WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.299 Welcome back to the Deep Dive. Today we are taking 00:00:02.299 --> 00:00:06.259 a deep exploration into the life of, well, one 00:00:06.259 --> 00:00:08.880 of the 20th century's most formidable cultural 00:00:08.880 --> 00:00:11.080 architects. That's a great way to put it. We're 00:00:11.080 --> 00:00:13.720 studying the woman who really armed with a strategic 00:00:13.720 --> 00:00:17.519 vision and an almost unnerving ambition built 00:00:17.519 --> 00:00:20.059 an entire national culture from the ground up. 00:00:20.079 --> 00:00:22.019 And not just in one country. That's the key. 00:00:22.120 --> 00:00:25.000 Right. Not just once, but twice in two very, 00:00:25.019 --> 00:00:27.800 very different nations. Our subject is Dame Nanette 00:00:27.800 --> 00:00:32.219 de Valois, born Idris Stannis. And she. She truly 00:00:32.219 --> 00:00:34.320 deserves the title of the godmother of English 00:00:34.320 --> 00:00:36.479 and Irish ballet. Oh, that title is entirely 00:00:36.479 --> 00:00:39.520 earned because what our sources reveal is not 00:00:39.520 --> 00:00:41.740 the story of a great performer, though she was 00:00:41.740 --> 00:00:45.020 one. It's the history of a relentless, systematic 00:00:45.020 --> 00:00:48.210 campaign of institution building. Institution 00:00:48.210 --> 00:00:50.609 building. That's the perfect phrase. It is. DeVauvois 00:00:50.609 --> 00:00:52.850 didn't just, you know, establish a successful 00:00:52.850 --> 00:00:55.590 dance company. She engineered a comprehensive 00:00:55.590 --> 00:00:58.469 self -sustaining mechanism, a blueprint, really, 00:00:58.570 --> 00:01:01.090 for perpetually generating world -class talent, 00:01:01.170 --> 00:01:04.609 unique choreography, and an enduring artistic 00:01:04.609 --> 00:01:07.569 infrastructure. So this deep dive is dedicated 00:01:07.569 --> 00:01:11.909 to extracting that blueprint, the specific, maybe 00:01:11.909 --> 00:01:14.670 even replicable strategy she used to completely 00:01:14.670 --> 00:01:17.489 revolutionize the art form. Exactly. And the 00:01:17.489 --> 00:01:20.989 scale of her legacy is, it's genuinely staggering. 00:01:21.209 --> 00:01:23.629 I mean, when we talk about Nina de Valois, you 00:01:23.629 --> 00:01:26.530 are discussing the primary founder of what... 00:01:26.719 --> 00:01:29.620 became the Royal Ballet. Which is today one of 00:01:29.620 --> 00:01:32.219 the world's absolute foremost classical companies. 00:01:32.439 --> 00:01:34.319 Absolutely. And also the Royal Ballet School 00:01:34.319 --> 00:01:36.560 and the major touring company that, you know, 00:01:36.579 --> 00:01:38.939 eventually evolved into the Birmingham Royal 00:01:38.939 --> 00:01:41.000 Ballet. And that's just the UK. That's just the 00:01:41.000 --> 00:01:43.459 UK. But her influence, as we mentioned, didn't 00:01:43.459 --> 00:01:45.840 stop there. She was also the driving, the foundational 00:01:45.840 --> 00:01:48.219 force behind the establishment of the Turkish 00:01:48.219 --> 00:01:50.659 State Ballet. So our mission today is... She 00:01:50.659 --> 00:01:52.500 achieved her greatest professional successes, 00:01:52.840 --> 00:01:55.439 her architectural successes, after having to 00:01:55.439 --> 00:01:57.650 step away... from the intense demands of being 00:01:57.650 --> 00:02:00.269 a regular principal dancer and pretty early in 00:02:00.269 --> 00:02:02.230 her career, too. Right. And this was because 00:02:02.230 --> 00:02:05.170 of a previously undiagnosed case of childhood 00:02:05.170 --> 00:02:08.830 polio. The damage from it was finally detected 00:02:08.830 --> 00:02:11.629 in 1924. So the immediate critical question we 00:02:11.629 --> 00:02:15.180 face is. Did that medical necessity, that forced 00:02:15.180 --> 00:02:18.240 pivot off the stage, did that ultimately enable 00:02:18.240 --> 00:02:20.580 her to become the institutional giant we remember? 00:02:20.800 --> 00:02:23.219 Or was the blueprint already there, just sort 00:02:23.219 --> 00:02:25.159 of waiting for the opportunity to be activated? 00:02:25.500 --> 00:02:27.479 It's a great question. Let's unpack this. We 00:02:27.479 --> 00:02:30.080 have to start at the very foundation. The dancer's 00:02:30.080 --> 00:02:32.800 origins and her transformation from Idris Stannis. 00:02:33.340 --> 00:02:37.319 So Idris Stannis was born on June 6, 1898, in 00:02:37.319 --> 00:02:39.819 Blessington County, Wicklow, Ireland. This was, 00:02:39.879 --> 00:02:41.960 of course, a time when Ireland was still wholly 00:02:41.960 --> 00:02:44.280 part of the United Kingdom. And crucially, her 00:02:44.280 --> 00:02:46.479 background was not one of struggle. Not at all. 00:02:46.539 --> 00:02:49.099 It was one of gentry, of high expectation. Right. 00:02:49.219 --> 00:02:52.020 Her father was Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Stannis, 00:02:52.180 --> 00:02:55.539 a decorated British Army officer. Her mother, 00:02:55.680 --> 00:02:57.860 Elizabeth Graydon Smith, was an accomplished 00:02:57.860 --> 00:03:01.240 glassmaker known professionally as Lilith Stannis. 00:03:01.379 --> 00:03:04.340 This family environment is. It's more important 00:03:04.340 --> 00:03:06.560 than it might seem on the surface. The sources 00:03:06.560 --> 00:03:08.719 really show that she came from a lineage characterized 00:03:08.719 --> 00:03:11.520 by deep intellectual and political connection. 00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:14.539 Can you elaborate on that a bit? Sure. Her mother's 00:03:14.539 --> 00:03:16.520 family included the famous diarist Elizabeth 00:03:16.520 --> 00:03:19.060 Grant Smith as a great -grandmother and the Scottish 00:03:19.060 --> 00:03:21.620 politician John Peter Grant as a great -great 00:03:21.620 --> 00:03:24.460 -grandfather. So this isn't just trivia? No, 00:03:24.460 --> 00:03:26.800 not at all. This background, it seems, instilled 00:03:26.800 --> 00:03:29.599 a sense of rigorous discipline, social confidence, 00:03:29.879 --> 00:03:34.259 and a unique perspective on documentation and 00:03:34.259 --> 00:03:36.280 legacy. These are qualities that are absolutely 00:03:36.280 --> 00:03:38.340 essential for someone who would spend her life 00:03:38.340 --> 00:03:40.840 meticulously documenting and building institutions. 00:03:41.449 --> 00:03:43.449 It provides the intellectual framework for an 00:03:43.449 --> 00:03:46.189 ambitious life, certainly. She moved from Ireland 00:03:46.189 --> 00:03:49.409 to England, specifically to Kent in 1905, to 00:03:49.409 --> 00:03:51.449 live with her grandmother. And it wasn't until 00:03:51.449 --> 00:03:54.909 age 10 in 1908 that she started attending formal 00:03:54.909 --> 00:03:58.069 ballet lessons. Which, as you noted, by today's 00:03:58.069 --> 00:04:00.210 hyper -competitive standards, that's considered 00:04:00.210 --> 00:04:04.270 a relatively late start. But her trajectory just... 00:04:05.039 --> 00:04:08.280 It accelerated with astonishing speed. That acceleration 00:04:08.280 --> 00:04:11.360 really speaks to a formidable focused work ethic, 00:04:11.460 --> 00:04:14.080 doesn't it? It does. By age 13, she was already 00:04:14.080 --> 00:04:17.259 transitioning from recreational classes to professional 00:04:17.259 --> 00:04:19.959 training at the Lila Field Academy for Children. 