Academy would not have overcome their company struggles, especially after the loss of their famous prima ballerina, Alicia Markova, and it probably would not still be standing today for the world to enjoy. She leaves behind a legacy in helping Britain become a ballet powerhouse of their own with the Royal Ballet Company, during a time when Russia dominated the world of ballet. I believe she also paved the way for other English ballerinas to enter the ballet world and make a name for themselves. In conclusion, there were few other ballerinas who caught my eye the way Fonteyn did, and she proved how truly special and iconic of a ballerina she was through the research I did on her. Margot Fonteyn’s life story and legacy will continue to live on, and she will forever be immortalized in history as one of Britain’s most esteemed dancers.
Bibliography
“Dame Margot Fonteyn, 71, Renowned Ballerina, Dies : Dance: A Classical Performer in a Modern Time, She Forged a Second Career in 1960s with Rudolf Nureyev.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 1991, www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-02-22-mn-1517-story.html.
Dance Magazine, Vol. 27, no. 9, September, 1953. Edited by Rudolf Orthwine. Dance Magazine, New York, NY. Alexander Street, https://search-alexanderstreet-com.csulb.idm.oclc.org/view/work/bibliographic_entity|bibliographic_details|4019309.
“Margot Fonteyn.” Royal Ballet and Opera, www.rbo.org.uk/people/margot-fonteyn. Accessed 17 Oct. 2024.
Snodgrass, Mary E. Encyclopedia of World Ballet. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Lanham, MD, 2015. Alexander Street, https://search-alexanderstreet-com.csulb.idm.oclc.org/view/work/bibliographic_entity|bibliographic_details|3910835.
“The Ballet Mother - Black Queen, Margot Fonteyn’s Mother, Mrs Hilda Hookham: Women’s History Month in Dance, 2021.” Alastair Macaulay, Alastair Macaulay, 20 Sept. 2021, www.alastairmacaulay.com/all-essays/cvb8sop3ege0lkbx8k7ukjblq3wuvm.
Thank you Cecilia for your very interesting blog on Margot Fonteyn. I had heard of Fonteyn, always referred to as someone accomplished and famous, but didn't really know much about her. My blog was about Maria Tallchief and I noticed that both of these dancers had a very positive effect on ballet in their respective countries and were prima ballerinas. For some reason I always thought from her name that she was French. I watched the two videos you provided and was stunned with Fonteyns' control and power. The fast sequences in both Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake were breathtaking. In our class we have learnt some of the main steps and positions which we see in the ballets but of course what these dancers do is not only on a different scale, it is another dimension. You gave a window into Margot Fonteyn’s private life which we are always curious about with famous people. It is okay I suppose as long as we don’t overdo it and keep a respectful distance. Thank you again.
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