Dame Beryl Grey
Encyclopedia
Dame Beryl Elizabeth Grey (née Groom), DBE, DMus, DLitt, Ed.D, FRSA (born 11 June 1927, Highgate
, London
) is a retired English ballerina
. She began dance classes at the age of 4 while attending Sherbourne Preparatory School, and by age 8 was being taught ballet by Phyllis Bedells
. By the age of nine she had become the star pupil of her school, had been presented a silver medal by Tamara Karsavina
and had passed all the examination of the Royal Academy of Dancing it was possible for her to take. Her talent was recognised by Ursula Moreton and Ninette de Valois
who offered her a scholarship for four years at the age of 10 with the option of joining their dance company for a further four years. She began to attend the Sadler's Wells School in 1937.
In August 1941, Beryl Grey was taken into the company at the age of fourteen and joined them during a provincial tour, at Burnley
. Her first appearance with the company was in the corps de ballet of Le Lac des Cygnes. She progressed through the company at a steady rate, particularly as during the war years it was difficult to maintain a company at full strength. Her first solo role was as one of the Blue Skaters in Les Patineurs
. Her first lead role was as the Serving Maid in The Gods Go A-Begging "with a charm and style remarkable for a child of fourteen and a half". On her fifteenth birthday, Ninette de Valois
gave her an inscribed copy of Gordon Anthony's book on Margot Fonteyn
and the opportunity of dancing Odette-Odile in the full-length Le Lac des Cygnes.
In 1942, Robert Helpmann
created the first role for her in his second ballet The Birds where she was The Nightingale. In April 1943, she created her first dramatic role as Duessa in Frederick Ashton
's ballet, The Quest, which was based on Edmund Spenser
's The Faerie Queen.
On 1 March 1944, Grey first portrayed the main role of Giselle
in Derby
.
She then performed the role in London
for the first time on her seventeenth birthday. Grey is also known for her interpretation of Myrtha, Queen of the Wilis, which she first performed in 1946. Grey is regarded as one of the three outstanding Black Queens of Ninette de Valois
's Checkmate along with June Brae, who created the role in 1937, and Pamela May. Grey first performed the role of Princess Aurora in the The Sleeping Beauty on 20 June 1946 at the Royal Opera House
,
Covent Garden
.
She danced many classical and modern roles including
Les Sylphides
, Checkmate, The Three-Cornered Hat and Les Rendezvous
. From 1957 until the mid-1960s Grey was an international guest ballerina across Europe
, South America
, Australasia
, the Far East
, the U.S.
and Canada
. n 1957 she became the first English dancer to appear as guest ballerina with the Kirov and Bolshoi Ballet
. She was the first Western guest artist to dance with the Bolshoi Ballet
(1957-1958), and to appear with the Peking Ballet and Shanghai Company (with a Chinese partner) in 1964.
She is/was also affiliated with:
. In September 1997 she was presented with the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award
by Dame Antoinette Sibley
. The Award is given by the Royal Academy of Dancing to individuals in recognition of great contribution to the world of ballet.
Highgate
Highgate is an area of North London on the north-eastern corner of Hampstead Heath.Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has an active conservation body, the Highgate Society, to protect its character....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) is a retired English ballerina
Ballerina
A ballerina is a title used to describe a principal female professional ballet dancer in a large company; the male equivalent to this title is danseur or ballerino...
. She began dance classes at the age of 4 while attending Sherbourne Preparatory School, and by age 8 was being taught ballet by Phyllis Bedells
Phyllis Bedells
Phyllis Bedells was an English ballerina and teacher. She studied with Bolm, Cecchetti, and Pavlova. From 1907 she was a dancer at the London Empire Theatre and became the first British prima ballerina there in 1914. She left in 1916 to dance in West End musical revues and in opera ballets at...