00:04:20.220 --> 00:04:22.639 And it's right at this juncture that she executes 00:04:22.639 --> 00:04:26.459 this fascinating definitive pivot away from her 00:04:26.459 --> 00:04:29.139 gentry identity. She changes her name. She changes 00:04:29.139 --> 00:04:31.379 her name to Nanette de Valois. That decision. 00:04:32.040 --> 00:04:34.160 To adopt a name that sounds, I don't know, slightly 00:04:34.160 --> 00:04:36.680 French, slightly exotic, certainly more theatrical 00:04:36.680 --> 00:04:39.339 than Idris Stannis, that's a statement in itself, 00:04:39.519 --> 00:04:41.519 isn't it? It signals her full commitment to the 00:04:41.519 --> 00:04:43.939 stage. It's a total transformation into a professional 00:04:43.939 --> 00:04:45.980 artist, absolutely. And the professional debut 00:04:45.980 --> 00:04:48.819 followed immediately. Using this new persona, 00:04:49.040 --> 00:04:51.579 Ninette de Valois, she secured a position as 00:04:51.579 --> 00:04:54.160 a principal dancer in a major West End pantomime 00:04:54.160 --> 00:04:56.699 at the Lyceum Theatre. A principal dancer in 00:04:56.699 --> 00:04:59.319 London while still a teenager. It's a truly massive 00:04:59.319 --> 00:05:02.550 early achievement. It signifies not just technical 00:05:02.550 --> 00:05:06.769 skill, but remarkable stage presence and dramatic 00:05:06.769 --> 00:05:09.470 ability. And she didn't stop there. She dedicated 00:05:09.470 --> 00:05:11.589 herself to mastering the classical tradition, 00:05:11.769 --> 00:05:15.250 continuing her advanced studies under a triumvirate 00:05:15.250 --> 00:05:17.970 of the greatest names in classical ballet pedagogy 00:05:17.970 --> 00:05:20.649 at the time. Edward Espinosa, Enrico Schichetti, 00:05:20.769 --> 00:05:23.910 and Nicolas Legat. What did that kind of training 00:05:23.910 --> 00:05:26.529 give her? Well, this is perhaps the most critical 00:05:26.529 --> 00:05:28.930 foundation for her later architectural work. 00:05:29.149 --> 00:05:32.009 Think of it this way. These three men represented 00:05:32.009 --> 00:05:35.569 the absolute pinnacle and, crucially, three slightly 00:05:35.569 --> 00:05:38.170 different schools of classical training, French, 00:05:38.269 --> 00:05:40.529 Italian, and Russian. So she didn't just train 00:05:40.529 --> 00:05:44.170 in one lineage. No. She absorbed a multifaceted 00:05:44.170 --> 00:05:46.629 approach. This depth of understanding allowing 00:05:46.629 --> 00:05:49.149 her to synthesize the best of each method is 00:05:49.149 --> 00:05:51.449 precisely what she would later codify and refine 00:05:51.449 --> 00:05:54.029 into the British style taught at the Royal Ballet 00:05:54.029 --> 00:05:56.529 School. She wasn't building a copy. She was building 00:05:56.529 --> 00:05:58.709 a hybrid, you know, robust enough to withstand 00:05:58.709 --> 00:06:01.000 the scrutiny of the world stage. And this preparation 00:06:01.000 --> 00:06:03.860 led to a really important pre -ballet Rose's 00:06:03.860 --> 00:06:08.319 milestone. By 1919, at the age of 21, she cemented 00:06:08.319 --> 00:06:10.540 her early professional status by being appointed 00:06:10.540 --> 00:06:13.379 principal dancer of the Beecham Opera, the resident 00:06:13.379 --> 00:06:15.879 opera company at the Royal Opera House. So she 00:06:15.879 --> 00:06:18.259 had achieved success, but the true masterclass 00:06:18.259 --> 00:06:21.569 was yet to come. Precisely. That success qualified 00:06:21.569 --> 00:06:24.329 her for the next most crucial step in her education, 00:06:24.629 --> 00:06:27.050 which brings us to the three years that defined 00:06:27.050 --> 00:06:29.949 her entire future career trajectory. The years 00:06:29.949 --> 00:06:32.069 that transformed the ambitious dancer into the 00:06:32.069 --> 00:06:34.579 organizational titan. The single most formative 00:06:34.579 --> 00:06:36.639 chapter for Devaloy, the director, was without 00:06:36.639 --> 00:06:38.860 a doubt her time spent with the ballet Russes. 00:06:38.920 --> 00:06:41.480 She joined Serge Diaghilev's legendary company 00:06:41.480 --> 00:06:45.139 in 1923. And our sources confirm this experience 00:06:45.139 --> 00:06:47.519 was basically equivalent to attending the world's 00:06:47.519 --> 00:06:50.259 most intense, demanding, and visionary business 00:06:50.259 --> 00:06:53.079 school, just with a spectacular artistic overlay. 00:06:53.500 --> 00:06:55.509 Diaghilev's company was. It was a laboratory 00:06:55.509 --> 00:06:58.350 of genius, but it was also one of chaos. She 00:06:58.350 --> 00:07:00.629 remained there for three rigorous years, performing 00:07:00.629 --> 00:07:02.810 all across Europe, and she rose quickly to the 00:07:02.810 --> 00:07:04.910 rank of soloist. So she was creating original 00:07:04.910 --> 00:07:08.069 roles. Yes. In signature works that are still 00:07:08.069 --> 00:07:10.629 celebrated today, things like Les Biches and 00:07:10.629 --> 00:07:13.189 Le Train Bleu, she was operating at the absolute 00:07:13.189 --> 00:07:16.029 cutting edge of modern art and technique. She 00:07:16.029 --> 00:07:18.550 was clearly thriving as a performer on the world 00:07:18.550 --> 00:07:21.529 stage, traveling constantly. But she wasn't just 00:07:21.529 --> 00:07:24.540 performing, was she? We see an early glimmer 00:07:24.540 --> 00:07:27.720 of her future institutional role even then. You're 00:07:27.720 --> 00:07:30.120 talking about Alicia Markova. Exactly. She took 00:07:30.120 --> 00:07:32.579 on a mentorship role for the young Alicia Markova, 00:07:32.620 --> 00:07:34.620 who was just a child at the time. It was already 00:07:34.620 --> 00:07:36.980 showing this prodigious talent. This detail is 00:07:36.980 --> 00:07:39.370 pivotal. It really is. It shows her instinct 00:07:39.370 --> 00:07:41.970 for talent development was innate. She wasn't 00:07:41.970 --> 00:07:44.569 focused solely on her own performance. She recognized 00:07:44.569 --> 00:07:47.790 the need to nurture the next generation, a trait 00:07:47.790 --> 00:07:49.990 that would define the longevity of her institutions. 00:07:50.389 --> 00:07:52.730 And Markova, of course, went on to become a prima 00:07:52.730 --> 00:07:55.550 ballerina assoluta. So Di Valois was developing 00:07:55.550 --> 00:07:58.129 the stars of tomorrow, even while she herself 00:07:58.129 --> 00:08:00.670 was still performing. But the real critical takeaway, 00:08:00.910 --> 00:08:03.569 the aha moment that illuminates the source of 00:08:03.569 --> 00:08:06.370 her later genius, it comes from her own testimony. 00:08:07.050 --> 00:08:09.550 Our sources repeatedly cite de Beauvoir's own 00:08:09.550 --> 00:08:12.430 retrospective analysis. Right. Where she stated 00:08:12.430 --> 00:08:15.449 quite clearly that everything she knew about 00:08:15.449 --> 00:08:17.829 how to run a ballet company. Everything. From 00:08:17.829 --> 00:08:20.370 logistics to repertoire balance, from financial 00:08:20.370 --> 00:08:22.970 structures to handling immense artistic personalities. 00:08:23.329 --> 00:08:25.310 She learned it all entirely from working with 00:08:25.310 --> 00:08:28.129 Diaghilev. This is the organizational blueprint 00:08:28.129 --> 00:08:30.790 laid bare. It is. And we have to elaborate on 00:08:30.790 --> 00:08:33.529 what that truly meant. Diaghilev's company was 00:08:33.529 --> 00:08:36.409 internationally famous. But it was also incredibly 00:08:36.409 --> 00:08:39.309 financially precarious. It constantly had to 00:08:39.309 --> 00:08:42.190 innovate or die. So Duval all learned not just 00:08:42.190 --> 00:08:44.429 artistic excellence, but also practical management. 