Ninette de Valois

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At age 16

Dame Ninette de Valois, OM, CH, DBE (June 6, 1898 – March 8, 2001) was the founder of London's renowned Royal Ballet. Born Edris Stannus in Baltiboys, County Wicklow, Ireland, Stannus began dancing in 1908 at age ten, and became noticed throughout England because of her graceful movements. She legally changed her name to Ninette de Valois in 1921. She danced with Serge Diaghilev's Ballet Russes, although she was never a major Ballet Russes star. She retired in 1926 at age 28 in order to promote ballet throughout Europe.

In 1928 however she was engaged by Lilian Baylis to be director of her Sadler's Wells Ballet. Under de Valois' direction this company grew to became the "Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet Company" then split to become the Birmingham Royal Ballet and Covent Garden's Royal Ballet. She also founded the Royal Ballet School.

De Valois was almost singlehandedly responsible for British ballet. She modelled her company after the Imperial Ballet of Russia, and emphasized dancing a mix of classical ballets and contemporary works. She cultivated talents slowly, and invited Sir Frederick Ashton to be the chief choreographer at her company. Eventually, her company became one of the starriest in the world, with dancers like Margot Fonteyn, Robert Helpmann, Moira Shearer, Beryl Grey, and Michael Somes. In 1949 the Sadler Wells Ballet was a sensation when they toured the United States. Margot Fonteyn instantly became an international celebrity. During early 1950s, with the help of de Valois, the first ballet school of Turkish State Opera and Ballet in İstanbul was established.

De Valois was not one to rest on laurels, though. She made sure that her company had a constant supply of talent, and in later years the company had such stars as Svetlana Beriosova, Antoinette Sibley, Nadia Nerina, Lynn Seymour, and, most sensationally, Rudolf Nureyev. de Valois also invited choreographers like Sir Kenneth MacMillan and George Balanchine to work with her company. She formally retired from the Royal Ballet in 1963, but her presence continued to loom large in the company.

She was known as very stern and formidable, and perhaps for that reason someone gave her the nickname 'Madam.' The nickname stuck, and from then on even in formal articles and interviews she was called 'Madam.' She would good-naturedly sign 'Madam' in correspondence.

De Valois was awarded the French Légion d'honneur in 1950, and was made Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1951, a Companion of Honour in 1982. In 1992 she was awarded the Order of Merit. She continued to make public appearances until her death at age 102.