Sir Frederick Ashton was a commanding presence in the growth of The Royal Ballet from its humble origins in the 1930s, to his role as its director from 1963 to 1970 when it became one of the greatest companies in the world. A gifted dancer and choreographer of genius, he created more than 100 ballets over a 60-year career, including Cinderella, La Fille mal gardée and Sylvia.
His choreography is characterised by its synthesis of modern and classical form, and by its wit, lyricism and elegance. His ballets are at once extremely sophisticated and widely popular. He developed a personal style, which has become known as the ‘English style, characterised by its poise, purity of line and freshness, its use of the shoulders and torso, and for its fast, intricate footwork.
Ashton was always of his time but loved the idioms of the past: Cinderella pays homage to the great three-act classical ballets of Petipa, La Fille mal gardée recreates one of the most famous ballets of the 18th century.
Ashton combined the sophistication of such French and Russian models with an Englishman’s disregard for high aesthetics: the wonderfully eccentric chicken dance from La Fille mal gardée, for example. Above all, his ballets communicate a sense of carefree enjoyment and fun.
Frederick Ashton was born in 1904, he started his dance training at the age of 17 in 1921.
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