00:08:44.610 --> 00:08:47.190 Like what, specifically? Well, first, repertoire 00:08:47.190 --> 00:08:50.529 balance. Diaghilev masterfully balanced the shock 00:08:50.529 --> 00:08:53.830 of the new, you know, Stravinsky -Picasso avant 00:08:53.830 --> 00:08:56.610 -garde work with a core of established bankable 00:08:56.610 --> 00:08:59.450 classics. The Valois would import this exact 00:08:59.450 --> 00:09:01.690 strategy. Okay, that makes sense. Then logistics. 00:09:02.070 --> 00:09:04.190 The company was a traveling circus, constantly 00:09:04.190 --> 00:09:06.690 touring across countries with huge sets and costumes. 00:09:06.970 --> 00:09:08.970 She learned the mechanics of international movement, 00:09:09.149 --> 00:09:11.549 contracts, and the company discipline necessary 00:09:11.549 --> 00:09:14.169 for survival. And finances. The third point. 00:09:14.769 --> 00:09:18.070 She witnessed the peril of relying solely on 00:09:18.070 --> 00:09:21.789 wealthy patrons. Diaghilev's model was high risk, 00:09:21.889 --> 00:09:24.629 high reward. She would later seek institutional 00:09:24.629 --> 00:09:28.580 state support. the direct opposite of Diaghilev's 00:09:28.580 --> 00:09:31.379 sometimes chaotic private financing. So she took 00:09:31.379 --> 00:09:33.679 the artistic blueprint and strategically corrected 00:09:33.679 --> 00:09:36.179 the administrative flaws. That's a perfect way 00:09:36.179 --> 00:09:39.000 to put it. Yeah. She absorbed the vision. but 00:09:39.000 --> 00:09:41.500 rejected the instability. And that need for stability 00:09:41.500 --> 00:09:44.000 became acutely personal with what we referred 00:09:44.000 --> 00:09:47.840 to as the forced pivot. In 1924, only a year 00:09:47.840 --> 00:09:50.500 into her ballet's Russ's tenure, doctors finally 00:09:50.500 --> 00:09:53.179 detected residual damage caused by a previously 00:09:53.179 --> 00:09:55.980 undiagnosed case of childhood polio. This was 00:09:55.980 --> 00:09:58.580 a seismic event. It meant she had to step back 00:09:58.580 --> 00:10:00.620 drastically from the sheer physical intensity 00:10:00.620 --> 00:10:03.460 required of a world -class soloist. It wasn't 00:10:03.460 --> 00:10:06.080 a minor injury. It was a physical necessity that 00:10:06.080 --> 00:10:08.139 curtailed her performing future. You have to 00:10:08.169 --> 00:10:09.929 imagine being at the pinnacle of the performing 00:10:09.929 --> 00:10:12.610 world and realizing your body just, it couldn't 00:10:12.610 --> 00:10:15.909 sustain it. And the sources don't dwell on the 00:10:15.909 --> 00:10:18.769 emotional toll, but the strategic outcome is 00:10:18.769 --> 00:10:21.950 crystal clear. Instead of allowing this diagnosis 00:10:21.950 --> 00:10:25.289 to end her career, Devalois channeled her immense 00:10:25.289 --> 00:10:27.970 ambition and her newly acquired organizational 00:10:27.970 --> 00:10:31.129 knowledge. The Diaghilev blueprint. The Diaghilev 00:10:31.129 --> 00:10:33.730 blueprint toward choreography and more importantly, 00:10:33.850 --> 00:10:36.419 direction and institutional founding. If she 00:10:36.419 --> 00:10:38.720 couldn't dance the future of ballet on the world 00:10:38.720 --> 00:10:41.360 stage, she was absolutely determined to build 00:10:41.360 --> 00:10:43.620 the platform upon which the next hundred years 00:10:43.620 --> 00:10:46.639 of British ballet would stand. This forced pivot 00:10:46.639 --> 00:10:49.080 turned a brilliant dancer into an unstoppable 00:10:49.080 --> 00:10:51.889 architect. The urgency she showed immediately 00:10:51.889 --> 00:10:54.610 afterward, establishing institutions almost overnight, 00:10:54.850 --> 00:10:57.230 confirms that she had found a new, necessary 00:10:57.230 --> 00:10:59.789 outlet for her energy. The speed of her transition 00:10:59.789 --> 00:11:03.289 is just. It's remarkable. She leaves Ballet Russes 00:11:03.289 --> 00:11:06.029 in 1926, armed with the organizational blueprint, 00:11:06.309 --> 00:11:08.710 constrained physically but strategically focused, 00:11:08.850 --> 00:11:11.789 and by 1927 she immediately sets up not one but 00:11:11.789 --> 00:11:14.350 two simultaneous national schools. Two at the 00:11:14.350 --> 00:11:17.039 same time. In London, she established the Academy 00:11:17.039 --> 00:11:19.659 of Choreographic Art, a rigorous dance school 00:11:19.659 --> 00:11:22.480 for girls. And concurrently, she founded the 00:11:22.480 --> 00:11:25.460 Abbey Theatre School of Ballet in Dublin. This 00:11:25.460 --> 00:11:28.340 duality really highlights the breadth of her 00:11:28.340 --> 00:11:30.779 ambition and her connection to her Irish roots. 00:11:31.179 --> 00:11:33.779 The London project was always the main goal. 00:11:34.139 --> 00:11:37.820 To form a repertory ballet company, sourced entirely 00:11:37.820 --> 00:11:40.240 from the dancers trained in her school. And to 00:11:40.240 --> 00:11:42.840 cultivate a uniquely British style of classical 00:11:42.840 --> 00:11:45.659 ballet. Yes, one that could stand as an equal 00:11:45.659 --> 00:11:48.120 to the Russian and French traditions. But let's 00:11:48.120 --> 00:11:49.820 spend a moment on the Dublin Project, because 00:11:49.820 --> 00:11:52.120 it illustrates the geopolitical sensitivity she 00:11:52.120 --> 00:11:54.379 possessed, which is so crucial to the Blueprint's 00:11:54.379 --> 00:11:56.360 success. It's a fascinating part of the story. 00:11:56.500 --> 00:11:59.500 This project wasn't self -initiated. It was suggested 00:11:59.500 --> 00:12:02.120 to her by the great poet and playwright W .B. 00:12:02.179 --> 00:12:04.019 Yeats, the co -founder of the Abbey Theatre, 00:12:04.200 --> 00:12:07.519 in May 1927 while she was visiting Dublin. And 00:12:07.519 --> 00:12:10.669 the timing is critical here. This was newly independent 00:12:10.669 --> 00:12:13.870 Ireland in the 1920s and 30s. Establishing a 00:12:13.870 --> 00:12:16.129 national cultural institution was inherently 00:12:16.129 --> 00:12:19.289 linked to national identity, to political aspiration. 00:12:19.690 --> 00:12:22.110 So Diffelaw wasn't just imposing a foreign art 00:12:22.110 --> 00:12:24.850 form. Not at all. She was collaborating with 00:12:24.850 --> 00:12:27.370 Yeats and others to plant the seed of a national 00:12:27.370 --> 00:12:31.799 ballet. The project ran until June 1933, and 00:12:31.799 --> 00:12:34.039 though it was temporary, the sources show its 00:12:34.039 --> 00:12:37.039 impact was profound. How significant was it really, 00:12:37.159 --> 00:12:39.059 given that it was temporary? Was it just a side 00:12:39.059 --> 00:12:42.240 project? No, I don't think so. It was a successful 00:12:42.240 --> 00:12:45.299 proof of concept for her model of training. Of 00:12:45.299 --> 00:12:48.220 the 16 students in the final class, seven continued 00:12:48.220 --> 00:12:51.019 dancing, and most importantly, two of those students, 00:12:51.440 --> 00:12:54.259 Sarah Payne and Joan Denise Moriarty, they went 00:12:54.259 --> 00:12:56.279 on to found the next major national project. 