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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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Frederick Ashton
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(1904–88, kt 1962) Britain's first great choreographer. His earliest works were for *Ballet Rambert and the related Camargo Society (for whom he did *Fçcade in 1931), but from 1933 he was with the company which evolved into the *Royal Ballet (as principal choreographer and then also as director, 1963–70). His career was closely linked with that of *Fonteyn, who created the leading roles in many of his ballets from Le Baiser de la Fée in 1935 through *Symphonic Variations (1946) and *Ondine (1958) to Marguerite and Armand (1963), which Ashton devised specifically for her new partnership with Nureyev.
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Having given up classical dancing early in his career, he continued in comic roles (notably as an ugly sister in his own *Cinderella). He proved that his talents were undimmed when he created, in his seventies, the touching A *Month in the Country, which rapidly established itself as a modern classic. The choreography of his popular film The Tales of Beatrix Potter (1971) was transferred to the stage with equal success by the Royal Ballet in 1992.
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