Markova, Dame Alicia

orig. Lilian Alicia Marks

born Dec. 1, 1910, London, Eng.

died Dec. 2, 2004, Bath

British ballerina.

She made her debut with Sergey Diaghilev's Ballets Russes in 1924 and became a leading ballerina noted for her ethereal lightness. At the Vic-Wells Ballet (1931–35; now the Royal Ballet) she became the first English dancer to dance the lead in Giselle. With her frequent partner Anton Dolin, she formed and directed several Markova-Dolin companies (1935–38) and the Festival Ballet (1950–52; now the English National Ballet). She continued to dance as a guest artist with many companies worldwide, admired for her interpretations of roles in Les Sylphides and Swan Lake, among others. She retired from the stage in 1963 and served as director of the Metropolitan Opera Ballet (1963–69).

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▪ 2005

Lilian Alicia Marks 

      British ballet dancer (b. Dec.1, 1910, London, Eng.—d. Dec. 2, 2004, Bath, Eng.), was the first true British prima ballerina and one of the finest dancers of the 20th century and as such helped establish a ballet tradition in her country. Although she danced a wide range of roles, her light, ethereal quality lent itself especially to the role with which she was most closely associated, the title character in Giselle. Markova began studying dance to correct weak legs and feet, and by the time she was 10 she was earning money dancing in pantomimes. At 14 she joined Sergey Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, with which she remained until Diaghilev's death in 1929. Markova and Anton Dolin—her partner for most of her career—founded the Markova-Dolin Ballet (1935–37, re-formed in 1945), which eventually (1969) became the London Festival Ballet and later (1989) the English National Ballet. They danced with other companies, notably the Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo and Ballet Theatre (later American Ballet Theatre) in New York City. After Markova ceased dancing (1963), she taught, staged ballets, and served as director of the Metropolitan Opera Ballet in New York City (until 1969). Markova was made CBE in 1958 and DBE in 1963.

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▪ British ballerina

original name  Lilian Alicia Marks  

born December 1, 1910, London, England

died December 2, 2004, Bath

 English ballerina noted for the ethereal lightness and poetic delicacy of her dancing.

      Markova studied with Serafima Astafieva and Enrico Cecchetti and, after her debut at age 14 with Sergey Diaghilev (Diaghilev, Sergey Pavlovich)'s Ballets Russes, was soon dancing leading roles. In 1931 she joined the Vic-Wells Ballet (now the Royal Ballet) and was both its first prima ballerina (1933–35) and the first English dancer to dance the lead in Giselle and the full-length Swan Lake. Markova appeared as a ballerina of the Ballet Rambert, Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo (Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo), and Ballet Theatre (now the American Ballet Theatre) and as a guest artist with the Metropolitan Opera. With Anton Dolin she founded the Markova-Dolin Ballet (1935) and Festival Ballet (1950; now the English National Ballet).

 In addition to Giselle, her favourite role, and Swan Lake, Markova excelled in Les Sylphides, as Taglioni (to whom she has been compared) in the Dolin Pas de quatre, and as the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker. A versatile artist, she shone not only in the classics but also in early jazz ballets, in Léonide Massine's symphonic Rouge et noir (1939), as a Gypsy in Aleko (1942), as Juliet in Antony Tudor's Romeo and Juliet (1943), and in Ruth Page's Vilea (1953).

      In 1963 she retired from the stage, was appointed director of the Metropolitan Ballet in New York City (a post she held until 1969), and was created Dame of the British Empire. Markova, in retirement as a dancer, taught, coached, lectured, and occasionally staged traditional ballets for various companies.

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