Alicia Markova: A Sketch for a Portrait

Abstract

Lilian Alicia Marks was born on 1 December 1910. Her early dance training led to a first engagement when she was ten years old in a pantomime. At the age of fourteen she was invited by Serge Diaghilev to join his Ballets Russes, was renamed Markova, and her first role in 1925 was as the Nightingale in Balanchine's re-staging of Stravinsky's Le Rossignol. Thereafter she danced in the Diaghilev repertory until the disbanding of the Ballets Russes in 1929, immediately upon Diaghilev's death. Markova returned to her native London, and was to become a vital figure in the early stagings of Marie Rambert's Ballet Club and in the first seasons of Ninette de Valois' Vic-Wells Ballet. The latter troupe's productions of Giselle and Swan Lake were made possible by Markova's presence. In 1935, she and Anton Dolin formed the Markova-Dolin Ballet which toured Britain for two years. Markova then accepted an invitation from Leonid Massine to join the newly formed Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo, of which he was artistic director. In 1939, with the outbreak of war, she was obliged by contractual engagement to appear in America. She remained with the Monte Carlo Ballets Russes until 1941, when she was invited to join American Ballet Theatre, and with this ensemble she remained until 1945. During these years ballets were made for her by Massine (notably Septième Symphonie, Rouge et Noir with the Monte Carlo troupe, and Aleko with ABT). Antony Tudor created his Romeo and Juliet for her with ABT also, and she was to work with Mikhail Fokine during the choreographer's last years. Markova and Dolin also toured with their own troupe, appeared with Colonel de Basil's Original Ballet Russe, and in 1948 returned to London. They were to form Festival Ballet in 1950, and Markova remained with this company until 1952, when she decided to appear as a guest artist with companies in Europe and the Americas. She retired from dancing in 1963, and thereafter was director of the ballet at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York, until 1969, subsequently being appointed Distinguished Professor at the University of Cincinatti. She returned to live in London in 1973, teaching, coaching, serving as patron to many dance organisations. She died on 2 December 2004. Full details of Alicia Markova's career and roles can be found in The International Dictionary of Ballet (St. James Press, 1993).

Lilian Alicia Marks was born on 1 December 1910. Her early dance training led to a first engagement when she was ten years old in a pantomime. At the age of fourteen she was invited by Serge Diaghilev to join his Ballets Russes, was renamed Markova, and her first role in 1925 was as the Nightingale in Balanchine's re-staging of Stravinsky's Le Rossignol. Thereafter she danced in the Diaghilev repertory until the disbanding of the Ballets Russes in 1929, immediately upon Diaghilev's death. Markova returned to her native London, and was to become a vital figure in the early stagings of Marie Rambert's Ballet Club and in the first seasons of Ninette de Valois' Vic-Wells Ballet. The latter troupe's productions of Giselle and Swan Lake were made possible by Markova's presence. In 1935, she and Anton Dolin formed the Markova-Dolin Ballet which toured Britain for two years. Markova then accepted an invitation from Leonid Massine to join the newly formed Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo, of which he was artistic director. In 1939, with the outbreak of war, she was obliged by contractual engagement to appear in America. She remained with the Monte Carlo Ballets Russes until 1941, when she was invited to join American Ballet Theatre, and with this ensemble she remained until 1945. During these years ballets were made for her by Massine (notably Septième Symphonie, Rouge et Noir with the Monte Carlo troupe, and Aleko with ABT). Antony Tudor created his Romeo and Juliet for her with ABT also, and she was to work with Mikhail Fokine during the choreographer's last years. Markova and Dolin also toured...