00:12:56.669 --> 00:12:58.850 the abbey school of ballet so she didn't just 00:12:58.850 --> 00:13:01.210 teach them to dance She taught them how to build 00:13:01.210 --> 00:13:03.870 an institution. She was seeding the future infrastructure 00:13:03.870 --> 00:13:06.309 of Irish dance, fulfilling her architectural 00:13:06.309 --> 00:13:09.149 mandate. And she employed the same cultural integration 00:13:09.149 --> 00:13:11.990 strategy here that she would later perfect globally. 00:13:12.409 --> 00:13:15.309 During those years, she actively focused on commissioning 00:13:15.309 --> 00:13:17.730 music from Irish contemporary composers for her 00:13:17.730 --> 00:13:20.629 choreographic works. She used Harold R. White's 00:13:20.629 --> 00:13:23.509 The Fawn in 1928 and later Arthur Duff's The 00:13:23.509 --> 00:13:26.230 Drinking Horn and John F. Larcher's Bluebeard 00:13:26.230 --> 00:13:29.610 in 1933. She was ensuring that the new art form 00:13:29.610 --> 00:13:32.370 was intertwined with native music and cultural 00:13:32.370 --> 00:13:35.070 narratives right from the very beginning. It's 00:13:35.070 --> 00:13:37.679 incredibly smart. Meanwhile, the groundwork for 00:13:37.679 --> 00:13:39.700 the permanent institution in London required 00:13:39.700 --> 00:13:43.019 a different kind of strategic patronage. Students 00:13:43.019 --> 00:13:45.399 from her Academy of Choreographic Art gained 00:13:45.399 --> 00:13:48.539 necessary, invaluable professional stage experience 00:13:48.539 --> 00:13:51.539 performing in operas and plays at the Old Vic. 00:13:51.740 --> 00:13:54.440 And de Valois herself choreographed short ballets 00:13:54.440 --> 00:13:57.000 specifically designed to showcase her students. 00:13:57.299 --> 00:13:59.539 This is where Lillian Bayliss enters the story, 00:13:59.659 --> 00:14:01.700 the theatrical manager who owned the Old Vic. 00:14:01.879 --> 00:14:04.659 A powerhouse in her own right. Definitely. She 00:14:04.659 --> 00:14:07.779 was driven. by this desire to bring serious drama 00:14:07.779 --> 00:14:11.059 and opera to a wider working class audience. 00:14:11.399 --> 00:14:13.879 So Bayless was the infrastructure provider and 00:14:13.879 --> 00:14:16.720 DiVello was the content expert. Bayliss acquired 00:14:16.720 --> 00:14:19.659 and refurbished the derelict Sadler's Wells Theater, 00:14:19.899 --> 00:14:22.360 intending it to be a sister theater to the Old 00:14:22.360 --> 00:14:25.480 Vic, specifically for opera and dance. And this 00:14:25.480 --> 00:14:27.980 gave de Valois the permanent, dedicated home 00:14:27.980 --> 00:14:30.440 she needed to scale her vision beyond just a 00:14:30.440 --> 00:14:33.480 small academy. Exactly. So when Sadler's Wells 00:14:33.480 --> 00:14:36.519 reopened in 1931, the picket was complete. De 00:14:36.519 --> 00:14:38.899 Valois moved her school there, renaming it the 00:14:38.899 --> 00:14:41.639 Sadler's Wells Ballet School. The accompanying 00:14:41.639 --> 00:14:44.360 permanent company was formally founded at that 00:14:44.360 --> 00:14:47.429 moment. The Vic Wells Ballet. And this simultaneous 00:14:47.429 --> 00:14:49.429 founding of the Permanent School and the Permanent 00:14:49.429 --> 00:14:51.710 Company is the true moment of origin for the 00:14:51.710 --> 00:14:55.190 entire Royal Ballet organization. It is. And 00:14:55.190 --> 00:14:57.190 it's crucial to understand that her success was 00:14:57.190 --> 00:14:59.450 predicated on Lillian Bayliss's trust and financial 00:14:59.450 --> 00:15:02.490 support. She successfully convinced a major patron 00:15:02.490 --> 00:15:05.789 that dance, as a serious art form, deserved its 00:15:05.789 --> 00:15:08.529 own home, separate from being merely an adornment 00:15:08.529 --> 00:15:11.470 for opera. That ability to secure critical infrastructure 00:15:11.470 --> 00:15:14.169 is perhaps the first great structural win of 00:15:14.169 --> 00:15:16.370 her blueprint. I think you're right. So the Vic 00:15:16.370 --> 00:15:18.870 Wells Ballet, the direct ancestor of the Royal 00:15:18.870 --> 00:15:22.070 Ballet, began life, well, incredibly humbly. 00:15:22.370 --> 00:15:24.929 When it was formed, the sources indicate it started 00:15:24.929 --> 00:15:28.110 with only six female dancers, just six. And Deville 00:15:28.110 --> 00:15:30.210 Wall was still trying to work as the lead dancer, 00:15:30.389 --> 00:15:32.710 choreographer, and director. It was a hand -to 00:15:32.710 --> 00:15:35.210 -mouth operation driven purely by her iron will. 00:15:35.600 --> 00:15:38.179 Their first major production on May 5th, 1931 00:15:38.179 --> 00:15:40.759 at the Old Vic was a statement of intent, even 00:15:40.759 --> 00:15:43.000 with those humble resources. Right. They brought 00:15:43.000 --> 00:15:46.440 in external talent, Anton Dolan, as a guest star 00:15:46.440 --> 00:15:49.840 to inject immediate star power and legitimacy. 00:15:50.360 --> 00:15:53.100 But the moment Duvalard truly formalized the 00:15:53.100 --> 00:15:55.860 shift from dancer to director came two years 00:15:55.860 --> 00:15:59.210 later. In 1933, she successfully secured Alicia 00:15:59.210 --> 00:16:02.330 Markova, her former Ballet Russes protege, to 00:16:02.330 --> 00:16:05.029 join the company. And she appointed her as prima 00:16:05.029 --> 00:16:07.710 ballerina. A huge recruitment coup. Massive. 00:16:07.769 --> 00:16:10.169 And following this, de Valois retired fully from 00:16:10.169 --> 00:16:12.149 the stage herself. That decision is textbook 00:16:12.149 --> 00:16:15.100 institutional strategy. She realized the company 00:16:15.100 --> 00:16:17.759 needed world -class performing talent to thrive, 00:16:18.039 --> 00:16:20.700 and she had to step away entirely to dedicate 00:16:20.700 --> 00:16:23.600 her time to management and creation. So by retiring, 00:16:23.679 --> 00:16:26.139 she sent a clear signal. A very clear signal 00:16:26.139 --> 00:16:28.460 that the company was no longer dependent on her 00:16:28.460 --> 00:16:30.179 physical performance. It was dependent on her 00:16:30.179 --> 00:16:32.340 administrative and artistic direction. So she 00:16:32.340 --> 00:16:34.879 had the school -feeding dancers and a world -class 00:16:34.879 --> 00:16:37.259 principal leading the company. Now the focus 00:16:37.259 --> 00:16:39.899 shifted to building the British identity. Which 00:16:39.899 --> 00:16:42.559 had to be achieved on two fronts. the Classical 00:16:42.559 --> 00:16:45.120 Foundation, and original British modern works. 00:16:45.320 --> 00:16:47.679 So in the short term, throughout the 1930s, the 00:16:47.679 --> 00:16:49.679 company flourished by performing the classical 00:16:49.679 --> 00:16:52.700 ballet repertoire works like Swan Lake, Giselle, 00:16:52.899 --> 00:16:55.879 and The Sleeping Beauty. Works made famous by 00:16:55.879 --> 00:16:59.220 the Imperial Russian Ballet. And this was strategically 00:16:59.220 --> 00:17:02.179 essential. You can't define a new national style 00:17:02.179 --> 00:17:05.119 unless your dancers possess a world -class classical 00:17:05.119 --> 00:17:08.259 technique capable of executing the existing global 00:17:08.259 --> 00:17:10.160 standards. They had to earn their credibility 00:17:10.160 --> 00:17:13.660 first. Exactly. But the truly strategic, forward 00:17:13.660 --> 00:17:16.359 -looking step, the signature move of the Devalois 00:17:16.359 --> 00:17:19.200 blueprint, was establishing a pipeline for a 00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:21.880 distinct British repertory. She knew that simply 00:17:21.880 --> 00:17:23.720 performing Russian classics would leave them 00:17:23.720 --> 00:17:25.700 perpetually derivative. To forge that unique 00:17:25.700 --> 00:17:28.859 style, she engaged the crucial artistic triumvirate 00:17:28.859 --> 00:17:32.440 in 1935. Yes. Frederick Ashton is principal choreographer 00:17:32.440 --> 00:17:35.259 and Constant Lambert as musical director. This 00:17:35.259 --> 00:17:37.180 triod of law providing the structural architecture, 00:17:37.460 --> 00:17:40.299 Lambert the musical vision, and Ashton the choreographic 00:17:40.299 --> 00:17:43.180 voice, this guaranteed a distinctly British artistic 00:17:43.180 --> 00:17:45.279 identity that could finally move beyond imitation. 