. By the age of nine she had become the star pupil of her school, had been presented a silver medal by Tamara Karsavina
Tamara Karsavina
Tamara Platonovna Karsavina was a famous Russian ballerina, renowned for her beauty, who was most noted as a Principal Artist of the Imperial Russian Ballet and later the Ballets Russes of Serge Diaghilev...
and had passed all the examination of the Royal Academy of Dancing it was possible for her to take. Her talent was recognised by Ursula Moreton and Ninette de Valois
Ninette de Valois
Dame Ninette de Valois, OM, CH, DBE, FRAD, FISTD was an Irish-born British dancer, teacher, choreographer and director of classical ballet...
who offered her a scholarship for four years at the age of 10 with the option of joining their dance company for a further four years. She began to attend the Sadler's Wells School in 1937.
In August 1941, Beryl Grey was taken into the company at the age of fourteen and joined them during a provincial tour, at Burnley
Burnley
Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....
. Her first appearance with the company was in the corps de ballet of Le Lac des Cygnes. She progressed through the company at a steady rate, particularly as during the war years it was difficult to maintain a company at full strength. Her first solo role was as one of the Blue Skaters in Les Patineurs
Les Patineurs (ballet)
Les patineurs is a ballet created in 1937 with choreography by Frederick Ashton, to the music of Giacomo Meyerbeer arranged by Constant Lambert, for the Vic-Wells company, with designs by William Chappell.-Performance history:...
. Her first lead role was as the Serving Maid in The Gods Go A-Begging "with a charm and style remarkable for a child of fourteen and a half". On her fifteenth birthday, Ninette de Valois
Ninette de Valois
Dame Ninette de Valois, OM, CH, DBE, FRAD, FISTD was an Irish-born British dancer, teacher, choreographer and director of classical ballet...
gave her an inscribed copy of Gordon Anthony's book on Margot Fonteyn
Margot Fonteyn
Dame Margot Fonteyn de Arias, DBE , was an English ballerina of the 20th century. She is widely regarded as one of the greatest classical ballet dancers of all time...
and the opportunity of dancing Odette-Odile in the full-length Le Lac des Cygnes.
In 1942, Robert Helpmann
Robert Helpmann
Sir Robert Helpmann CBE was an Australian dancer, actor, theatre director and choreographer.-Early years:He was born Robert Murray Helpman in Mount Gambier, South Australia and also boarded at Prince Alfred College in Adelaide. From childhood, Helpman had a strong desire to be a dancer...
created the first role for her in his second ballet The Birds where she was The Nightingale. In April 1943, she created her first dramatic role as Duessa in Frederick Ashton
Frederick Ashton
Sir Frederick William Mallandaine Ashton OM, CH, CBE was a leading international dancer and choreographer. He is most noted as the founder choreographer of The Royal Ballet in London, but also worked as a director and choreographer of opera, film and theatre revues.-Early life:Ashton was born at...
's ballet, The Quest, which was based on Edmund Spenser
Edmund Spenser
Edmund Spenser was an English poet best known for The Faerie Queene, an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. He is recognised as one of the premier craftsmen of Modern English verse in its infancy, and one of the greatest poets in the English...
's The Faerie Queen.
On 1 March 1944, Grey first portrayed the main role of Giselle
Giselle
Giselle is a ballet in two acts with a libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Théophile Gautier, music by Adolphe Adam, and choreography by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot. The librettist took his inspiration from a poem by Heinrich Heine...
in Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
.
She then performed the role in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
for the first time on her seventeenth birthday. Grey is also known for her interpretation of Myrtha, Queen of the Wilis, which she first performed in 1946. Grey is regarded as one of the three outstanding Black Queens of Ninette de Valois
Ninette de Valois
Dame Ninette de Valois, OM, CH, DBE, FRAD, FISTD was an Irish-born British dancer, teacher, choreographer and director of classical ballet...
's Checkmate along with June Brae, who created the role in 1937, and Pamela May. Grey first performed the role of Princess Aurora in the The Sleeping Beauty on 20 June 1946 at the Royal Opera House
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
,
Covent Garden
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
.
She danced many classical and modern roles including
Les Sylphides
Les Sylphides
Les Sylphides is a short, non-narrative ballet blanc. Its original choreography was by Michel Fokine, with music by Frédéric Chopin orchestrated by Alexander Glazunov. Glazunov had already set some of the music in 1892 as a purely orchestral suite, under the title Chopiniana, Op. 46...
