Meredith Daneman, who trained at London’s Royal Ballet School and danced with the Australian Ballet, offers a wonderfully insightful look into Fonteyn’s life. Margot Fonteyn—originally plain Peggy Hookham—was brought to life by the visionary trio behind British ballet: Ninette de Valois, Frederick Ashton, and Constant Lambert. Carried to fame on a wave of wartime patriotism, Margot's sense of duty rather than ambition propelled her forward. Yet her gifts were such that her pre-eminence would come to eclipse the careers of subsequent generations. Ballet is a fairytale world; if Margot, like the pure and poetic heroine of Swan Lake, was a natural Odette, she would also have to contend with virtue's raw shadow-side in the guise of Constant Lambert, Roberto Arias and Rudolph Nureyev - the men who, like Von Rothbart, were to take possession of her heart.
Publisher: Penguin Books
ISBN: 9780140165302 Pages: 704 Size: 20 x 13 x 4 cm
This was bought as a Mother’s Day gift and it is a fascinating read. Excellent service from ROH shop staff - the book was delivered quickly, and beautifully gift wrapped. Will definitely be ordering from the ROH shop again.