00:17:45.900 --> 00:17:48.480 And the success of this system is so evident 00:17:48.480 --> 00:17:50.440 in the talent that flowed from the school and 00:17:50.440 --> 00:17:53.240 into the company. It became a star making factory. 00:17:53.480 --> 00:17:55.920 It really did. Nurturing dancers who would become 00:17:55.920 --> 00:17:59.180 global icons. Margot Fontaine, Robert Heltman, 00:17:59.339 --> 00:18:02.180 Moira Shearer, Beryl Gray, Michael Soames. Devalois 00:18:02.180 --> 00:18:04.079 built the system and the system produced the 00:18:04.079 --> 00:18:06.059 legends. And the ultimate external validation 00:18:06.059 --> 00:18:09.140 of this system occurred in 1949. The sources 00:18:09.140 --> 00:18:12.069 all highlight. the 1949 U .S. tour sensation. 00:18:12.390 --> 00:18:14.529 Right. The Sadler's Wells Ballet toured the United 00:18:14.529 --> 00:18:17.490 States, and the immediate overwhelming success 00:18:17.490 --> 00:18:20.589 of Margot Fonteyn made her an instant, massive 00:18:20.589 --> 00:18:23.630 international celebrity. That moment wasn't just 00:18:23.630 --> 00:18:26.250 a successful tour. It was a cultural diplomatic 00:18:26.250 --> 00:18:29.930 triumph. Post -war Britain had proved that it 00:18:29.930 --> 00:18:32.630 had not only rebuilt, but had created a world 00:18:32.630 --> 00:18:35.710 -class exportable art form. It confirmed, decades 00:18:35.710 --> 00:18:38.710 after her vision began, that her system for training, 00:18:38.910 --> 00:18:41.250 management, and commissioning new work had resulted 00:18:41.250 --> 00:18:43.950 in a world -class powerhouse capable of generating 00:18:43.950 --> 00:18:46.630 international sensations. And it also showed 00:18:46.630 --> 00:18:49.329 her commercial acumen. She knew that Fontaine, 00:18:49.369 --> 00:18:51.950 in particular, was the face that could sell the 00:18:51.950 --> 00:18:54.940 entire company to a global audience. It was a 00:18:54.940 --> 00:18:57.500 strategic intersection of high art and high profile. 00:18:57.900 --> 00:19:01.039 But she wasn't only the visionary director commissioning 00:19:01.039 --> 00:19:03.140 work. She was also an exceptional choreographer 00:19:03.140 --> 00:19:06.319 herself, which brings us to her single most important 00:19:06.319 --> 00:19:09.000 early creation. One that solidified the British 00:19:09.000 --> 00:19:11.460 style right from the start. Let's dedicate some 00:19:11.460 --> 00:19:15.299 time to Job, which premiered in 1931. Yes, it 00:19:15.299 --> 00:19:17.740 was her first major production for the Vic Wells 00:19:17.740 --> 00:19:21.720 Ballet and its significance. is just, it's profound. 00:19:22.119 --> 00:19:25.200 The sources confirm it literally defined the 00:19:25.200 --> 00:19:27.200 future aesthetic of the British ballet repertoire. 00:19:27.480 --> 00:19:29.839 Its historical importance cannot be overstated. 00:19:30.039 --> 00:19:32.480 Jobe remains the oldest ballet still actively 00:19:32.480 --> 00:19:35.259 performed in the royal ballet repertoire. And 00:19:35.259 --> 00:19:37.200 crucially for her national vision, it was the 00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:39.779 first full -length ballet produced by an entirely 00:19:39.779 --> 00:19:42.599 British creative team. She was creating a British 00:19:42.599 --> 00:19:45.259 statement. Culturally and artistically, just 00:19:45.259 --> 00:19:47.500 as the company was taking its first steps. And 00:19:47.500 --> 00:19:50.180 that British creative team was meticulously chosen 00:19:50.180 --> 00:19:53.880 to ensure cultural resonance. Absolutely. The 00:19:53.880 --> 00:19:56.359 sources detail the dedication to using native 00:19:56.359 --> 00:20:00.559 talent. The score, titled Job, a mask for dancing, 00:20:00.779 --> 00:20:02.759 was commissioned from the monumental British 00:20:02.759 --> 00:20:05.839 composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. It was orchestrated 00:20:05.839 --> 00:20:08.220 by her musical director, Constant Lambert, and 00:20:08.220 --> 00:20:10.680 the designs were handled by Gwendolyn Reverat. 00:20:10.839 --> 00:20:12.819 And the source material for the libretto was 00:20:12.819 --> 00:20:15.640 profoundly unique in the ballet world. It was 00:20:15.640 --> 00:20:18.519 written by Jeffrey Keynes. based on William Blake's 00:20:18.519 --> 00:20:21.400 famous engraved edition of the Book of Job from 00:20:21.400 --> 00:20:23.720 the Hebrew Bible. So why was using Blake in the 00:20:23.720 --> 00:20:26.700 Book of Job so significant for this nascent British 00:20:26.700 --> 00:20:28.920 style? Well, it was a conscious rejection of 00:20:28.920 --> 00:20:31.819 the popular ballet's Russ's aesthetic. Diaghilev 00:20:31.819 --> 00:20:34.619 often leaned towards Russian exoticism, Orientalism, 00:20:34.640 --> 00:20:37.660 or bright modern colors. de Valois went for something. 00:20:38.119 --> 00:20:40.740 Something reserved, weighty, profoundly intellectual 00:20:40.740 --> 00:20:43.299 and based in the Protestant tradition. So it 00:20:43.299 --> 00:20:46.119 was seeking to explore moral allegory and high 00:20:46.119 --> 00:20:48.400 drama rather than just sensational spectacle. 00:20:48.859 --> 00:20:51.220 That's it exactly. So how did that intellectual 00:20:51.220 --> 00:20:54.039 source material translate into her actual choreographic 00:20:54.039 --> 00:20:57.319 style? The sources describe it as having a simple 00:20:57.319 --> 00:21:00.940 decorative effect using mimed actions. That sounds 00:21:00.940 --> 00:21:03.920 a bit simplistic for a major work. The term mimed 00:21:03.920 --> 00:21:06.220 actions here isn't simple in the sense of crude. 00:21:06.500 --> 00:21:10.230 It's simple. the sense of stylized, clear, dramatic 00:21:10.230 --> 00:21:14.130 intent. Dave Lua structured the work into eight 00:21:14.130 --> 00:21:16.710 scenes, directly inspired by the static poses 00:21:16.710 --> 00:21:19.490 and powerful gestures of Blake's engravings. 00:21:19.490 --> 00:21:22.490 So the choreography was less about virtuoso steps. 00:21:22.849 --> 00:21:25.369 And more about conveying theological and narrative 00:21:25.369 --> 00:21:28.339 meaning. through powerful, defined poses and 00:21:28.339 --> 00:21:30.980 tableau. It linked the visual, the literary, 00:21:31.079 --> 00:21:33.240 and the musical arts in a deeply narrative and 00:21:33.240 --> 00:21:35.779 expressionist way, setting a tone of dramatic 00:21:35.779 --> 00:21:38.079 weight for the emerging British repertoire. That 00:21:38.079 --> 00:21:40.119 makes sense. It established a tone of English 00:21:40.119 --> 00:21:42.859 reserve and dramatic seriousness that contrasted 00:21:42.859 --> 00:21:46.660 sharply with continental flashiness. Precisely. 