, Checkmate, The Three-Cornered Hat and Les Rendezvous
Les Rendezvous
Les Rendezvous is an abstract ballet created in 1933 with choreography by Frederick Ashton, to the music of Daniel François Esprit Auber arranged by Constant Lambert and with designs by William Chappell...
. From 1957 until the mid-1960s Grey was an international guest ballerina across Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, Australasia
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
, the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
, the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. n 1957 she became the first English dancer to appear as guest ballerina with the Kirov and Bolshoi Ballet
Bolshoi Ballet
The Bolshoi Ballet is an internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia. Founded in 1776, the Bolshoi is among the world's oldest ballet companies, however it only achieved worldwide acclaim by the early 20th century, when Moscow became the...
. She was the first Western guest artist to dance with the Bolshoi Ballet
Bolshoi Ballet
The Bolshoi Ballet is an internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia. Founded in 1776, the Bolshoi is among the world's oldest ballet companies, however it only achieved worldwide acclaim by the early 20th century, when Moscow became the...
(1957-1958), and to appear with the Peking Ballet and Shanghai Company (with a Chinese partner) in 1964.
Affiliations
After two years as the Director of the Arts Educational Schools and Teacher Training College, Beryl Grey became the Artistic Director of London Festival Ballet from 1968 until 1979. She also stood as a Governor with London College of Dance in 1966, becoming Vice-Chairman in 1984 until her retirement in 1993.She is/was also affiliated with:
- Royal Academy of DanceRoyal Academy of DanceThe Royal Academy of Dance is an international dance education and training organization, and examination board that specialises in the teaching and technique of Ballet. The RAD was established in London, England in 1920 as the Association of Operatic Dancing of Great Britain, and received its...
(Vice-President) - British Federation of Music Festivals
- President of Dance Council of Wales
- Vice-Chairman of the Governors of the Royal Ballet and Dance Teachers Benevolent Fund
- Chair of the Royal Ballet Benevolent Fund
- Director of the Royal Opera HouseRoyal Opera HouseThe Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
Awards, titles and positions
She holds numerous honorary doctorates and has been Vice President of the Royal Academy of Dancing since 1980, is President of the Imperial Society of Dancing and a Director of the Birmingham Royal BalletBirmingham Royal Ballet
Birmingham Royal Ballet is one of the three major ballet companies of the United Kingdom, alongside the Royal Ballet and the English National Ballet....
. In September 1997 she was presented with the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award
The Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award is an honour presented annually by the Royal Academy of Dance, to people who have made a significant contribution to the ballet and dance industry. The award was instituted by Dame Adeline Genee in 1953, to mark the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and her...
by Dame Antoinette Sibley
Antoinette Sibley
Dame Antoinette Sibley, DBE is an English prima ballerina. She joined the Royal Ballet in 1956 and became a soloist in 1960. During her time there she was the Royal Ballet's most popular star...
. The Award is given by the Royal Academy of Dancing to individuals in recognition of great contribution to the world of ballet.
- Honorary Life President, Imperial Society of Teachers of DancingImperial Society of Teachers of DancingThe Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing is a leading dance teaching and examination board based in London, England and operating internationally. Established on 25 July 1904 as the Imperial Society of Dance Teachers, it changed to its current name in 1925 and is now a registered educational...
- Commander of the Order of the British Empire, CBE (1973)
- Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, DBE (1988)
- Queen Elizabeth II Coronation AwardQueen Elizabeth II Coronation AwardThe Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award is an honour presented annually by the Royal Academy of Dance, to people who have made a significant contribution to the ballet and dance industry. The award was instituted by Dame Adeline Genee in 1953, to mark the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and her...
(1997), presented by the Royal Academy of DanceRoyal Academy of DanceThe Royal Academy of Dance is an international dance education and training organization, and examination board that specialises in the teaching and technique of Ballet. The RAD was established in London, England in 1920 as the Association of Operatic Dancing of Great Britain, and received its... - Carl Alan Award (2010)
Sources
- International Who's Who of Women 2002 (p. 218)
- Fisher, Hugh. Beryl Grey (by Adam and Charles Black), London (1955)