Margot Fonteyn was a British dancer who is best known for her extraordinary performances in ballets like The Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake, and her partnership with Rudolf Nureyev. She is celebrated as one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century.
Personal and Family Life
Margot Fonteyn was born Margaret Evelyn Hookham on May 18, 1919, in Reigate, Surrey, England. Her mother, who had Brazilian and Irish roots, encouraged her to pursue a career in dance from a young age. Fonteyn’s family moved to Shanghai when she was eight, and upon their return to the UK at fourteen, she began training with the Royal Ballet School, which eventually led to her rise as a prima ballerina.
Career Highlights
Fonteyn became famous for her incredible talent and dedication, making her debut in major performances like The Sleeping Beauty in New York City in 1949. She had a brief romantic involvement with composer Constant Lambert before marrying Roberto “Tito” Arias in 1955. Their union was complicated due to Tito’s political ambitions and later health issues after an assassination attempt that left him paralyzed.
Death and Legacy
Margot Fonteyn passed away on February 21, 1991, in Panama City due to cancer. She was buried next to her husband, Tito, in a family plot. Her contributions to ballet left a lasting legacy, and she is remembered for her artistry and the partnership with Nureyev that revitalized her career in the 1960s.
Filmography
| Title | Release Date | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Margot | 2005-01-11 | Self (archive footage) |
| The Margot Fonteyn Story | 1989-01-11 | Self – Narrator |
| Romeo and Juliet | 1966-10-04 | Juliet |
| Der Schwanensee | 1966-12-26 | Odette / Odile |
| Der Tänzer Heinz Bosl | 1976-01-01 | |
| Darcey Bussell: Looking for Margot | 2016-12-20 | |
| The Royal Ballet | 1960-10-03 | Princess Odette / The Firebird / Ondine |
| Tchaikovsky: Ballet Masterpieces | 2011-01-01 | |
| I Am a Dancer | 1972-06-01 | Marguerite (segment “Marguerite & Armand”) |
| Swan Lake | 1963-12-12 | Odette/Odile |
| An Evening With The Royal Ballet | 1963-12-01 | Self |
| V.I.P. Schaukel | 1971-05-09 | Self |
| Was bin ich? | 1955-01-02 | Self |
| The Ed Sullivan Show | 1948-06-20 | Self |
| The Magic of Dance | 1979-11-05 | Self |