Knowra Frederick Ashton Frederick Ashton Frederick Ashton (1904–1988) was a British ballet dancer and choreographer whose works shaped the repertory of The Royal Ballet. His ballets include Cinderella and La fille mal gardée .
La fille mal gardée : A comic ballet about a young woman who resists her mother's plans for her marriage. Ashton's 1960 production became one of his best-known comic ballets.
Marie Rambert : A Polish-born British ballet teacher and company director who founded the Ballet Club, later Ballet Rambert. She trained Ashton and gave him an early home for choreography.
Ballets Russes : A company of Russian ballet dancers and artists founded by Sergei Diaghilev, active from 1909 to 1929. Its touring performances helped shape Ashton's decision to pursue ballet.
Ballet : A theatrical dance form built on codified technique, structured movement, and performance traditions. Ashton's choreography reshapes ballet's classical vocabulary into individual dramatic and comic styles.
Royal Ballet School : A London ballet school that trains dancers for professional careers, closely associated with The Royal Ballet. Ashton supported the school's role in sustaining the company and its classical tradition.
Cinderella (Ashton ballet) : A three-act ballet choreographed by Frederick Ashton, first performed by Sadler's Wells Ballet in 1948. Its fairytale story gave Ashton scope for both lyrical dancing and comic characterization.
Ninette de Valois : An Irish-born dancer and choreographer who founded the Vic-Wells Ballet, predecessor of The Royal Ballet. She recruited Ashton into the company that became the principal home for his ballets.
Sergei Diaghilev : A Russian impresario who founded and directed the Ballets Russes. Ashton saw the Ballets Russes in South America, an encounter that inspired his dance career.
Ballet blanc : A ballet scene in which dancers, often dressed in white, form an ethereal ensemble. Ashton used the tradition in works such as Symphonic Variations and The Dream .
The Royal Ballet repertory : The body of ballets regularly performed by The Royal Ballet. Ashton's works remain a defining part of the company's repertory.
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