Cinderella
English National Ballet’s 60th birthday
London Coliseum
The post-second world war decade saw a flourishing of independent ballet companies all over Europe. Those that strove to emulate the Ballets Russes provided an alternative to the companies that aimed at nurturing home-grown talent — such as the Ballet Rambert and what became the Royal Ballet in the UK. It was in this context that English National Ballet (formerly Festival Ballet, London’s Festival Ballet and London Festival Ballet) held its first performance 60 years ago last Saturday. A significant anniversary indeed, particularly because none of the other independent European companies created around the same time has managed to survive so long.
It is difficult to pinpoint the factors that contributed to such successful longevity. Some say it’s down to the appeal of the various international stars who worked with the company — from founders Alicia Markova and Anton Dolin, to Galina Samsova, Rudolf Nureyev, Eva Evdokimova, Peter Schaufuss and a thousand other equally great ones.
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