Arnold Lionel Haskell

Haskell, Arnold Lionel (b London, 19 July, 1903, d Bath, 14 Nov. 1980). British ballet writer, educator, and enthusiast. He studied at Cambridge and in 1930 was one of the cofounders of the Camargo Society. He also helped in the founding of Sadler's-Wells Ballet School. In 1935 he became ballet critic for the Daily Telegraph, and subsequently for other newspapers. Between 1947 and 1965 he was director of the Sadler's Wells, later Royal Ballet School (overseeing its expansion to include an academic education), and from 1956 was a governor of the Royal Ballet. From 1947 to 1963 he edited Ballet Annual. He was best known for Ballet (1938) his popular introduction to dance appreciation, which helped break down many British prejudices against the art, but he wrote several other books, including Balletomania (London, 1934), Diaghileff (London, 1935, the first detailed biography), In His True Centre (London, 1951), and Balletomane at Large (London, 1972).