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National Public Radio Staff
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Born in Reigate, England, Margot Fonteyn (the stage name of Margaret Hookham) is thought by many critics to have been the best British dancer of the mid-twentieth century. Fonteyn began her career as a snowflake in a production of The Nutcracker with the Vic-Wells Ballet in 1931. She remained with this company, which later became the Royal Ballet, for her entire career. In 1935 she performed her first important role with the company as the lead in a revival of Frederick Ashton's Rio Grande. She created many roles with Ashton, including Le Baiser de la Fee (1935), The Haunted Ballroom (1939), Symphonic Variations (1946), and The Fairy Queen (1946). Fonteyn eventually became the Royal Ballet's foremost prima ballerina. Especially notable was her partnering with Rudolph Nureyev during a creative partnership that became legendary. An expressive, versatile performer, Fonteyn was the first ballerina of international status developed by a British ballet school and company.
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