| Beryl Grey | |
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Dame Beryl Grey in 2006. |
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| Born | Beryl Elizabeth Groom 11 June 1927 Highgate, London, England, UK |
| Occupation | Ballet dancer/ballerina |
| Spouse | Dr. Sven Gustav Svenson (1907-2008) |
| Children | 1 son |
| Parents | Mr and Mrs Arthur Groom |
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.[1] 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.[1] 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.[1]
In August 1941, Beryl Grey was taken into the company at the age of fourteen and joined them during a provincial tour, at Burnley.[2] Her first appearance with the company was in the corps de ballet of Le Lac des Cygnes.[2] 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.[2] 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".[2] 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.[2]
In 1942, Robert Helpmann created the first role for her in his second ballet The Birds where she was The Nightingale.[3] 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. [3] On 1 March 1944, Grey first portrayed the main role of Giselle in Derby. [4] She then performed the role in London for the first time on her seventeenth birthday.[4] Grey is also known for her interpretation of Myrtha, Queen of the Wilis, which she first performed in 1946.[4] 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.[4] Grey first performed the role of Princess Aurora in the The Sleeping Beauty on 20 June 1946 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.[5]
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.[6] 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.
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She married Dr. Sven Gustav Svenson (who died March 2008) in 1950; they have one son.
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:
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 Ballet.[6] In September 1997 she was presented with the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award by Dame Antoinette Sibley.[6] The Award is given by the Royal Academy of Dancing to individuals in recognition of great contribution to the world of ballet.[6]
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