00:21:46.720 --> 00:21:49.500 And while the overall tone was reserved, it contained 00:21:49.500 --> 00:21:51.500 moments of powerful, dramatic dance that are 00:21:51.500 --> 00:21:53.910 still performed as classics today. The sources 00:21:53.910 --> 00:21:56.470 highlight Satan's dance, an acrobatic solo for 00:21:56.470 --> 00:21:58.589 a male dancer that requires incredible power. 00:21:58.769 --> 00:22:01.670 The stylized dance of Job's comforters. And the 00:22:01.670 --> 00:22:04.150 satirical expressionist dances representing the 00:22:04.150 --> 00:22:07.309 destructive forces of war, pestilence, and famine. 00:22:07.549 --> 00:22:10.250 Right. These extracts show her capability for 00:22:10.250 --> 00:22:12.869 both dramatic subtlety and powerful physical 00:22:12.869 --> 00:22:15.200 expression. And just for those tracking the timeline, 00:22:15.400 --> 00:22:17.039 the world premiere was for the Camardo Society 00:22:17.039 --> 00:22:21.200 on July 5, 1931, followed quickly by the first 00:22:21.200 --> 00:22:24.700 public performance on September 20, 1931 at the 00:22:24.700 --> 00:22:27.460 Old Vic. A clear, confident statement of national 00:22:27.460 --> 00:22:29.980 intent just months after the company's formal 00:22:29.980 --> 00:22:32.380 founding. And this commitment to defining the 00:22:32.380 --> 00:22:34.980 British voice continued throughout the 1930s. 00:22:35.000 --> 00:22:37.519 Her genius was not just in her own work, but 00:22:37.519 --> 00:22:40.500 in her partnership with Ashton. Yes. She ensured 00:22:40.500 --> 00:22:42.539 the company quickly amassed a signature British 00:22:42.539 --> 00:22:45.680 repertory. Their collaborations resulted in crucial 00:22:45.680 --> 00:22:48.359 cornerstones of British ballet, including the 00:22:48.359 --> 00:22:50.339 famous Hogarthian satire The Rake's Progress 00:22:50.339 --> 00:22:53.240 in 1935. And the dramatic psychological thriller 00:22:53.240 --> 00:22:56.680 Checkmate in 1937. She was a factory of creation, 00:22:56.980 --> 00:22:59.660 filling the repertoire while simultaneously managing 00:22:59.660 --> 00:23:02.700 the entire institutional structure. To briefly 00:23:02.700 --> 00:23:05.079 round out her extensive output during those formative 00:23:05.079 --> 00:23:07.480 years, we should mention The Haunted Ballroom, 00:23:07.680 --> 00:23:10.480 The Prospect Before Us, and of course the later 00:23:10.480 --> 00:23:12.779 works she created specifically for the Turkish 00:23:12.779 --> 00:23:15.700 stage. Her ability to maintain this level of 00:23:15.700 --> 00:23:18.160 creative output while also being the administrative 00:23:18.160 --> 00:23:22.480 head is, well, it's unprecedented. That relentless 00:23:22.480 --> 00:23:25.160 work ethic, combined with decades of artistic 00:23:25.160 --> 00:23:28.519 success, finally culminated in the ultimate institutional 00:23:28.519 --> 00:23:32.180 security. In 1956, the company and school were 00:23:32.180 --> 00:23:34.619 granted a royal charter by Queen Elizabeth II. 00:23:35.289 --> 00:23:37.470 Formally linking the two organizations under 00:23:37.470 --> 00:23:39.809 the official patronage of the crown, this was 00:23:39.809 --> 00:23:41.970 the ultimate realization of the blueprint's goal, 00:23:42.170 --> 00:23:44.650 sustainability. So the change wasn't just aesthetic. 00:23:45.029 --> 00:23:47.230 Not at all. It fundamentally changed the funding 00:23:47.230 --> 00:23:49.750 and perceived status of the company. The Vic 00:23:49.750 --> 00:23:52.910 Wells Ballet became the Royal Ballet. De Valois 00:23:52.910 --> 00:23:55.190 had successfully elevated the performing art 00:23:55.190 --> 00:23:58.009 from a niche activity into a recognized, permanently 00:23:58.009 --> 00:24:00.430 institutionally -backed component of Jewish national 00:24:00.430 --> 00:24:03.619 culture. And this stability immediately paid 00:24:03.619 --> 00:24:06.000 dividends in terms of securing future talent 00:24:06.000 --> 00:24:08.400 flow, which was the core structural strength 00:24:08.400 --> 00:24:10.700 of her model. Right. She ensured the company 00:24:10.700 --> 00:24:13.000 maintained a constant supply of stars trained 00:24:13.000 --> 00:24:15.359 entirely within her school's synthesized British 00:24:15.359 --> 00:24:17.720 technique. I mean, think of the incredible roster. 00:24:18.329 --> 00:24:21.890 Svetlana Barisova, Antoinette Sibley, Nadia Norena, 00:24:21.990 --> 00:24:24.809 Lynn Seymour. And she proved her strategic vision 00:24:24.809 --> 00:24:27.490 was not insular by integrating global talent, 00:24:27.630 --> 00:24:30.089 like the explosive arrival of Rudolf Nureyev 00:24:30.089 --> 00:24:33.250 in the 1960s. She knew the institution needed 00:24:33.250 --> 00:24:36.130 both the homegrown foundation and the electrifying 00:24:36.130 --> 00:24:38.630 international star power. Critically, she also 00:24:38.630 --> 00:24:41.210 demonstrated a lack of artistic defensiveness. 00:24:41.309 --> 00:24:43.849 She didn't just rely on Ashton and her own work, 00:24:43.910 --> 00:24:47.369 did she? No, she actively invited external world 00:24:47.369 --> 00:24:49.569 -class choreographers to enrich the repertoire. 00:24:49.809 --> 00:24:52.009 The sources specifically note that she invited 00:24:52.009 --> 00:24:54.470 the highly modern Sir Kenneth MacMillan and the 00:24:54.470 --> 00:24:57.309 ultimate master of neoclassicism, George Balanchine, 00:24:57.349 --> 00:25:00.150 to work with the company. This is a perfect example 00:25:00.150 --> 00:25:02.759 of adaptive strategy. She was committed to her 00:25:02.759 --> 00:25:05.460 unique British style, but not so dogmatic that 00:25:05.460 --> 00:25:07.740 she closed off the institution to necessary evolution. 00:25:08.079 --> 00:25:10.740 She provided the stability so that great artists 00:25:10.740 --> 00:25:13.380 felt secure enough to create daring new work. 00:25:13.539 --> 00:25:16.160 Her formal direct involvement began to wind down 00:25:16.160 --> 00:25:19.279 in the early 1960s. She formally retired from 00:25:19.279 --> 00:25:22.799 the Royal Ballet Directorship in 1963 and from 00:25:22.799 --> 00:25:25.609 the school in 1970. But the sources emphasize 00:25:25.609 --> 00:25:28.730 that she remained the unofficial looming matriarch. 00:25:28.869 --> 00:25:32.009 Her presence continued to exert enormous influence 00:25:32.009 --> 00:25:35.069 over the institutions for decades, ensuring that 00:25:35.069 --> 00:25:36.990 the founding principles were never forgotten. 00:25:37.289 --> 00:25:39.690 OK, now let's turn our attention to the second 00:25:39.690 --> 00:25:41.970 major triumph of her institutional blueprint, 00:25:42.289 --> 00:25:45.009 one that confirms its portability and universal 00:25:45.009 --> 00:25:47.710 effectiveness, the establishment of the Turkish 00:25:47.710 --> 00:25:50.589 State Ballet. This project is perhaps even more 00:25:50.589 --> 00:25:52.230 remarkable than the Royal Ballet's founding. 00:25:52.410 --> 00:25:55.069 Why do you say that? because Turkey, at the time 00:25:55.069 --> 00:25:57.250 she became involved, had no prior history whatsoever 00:25:57.250 --> 00:26:00.029 with the classical art form. The Turkish government, 00:26:00.250 --> 00:26:03.210 driven by Ataturk's secular modernizing reforms, 00:26:03.549 --> 00:26:06.609 invited her in the late 1940s to establish a 00:26:06.609 --> 00:26:08.789 ballet school. What were the risks and challenges 00:26:08.789 --> 00:26:11.289 of essentially importing an entire cultural tradition 00:26:11.289 --> 00:26:13.849 wholesale into a country where it had no roots? 