Throwback Thursday and Moira Shearer
Moira Shearer King was born on January 17, 1926 in Scotland.
She trained with Nicolas Legat at the Sadler’s Wells School, and performed with
Mona Ingleby’s Ballet International company in 1941. She then joined Sadler’s Wells Ballet, which
became The Royal Ballet. She performed in many works choreographed by Frederick
Ashton, and often danced alongside Margot Fonteyn and Pamela May.
But her fame is forever tied to the movie, The Red Shoes. Often called the most
popular movie about ballet ever produced, it almost overshadowed Moira Shearer’s
gifts as a classical dancer. When she was first offered the role, she
hesitated, but at the urging of Ninette de Valois, she accepted.
Later, she appeared in other films, such as The Tales of Hoffman, The Man Who Loved
Redheads, and Black Tights. She
also wrote two books, including "Balletmaster:
A Dancer's View of George Balanchine"
(1986), and a column for The Daily Telegraph.
Moira Shearer died in 2006. She is survived by her husband, Ludovic
Kennedy, and four children.
From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:
Dance History Factoid #74:
“Moira Shearer is a ballerina best known
for playing the leading role in The Red
Shoes.”
Link of the Day:
Quote
of the Day:
“What
people cannot realize is that a ballet dancer just cannot afford to give up
ballet for a moment. After a month without practicing you are thrown back
years."
-
Moira Shearer
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Want to know more about me? Read my interview at Ballet Connections:
