Anton Dolin

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(born July 27, 1904, Slinfold, Sussex, Eng.died Nov. 25, 1983, Paris, Fr.) British dancer and choreographer. In 1921 he joined the Ballets Russes, where he created leading roles as a soloist. In the 1930s and 1940s he helped form several ballet companies; in 1949 he and his partner Alicia Markova founded the forerunner of London's Festival Ballet, of which he was artistic director and premier dancer until 1961. He created leading roles in Le Train bleu, Job, and Bluebeard, choreographed works such as Capriccioso (1940), The Romantic Age (1942), and Variations for Four (1957), and wrote several books on dance.

For more information on Sir Anton Dolin, visit Britannica.com.

Oxford Dictionary of Dance:

(Sir) Anton Dolin

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Dolin, (Sir) Anton (orig. Sydney Francis Patrick Chippendall Healey-Kay;b Slinfold, 27 July 1904, d Paris, 25 Nov. 1983). British dancer, choreographer, and director. He studied in Brighton, then later with Astafieva, Nijinska, and Cecchetti, appearing as a child actor and dancing as a page (as Patrikieff) in Diaghilev's 1921 production of The Sleeping Princess. In 1924 he joined Diaghilev's Ballets Russes as a soloist, creating roles in Nijinska's Le Train bleu (1924) and Balanchine's The Prodigal Son and Le Bal (both 1929). He also appeared in revues, and from 1927 to 1928 ran his own company with Nemchinova, choreographing ballets to Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and Chopin's ‘Revolutionary’ Étude. In 1930 he became a founder member and dancer of the Camargo Society. He created the role of Satan in de Valois's Job in 1931, and was then principal guest artist with the Vic-Wells Ballet (1931-5). In 1933 he also danced with de Basil's Ballets Russes and in 1935 he founded the Markova-Dolin Ballet with Markova, which toured widely in the UK until 1938. In 1939 he danced with the Original Ballet Russe in Australia and in 1940 joined New York's newly formed Ballet Theatre, not only dancing principal roles but also staging several classics and choreographing his version of Pas de quatre (mus. Pugni, 1941), which he subsequently staged all over the world. He also created the title role in Fokine's Bluebeard (1941). Between 1944 and 1945 he appeared with New York's Seven Lively Arts revue for which he choreographed the first production of Stravinsky's Scènes de ballet. He then toured with the reformed Markova-Dolin Ballet (1945-8) after which he guested with the Original Ballet Russe, Sadler's Wells Ballet, and Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. In 1950 he and Markova formed Festival Ballet (becoming London Festival Ballet) which he directed and danced with until 1961. He then directed Rome Opera Ballet (1961-4), after which he freelanced as teacher, ballet master, and choreographer all around the world. As the first British male dancer to win world acclaim in the 20th century he was a vital role model within the emerging British ballet scene. He was noted as an exemplary partner, though his critics complained that his technique was marred by flashy effects, and by too many excursions into commercial theatre. He acted in several plays and films including the role of Cecchetti in Herbert Ross's 1980 film Nijinsky and was author of several books including Divertissement (London, 1931), Alicia Markova (London, 1953), Autobiography (London, 1960), and The Sleeping Ballerina—the Story of Olga Spessivtzeva (London, 1966). He was knighted in 1981.

Columbia Encyclopedia:

(Sir) Anton Dolin

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Dolin, Sir Anton ('lĭn), 1904-83, English ballet dancer and choreographer, originally named Patrick Healey-Kay. Dolin joined Diaghilev's Ballets Russes in 1921, becoming a principal danseur in 1924. Leaving the company in 1925, he formed his own company with Vera Nemchinova. He danced with the Vic-Wells Ballet with Alicia Markova, beginning a long partnership; they formed their own companies twice, in 1935 and 1949, and were principals of the Ballet Theatre in New York. He was knighted in 1981. Dolin wrote Divertissement (1931), a book of reminiscences; Ballet Go Round (1938), his autobiography; Pas de Deux (1950), on the art of partnering; and Alicia Markova: Her Life and Art (1953).
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Anton Dolin

Dolin in The Prodigal Son, Ballets Russes, during the Australian Tour of 1939
Born 27 July 1904
Slinfold, West Sussex, England
Died 25 November 1983(1983-11-25) (aged 79)
Occupation ballet dancer and choreographer

Sir Anton Dolin (27 July 1904 – 25 November 1983)[1] was an English ballet dancer and choreographer.

Dolin was born in Slinfold in Sussex as Sydney Francis Patrick Chippendall Healey-Kay but was generally known as Patrick Kay. He joined Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes in 1921, was a principal there from 1924, and was a principal with the Vic-Wells Ballet in the 1930s. There he danced with Alicia Markova, with whom he went on to found the Markova-Dolin Ballet and the London Festival Ballet.

He joined Ballet Theatre as when it was formed in 1940 and remained there as a dancer and choreographer until 1946.[2]

Dolin wrote several books, including the autobiography Ballet Go Round (1938) and Alicia Markova: Her Life and Art (1953).[3] He was knighted in 1981. He is featured in the documentary film A Portrait of Giselle.

For many years he lived with the ballet dancer John Gilpin.

Notes

  1. ^ W. J. McCormack (1999). "The Blackwell Companion to Modern Irish Culture". Blackwell Publishing. pp. 172. http://books.google.com/books?id=ANgdh-3cMowC. Retrieved 20 February 2008. 
  2. ^ "Choreographers: Anton Dolin". American Ballet Theatre. http://www.abt.org/education/archive/choreographers/dolin_a.html. Retrieved 16 February 2012. 
  3. ^ Dolin, Anton (1953). Alicia Markova: her life and art. New York: Hermitage House. OCLC 300631658. http://www.archive.org/details/aliciamarkovaher010115mbp. 

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Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev (Russian ballet dancer, artist & critic)
Dame Alicia Markova (English ballet dancer)
Vera Nemchinova (person)
Vera Zorina (person)