Ninette de Valois

Sitterback to top

• Dame Ninette de Valois (Edris Stannus) (1898-2001), Founder and Director of the Royal Ballet; wife of Arthur Blackall Connell. Sitter in 23 portraits.

Artistback to top

• Zsuzsi Roboz (1939-2012). Artist of 2 portraits.

This portraitback to top

Born in County Wicklow, Ireland, de Valois studied dance under Legat and Cecchetti and became the principal dancer with the British National Opera in 1918. A soloist with Diagheliv's Ballet Russes in 1923, she left three years later to open the Academy of Choreographic Art in London. From 1926-31 she was Choreographic Director to the Old Vic, the Festival Theatre, Cambridge, and the Abbey Theatre, Dublin. Together with Lillian Baylis she formed the Vic-Wells Ballet in 1931 (later the Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet). Her ambition to create a British National Ballet was realized in 1956 with the granting of a charter to the Royal Ballet. She was the Royal Ballet's director for 32 years.

Linked publicationsback to top

• Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004, p. 175