Dame Ninette de Valois, OM, CH, DBE (6 June 1898 – 8 March 2001) was an Irish dancer, teacher, choreographer and director of classical ballet. She danced professionally with Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, later settling in England. She is most noted for establishing The Royal Ballet, one of the foremost ballet companies of the 20th century and one of the leading ballet companies in the world today. She also established the Birmingham Royal Bal...
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Dame Ninette de Valois, OM, CH, DBE (6 June 1898 – 8 March 2001) was an Irish dancer, teacher, choreographer and director of classical ballet. She danced professionally with Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, later settling in England. She is most noted for establishing The Royal Ballet, one of the foremost ballet companies of the 20th century and one of the leading ballet companies in the world today. She also established the Birmingham Royal Ballet and Royal Ballet School. As one of the creators of modern British ballet, she is widely regarded as one of the most influential personalities in ballet history.
Born Edris Stannus in Baltyboys House, Blessington County Wicklow, Ireland, she was the second daughter of Lillith Graydon-Smith, a British army office and renowned glassmaker. Stannus began ballet lessons in 1908 at age ten while living with her grandmother in Kent, and became noticed throughout England because of her graceful movements. She legally changed her name to Ninette de...
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