British Female Ballet Dancers

Margot Fonteyn was an English ballerina who spent her entire dancing career at the Royal Ballet. She was eventually appointed prima ballerina assoluta of the Royal Ballet by Queen Elizabeth II. Margot Fonteyn achieved international fame after a tour of the US in 1949. She also helped popularize ballet in the US by appearing on TV before and after WWII.

Darcey Bussell is an English former ballerina best known for her appearances as a judge on the popular television show, Strictly Come Dancing. She is also known for her association with the Royal Ballet, where she was a principal dancer. Darcey Bussell is considered one of the best British ballerinas of all time and is the recipient of numerous awards.  

Ninette de Valois was an Irish-born British dancer, choreographer, teacher, and director of classical ballet. She is best remembered for founding The Royal Ballet, which went on to become a world renowned classical ballet company. Counted among the most influential personalities in the history of ballet, Ninette de Valois is also credited with establishing the Royal Ballet School.

Alicia Markova was a British ballet dancer, director, choreographer, and teacher of classical ballet. Best remembered for her association with Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, Markova was widely regarded as one of the 20th century's greatest classical ballet dancers. Alicia Markova is also credited with co-founding the English National Ballet.

Sonoya Mizuno is an English actress, ballet dancer, and model. She started her professional career as a model, working for world-renowned brands, such as Saint Laurent, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton. Thanks to her skills as a ballet dancer, which she learnt at the Royal Ballet School, Mizuno landed roles in dance films like High Strung, which kick-started her film career.

Best known for her pioneering contribution to contemporary ballet, Polish-born dancer Marie Rambert was the founder of one of England’s oldest ballet groups, the Rambert Dance Company. Apart from being a fine ballerina, she was also a great ballet teacher and was awarded with the Order of the British Empire.

Svetlana Beriosova was a Lithuanian-British ballerina who spent more than 20 years with the prestigious Royal Ballet. A prima ballerina at the Royal Ballet, Svetlana Beriosova achieved immense popularity for playing classical roles, such as Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty and Odette/Odile in Swan Lake.

Monica Mason is a South African-born British former ballet dancer and teacher. She is best known for her association with The Royal Ballet, where she served as the artistic director. Monica Mason spent more than five decades with the company, establishing herself as a versatile performer, capable administrator, and skilled rehearsal director.

Deborah Bull, Baroness Bull is an English dancer, broadcaster, and writer. She is best known for her association with the Royal Opera House, where she was a former creative director. As a writer, Deborah Bull has contributed to popular publications like The Times, The Sunday Times, The Daily Telegraph, and New Statesman.

Wendy Toye was a British dancer, actress, and theatre and film director. Apart from contributing as an actress and dancer, Toye also worked for numerous charity organizations. In 1977, Wendy Toye was honored with the prestigious Silver Jubilee Medal.

Adeline Genée was a Danish-British ballerina who served as prima ballerina at the Empire Theatre of Varieties, where she performed for ten years. She achieved international fame when she started performing in the USA. Adeline Genée also performed in places like New Zealand and Australia.

Georgina Parkinson was an English ballerina and ballet mistress. She is remembered for her association with The Royal Ballet, where she served as the principal dancer. In 1978, Parkinson was invited to the American Ballet Theatre to serve as a ballet mistress for a year. In 1980, Georgina Parkinson assumed the role permanently and remained with the company until 2009.

Peggy van Praagh was a British ballerina, teacher, choreographer, repetiteur, director, producer, and advocate of dance. She is best remembered for her contribution as the founding artistic director of The Australian Ballet. Peggy van Praagh was inducted into the Australian Dance Award Hall of Fame and the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2000 and 2001, respectively.

Rina Lipa is a British model and dancer. She is known as the sister of singer-songwriter Dua Lipa. Rina Lipa came into prominence in 2021, when she made her modeling debut at the GCDS Fall 2021 collection, which was part of the famous Milan Fashion Week. Prior to making her modeling debut, Lipa acted in commercials and took ballet lessons.