Famous Ballet Dancers

A long line of famous dancers have made ballet what it is today with their tremendous contributions to the arts. Some of these dancers are greatly remembered, while others’ names have faded into oblivion. No matter what their weight today, these dancers have had a wonderful influence on the ballet world throughout the years.

Born in Ecuador, Ashton attended an Anna Pavlova performance at the age of 13. The choreography captured him so powerfully, he was convinced from that day forward that he too would grow up to be an influential dancer. He moved to England in 1919, where he became a student at Dover College and worked under Leonide Massine. This excellent training prepared him for his first choreography attempt in 1926. It was a wild success, and he went on to become a resident choreographer of The Royal Ballet during the 1930s.

While Ashton’s name is not nearly as recognizable as Pavlova or Baryshnikov, he is responsible for the timeless ballet adaptation of Cinderella, and was known to dance the role of one of the ugly stepsisters on more than one occasion.

Frederick Ashton was knighted for his tremendous contributions, and he passed away in his England home in 1988.

Out of all the famous ballet dancers of Russia, Baryshnikov’s dancing is as complex and captivating as his elaborate name! Heralded as one of the 20th century’s greatest ballet dancers, he started dancing in Leningrad, but later moved on to Canada in 1974, then finally to the American Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet where he worked as both a dancer and choreographer.

He has also enjoyed great success as an actor on both stage and screen, as well as an influential modern dancer, consistently producing new works. His most recent dance contribution was the White Oak Dance Project, a touring company that he co-founded and directed from 1990-2002. Following this, he started his own arts center in New York a few years ago. He is a father of four and continues to reside in the New York area.

A celebrated dancer, choreographer and writer, this multitalented Danish ballet phenom began his career with the Royal Danish Ballet when he was only nine years old. He became a solost with them at age 20, and was also featured in a 1952 MGM film. Heralded for his impressive technique and artistic flair, he wrote a book entitled Beyond Technique, and went on to direct the Swedish Opera Ballet and then the National Ballet of Canada, until his death in 1986.

Growing up poor with a violinist and dancing father of French/Belgian descent, young Camargo performed as “premiere danseuse,” or “featured dancer,” at the Paris Opera ballet. She was able to perform footwork so complex, it was beyond envied by fellow dancers, and is given credit for both the creation of modern day ballet slippers and shortened ballet skirts (originally hemmed upward to showcase her impressive technique).

As a performer in 78 ballets and operas through the years, she later was the inspiration of a ballet titled after her surname. While it has not been performed since 1917, it was highly celebrated during its heyday. Marie Camargo died in 1770.

One of the most cherished of famous ballet dancers, Pavlova was a Russian ballerina in the early part of the 20th century. Credited as the first dancer to partake in a world tour, she is widely known for her Dying Swan dance, which is still cherished and admired today.

Originally rejected from the Imperial Ballet School because she was too small, her imprint upon the world of ballet soon became huge.

Besides her beautiful dancing, she revamped the pointe shoe, due to her extremely curved arches. Some accused her of “cheating” the craft, however anyone who saw Pavlova dance knew that she was simply magical. She died of pneumonia just before her 50th birthday.

These are only a few of the wonderful dancers who have influenced the world of ballet. If you are a current dance student reading this, who knows? You may be next to go down in history!

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