00:26:14.170 --> 00:26:16.190 Well, the sources suggest that initial institutional 00:26:16.190 --> 00:26:18.789 skepticism was high, and few people took the 00:26:18.789 --> 00:26:21.440 project seriously. The challenge was immense. 00:26:22.000 --> 00:26:24.339 Not only did she need to establish a school, 00:26:24.500 --> 00:26:26.839 but she had to convince the public and the government 00:26:26.839 --> 00:26:30.519 that this was a legitimate, worthy national art 00:26:30.519 --> 00:26:33.440 form. She opened the school in 1947, modeling 00:26:33.440 --> 00:26:36.259 it exactly on her successful Sadler's Wells template 00:26:36.259 --> 00:26:38.910 in London. and the model eventually stabilized 00:26:38.910 --> 00:26:41.869 under the direction of her appointed staff. The 00:26:41.869 --> 00:26:44.710 sources mention Molly Lake and Travis Kemp, who 00:26:44.710 --> 00:26:46.630 took over the running of the school from 1954 00:26:46.630 --> 00:26:49.470 at de Villois' request, leading directly to the 00:26:49.470 --> 00:26:51.509 formation of the Turkish State Ballet. And her 00:26:51.509 --> 00:26:54.109 commitment to ensuring this new institution thrived 00:26:54.109 --> 00:26:57.589 was total. Absolutely. She acted as a vital cultural 00:26:57.589 --> 00:27:00.589 bridge, permitting royal ballet stars, including 00:27:00.589 --> 00:27:03.670 Fontaine, Michael Soames, and Nadia Norena, to 00:27:03.670 --> 00:27:07.019 perform in Ankara as guest artists. This instantly 00:27:07.019 --> 00:27:09.500 lent immense international prestige and credibility 00:27:09.500 --> 00:27:11.779 to the nascent company. She mounted all the great 00:27:11.779 --> 00:27:15.019 traditional classical works, Coppelia, Giselle, 00:27:15.259 --> 00:27:17.619 Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, along with her own 00:27:17.619 --> 00:27:19.559 ballets like Checkmate and The Rake's Progress. 00:27:19.960 --> 00:27:22.759 But the ultimate success, the defining feature 00:27:22.759 --> 00:27:25.339 of the localized blueprint, was the integration 00:27:25.339 --> 00:27:28.369 of national culture. This is the moment where 00:27:28.369 --> 00:27:31.410 the strategic genius she first tested in Dublin 00:27:31.410 --> 00:27:35.849 came to full fruition. In 1965? In 1965, de Valois 00:27:35.849 --> 00:27:38.349 choreographed and produced the first full -length 00:27:38.349 --> 00:27:41.029 work created specifically for the Turkish state 00:27:41.029 --> 00:27:44.049 ballet. That work was Shmebasha or At the Fountain? 00:27:44.269 --> 00:27:46.789 Correct. And it was meticulously designed to 00:27:46.789 --> 00:27:48.970 put down national roots. It was the first ballet 00:27:48.970 --> 00:27:51.410 to feature music composed entirely by a Turkish 00:27:51.410 --> 00:27:55.150 composer, Ferit Tuzun. And crucially, the choreography 00:27:55.150 --> 00:27:57.309 incorporated elements of... Turkish folk dance. 00:27:57.549 --> 00:28:00.009 She understood that for ballet to survive and 00:28:00.009 --> 00:28:02.430 be claimed as a national possession, it had to 00:28:02.430 --> 00:28:04.930 integrate native cultural material. She successfully 00:28:04.930 --> 00:28:07.529 grafted a European art form onto Turkish cultural 00:28:07.529 --> 00:28:10.410 soil. And the legacy is undeniable. The school 00:28:10.410 --> 00:28:12.650 she established is now fully integrated into 00:28:12.650 --> 00:28:15.150 the State Conservatory for Music and Drama at 00:28:15.150 --> 00:28:17.390 the Ankara State Conservatory. She didn't just 00:28:17.390 --> 00:28:20.130 start a project that eventually closed. She embedded 00:28:20.130 --> 00:28:23.190 a permanent, self -sustaining educational and 00:28:23.190 --> 00:28:26.660 cultural system into a sovereign nation. She 00:28:26.660 --> 00:28:29.299 truly exported her blueprint successfully. It's 00:28:29.299 --> 00:28:32.099 remarkable. Now, despite her life being so public 00:28:32.099 --> 00:28:35.279 and professionally intense, de Valois rigorously 00:28:35.279 --> 00:28:37.299 maintained a clear separation from her private 00:28:37.299 --> 00:28:41.099 life. Very clear. In 1935, she married Dr. Arthur 00:28:41.099 --> 00:28:44.240 Blackall Connell. a physician and surgeon working 00:28:44.240 --> 00:28:47.079 as a GP in Barnes, London, where they made their 00:28:47.079 --> 00:28:49.759 home. She was his second wife. The union was 00:28:49.759 --> 00:28:52.539 childless, but she gained two step -sons. However, 00:28:52.740 --> 00:28:55.160 for all her organizational output, the sources 00:28:55.160 --> 00:28:57.859 note that in her extensive autobiographical writings, 00:28:58.099 --> 00:29:00.900 she made only the most fleeting, brief references 00:29:00.900 --> 00:29:03.200 to her marriage. This reinforces the idea that 00:29:03.200 --> 00:29:05.700 the persona of Nanette de Valois was entirely 00:29:05.700 --> 00:29:08.299 dedicated to the institution, and her private 00:29:08.299 --> 00:29:10.519 life was deliberately shielded from the narrative. 00:29:10.779 --> 00:29:12.920 Yet while we kept her private life small, her 00:29:12.920 --> 00:29:15.460 public recognition grew to an astonishing, almost 00:29:15.460 --> 00:29:18.599 unprecedented scale. The sheer volume and escalation 00:29:18.599 --> 00:29:20.960 of major international and national honors she 00:29:20.960 --> 00:29:23.700 received over eight decades confirms her status 00:29:23.700 --> 00:29:26.440 not just as a great artist, but as a foundational 00:29:26.440 --> 00:29:28.900 historical figure. Let's contextualize these 00:29:28.900 --> 00:29:31.319 honors because just listing them doesn't capture 00:29:31.319 --> 00:29:33.819 the weight they carry. Her British honors alone 00:29:33.819 --> 00:29:36.079 tell a story of escalating national recognition, 00:29:36.480 --> 00:29:38.720 starting as Commander of the Order of the British 00:29:38.720 --> 00:29:42.599 Empire, CBE, in 1947. She was quickly promoted 00:29:42.599 --> 00:29:46.700 to Dame Commander, DBE, in 1951, making her Dame 00:29:46.700 --> 00:29:49.700 Ninette. Then came the truly exclusive recognitions. 00:29:49.700 --> 00:29:51.819 She was appointed a member of the Order of the 00:29:51.819 --> 00:29:55.180 Companions of Honor, CH, in 1981, which is a 00:29:55.180 --> 00:29:57.900 rare honor recognizing service of national importance. 