Leading Ladies
Five Things to Know About Margot Fonteyn
1.Beginning ballet lessons at the age of four, she studied in England and China. Her training in Shanghai was with George Goncharov, contributing to her continuing interest in Russian ballet.
2.Her grandad was Brazilian industrialist Antonio Fontes, whose name Margot adapted into the surname 'Fonteyn.’ She is English, Irish and Brazilian.
3.When the Royal Ballet toured the United States in 1949, Margot became an instant celebrity. Margot appeared on the front cover of Time magazine in 1949, she was made a dame in 1956, and chancellor of the University of Durham from 1981 to 1990.
4.She was one of five Women of Achievement selected for a set of British stamps issued in August 1996.
5.In her hometown of Reigate, a statue created by British sculptor Nathan David in 1980, stands in tribute to Fonteyn. Depicting her in her favourite role of "Ondine", the statue was commissioned by fans worldwide
