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.

Dolin, Sir Anton (dō'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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