00:29:58.240 --> 00:30:00.740 And finally, the capstone honor, the Order of 00:30:00.740 --> 00:30:04.740 Merit, OM. in 1992, personally awarded by the 00:30:04.740 --> 00:30:07.160 Queen. The Order of Merit is limited to only 00:30:07.160 --> 00:30:10.240 24 living individuals at any one time. That distinction 00:30:10.240 --> 00:30:12.660 confirms the architectural nature of her achievement, 00:30:12.759 --> 00:30:14.740 doesn't it? She wasn't just recognized for her 00:30:14.740 --> 00:30:17.000 career, but for fundamentally altering the cultural 00:30:17.000 --> 00:30:19.460 landscape. And this recognition was echoed globally 00:30:19.460 --> 00:30:21.940 by the institutions she helped build. She was 00:30:21.940 --> 00:30:23.599 appointed a Knight of France's Legion of Honor 00:30:23.599 --> 00:30:26.319 in 1950 and received the Order of Merit of the 00:30:26.319 --> 00:30:29.460 Republic of Turkey. in 1998. A direct acknowledgment 00:30:29.460 --> 00:30:31.799 from the nation whose ballet tradition she created 00:30:31.799 --> 00:30:34.559 from scratch. And she collected virtually every 00:30:34.559 --> 00:30:37.119 major arts and academic accolade imaginable, 00:30:37.240 --> 00:30:40.680 including the Albert Medal in 1964 and the prestigious 00:30:40.680 --> 00:30:44.279 Erasmus Prize in 1974. The academic accolades 00:30:44.279 --> 00:30:47.039 are particularly telling. Doctor of Music from 00:30:47.039 --> 00:30:49.880 London, Sheffield in Dublin, and Doctor of Letters 00:30:49.880 --> 00:30:52.839 from Reading, Oxford and Ulster. These honorary 00:30:52.839 --> 00:30:55.259 degrees prove that the educational model she 00:30:55.259 --> 00:30:57.839 established, combining rigorous practical training 00:30:57.839 --> 00:31:00.119 with serious artistic and historical knowledge 00:31:00.119 --> 00:31:02.839 was recognized by the highest levels of academia 00:31:02.839 --> 00:31:06.039 as a legitimate field of study. She established 00:31:06.039 --> 00:31:08.500 credibility for ballet, not just on the stage, 00:31:08.500 --> 00:31:11.279 but in the lecture hall. And to inject that humanizing 00:31:11.279 --> 00:31:13.799 detail into this story of relentless discipline, 00:31:14.099 --> 00:31:17.140 we have to come back to her 1991 appearance on 00:31:17.140 --> 00:31:20.440 BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. She was sharp, 00:31:20.519 --> 00:31:23.220 witty and deeply philosophical. She selected 00:31:23.220 --> 00:31:25.420 a collection of poems for her book, reflecting 00:31:25.420 --> 00:31:28.210 her intellectual curiosity. But the choice of 00:31:28.210 --> 00:31:30.349 her luxury item is priceless. An everlasting 00:31:30.349 --> 00:31:32.930 bottle of sleeping pills. That's the perfect 00:31:32.930 --> 00:31:35.710 detail. It suggests perhaps a touch of necessary 00:31:35.710 --> 00:31:38.390 self -medication for someone who, as we have 00:31:38.390 --> 00:31:41.049 seen, clearly carried the mental weight of national 00:31:41.049 --> 00:31:43.809 culture on her shoulders for nearly 50 years. 00:31:44.009 --> 00:31:46.150 The architect of institutions sometimes needs 00:31:46.150 --> 00:31:48.599 to turn off the blueprint at night. Her longevity 00:31:48.599 --> 00:31:51.519 was just as remarkable as her success. She continued 00:31:51.519 --> 00:31:53.500 to make public appearances and remain connected 00:31:53.500 --> 00:31:55.539 to the dance world until her death in London 00:31:55.539 --> 00:32:00.160 on March 8, 2001, at the age of 102. And finally, 00:32:00.220 --> 00:32:03.380 her connection to her homeland never faded. She 00:32:03.380 --> 00:32:05.380 acted as a patron and supporter for the Cork 00:32:05.380 --> 00:32:07.880 Ballet Company and the Irish National Ballet 00:32:07.880 --> 00:32:10.140 Company throughout her later life. It's fitting 00:32:10.140 --> 00:32:13.000 that since 2018, the annual Nanette de Valois 00:32:13.000 --> 00:32:15.440 Festival of Dance has been held in her hometown 00:32:15.440 --> 00:32:18.119 of Blessington County, Wicklow, ensuring that 00:32:18.119 --> 00:32:20.599 her Irish origins are celebrated alongside her 00:32:20.599 --> 00:32:23.240 global achievements. So if we look back at the 00:32:23.240 --> 00:32:25.799 immense body of work, from a handful of dancers 00:32:25.799 --> 00:32:29.680 in 1931 to two globally recognized national institutions, 00:32:30.039 --> 00:32:33.200 what is the definitive summary of the de Valois 00:32:33.200 --> 00:32:35.599 blueprint? I think you could boil it down. It 00:32:35.599 --> 00:32:37.960 rests on three non -negotiable pillars. Yeah. 00:32:38.119 --> 00:32:40.680 First, securing the necessary infrastructure 00:32:40.680 --> 00:32:43.119 and institutional recognition, which was the 00:32:43.119 --> 00:32:45.740 royal charter. Second, establishing a perpetual 00:32:45.740 --> 00:32:48.619 flow of highly trained talent, the royal ballet 00:32:48.619 --> 00:32:51.480 school model. And third. And third, maintaining 00:32:51.480 --> 00:32:54.019 a strategic link between classical repertoire 00:32:54.019 --> 00:32:57.440 and distinct national cultural identity, Ashton, 00:32:57.440 --> 00:32:59.519 Lambert, and the incorporation of folk dance 00:32:59.519 --> 00:33:01.559 in Turkey. She achieved the strategic impossible. 00:33:01.920 --> 00:33:04.740 She transformed ballet in the UK and then... 00:33:04.779 --> 00:33:07.480 replicated that feat in Turkey, turning it from 00:33:07.480 --> 00:33:10.799 a mere performing art into a sustainable, institutionally 00:33:10.799 --> 00:33:13.160 backed component of national culture. She was 00:33:13.160 --> 00:33:15.200 the ultimate visionary director who ensured the 00:33:15.200 --> 00:33:17.859 supply of talent would never run dry. And for 00:33:17.859 --> 00:33:20.000 anyone who wants to study her philosophy directly, 00:33:20.259 --> 00:33:22.680 she left behind her manual. Her written works 00:33:22.680 --> 00:33:25.140 provide incredible insight into how she executed 00:33:25.140 --> 00:33:27.819 that blueprint. Yes. Invitation to the Ballet 00:33:27.819 --> 00:33:31.079 from 1937, Come Dance with Me, a memoir, 1898 00:33:31.079 --> 00:33:34.380 -1956, and the wonderfully titled Step by Step, 00:33:34.559 --> 00:33:37.140 the formation of an establishment from 1977. 00:33:37.380 --> 00:33:39.619 She literally wrote the book on how to build 00:33:39.619 --> 00:33:41.660 a cultural establishment. So here's where it 00:33:41.660 --> 00:33:43.619 gets really interesting, connecting her legacy 00:33:43.619 --> 00:33:46.740 to the contemporary landscape. Devalois success 00:33:46.740 --> 00:33:49.440 was entirely defined by securing institutional 00:33:49.440 --> 00:33:52.299 permanence and ensuring a constant supply of 00:33:52.299 --> 00:33:55.180 talent trained in a uniquely British style. She 00:33:55.180 --> 00:33:57.440 was focused on national identity and stability. 00:33:58.680 --> 00:34:01.619 So given the permanence she created, what is 00:34:01.619 --> 00:34:04.380 the ongoing challenge for institutions like the 00:34:04.380 --> 00:34:07.220 Royal Ballet today? Is their primary mission 00:34:07.220 --> 00:34:09.800 maintaining that foundational, historically derived 00:34:09.800 --> 00:34:13.840 vision of a distinct British style? Or is the 00:34:13.840 --> 00:34:16.559 greatest strategic imperative adapting to a continually 00:34:16.559 --> 00:34:20.059 evolving, borderless global dance landscape where 00:34:20.059 --> 00:34:22.679 techniques, styles and talent merge constantly 00:34:22.679 --> 00:34:24.900 across international companies? That is something 00:34:24.900 --> 00:34:26.860 to mull over the next time you see a spotlight 00:34:26.860 --> 00:34:29.849 hit the stage. Is it a monument to history or 00:34:29.849 --> 00:34:31.969 a beacon for the future? An excellent thought 00:34:31.969 --> 00:34:34.369 to end on, highlighting the pressure all foundational 00:34:34.369 --> 00:34:36.869 institutions face today. Thank you for joining 00:34:36.869 --> 00:34:38.650 us for this deep dive into the architectural 00:34:38.650 --> 00:34:41.070 genius of Dame Nanette de Valois. We'll catch 00:34:41.070 --> 00:34:42.550 you next time for the next deep dive.