The Art of Margot Fonteyn

Dame Margaret Evelyn (1919 â€" 1991) was an English ballerina She spent her entire career as a dancer with the Royal Ballet, eventually being appointed prima ballerina assoluta of the company by Queen Elizabeth II Beginning ballet lessons at the age of four, she studied in England and China, where her father was transferred for his work Her training in Shanghai was with Russian expatriate dancer Georgy Goncharov, contributing to her continuing interest in Russian ballet She succeeded Alicia Markova as prima ballerina of the company in 1935 In 1961, when she was considering retirement, Rudolf Nureyev defected from the Kirov Ballet while dancing in Paris Fonteyn, though reluctant to partner with him because of their 19-year age difference, danced with him in his début with the Royal Ballet in Giselle The duo immediately became an international sensation, each dancer pushing the other to their best performances

This copy is in gray buckram with gilt titles on the spine There is sunning on the bottom edge but no other marks or damage The unclipped DJ has small tears and chipping at the edges and the spine is sun darkened There is a facsimile Fonteyn signature on the half title, but an authentic Keith Money signature on the title page