Dame Alicia Markova

Markova, Dame Alicia (1910– ), leading English ballerina. She was a member of Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes (1925–29) and became a prima ballerina with London's Vic-Wells Ballet in 1932. She founded her own company with Anton Dolin in 1935. This grew into the London Festival Ballet, which they headed from l944–52. She also directed the Metropolitan Opera Ballet (1963–69) and taught at the University of Cincinnati (1969–74).