Anton Dolin (ballet dancer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anton Dolin
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Portrait of Sir Anton Dolin by Allan Warren
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Sydney Francis Patrick Chippendall Healey-Kay
27 July 1904 Slinfold, West Sussex, England
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| Died | 25 November 1983 (aged 79) Paris, France
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| Occupation | ballet dancer and choreographer |
Sir Anton Dolin (born 27 July 1904 – died 25 November 1983) was a famous English ballet dancer and choreographer. He was known for his amazing dance skills and for helping to create important ballet companies.
About Anton Dolin
Anton Dolin was born in Slinfold, a village in Sussex, England. His birth name was Sydney Francis Patrick Chippendall Healey-Kay. His friends often called him Patrick or Pat Kay. He was the second of three sons.
Anton Dolin started his dance training at a special school in London. It was run by Serafina Astafieva. In 1921, he joined a very famous dance group called Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. By 1924, he became a main dancer, also known as a principal dancer, in the company.
It was Sergei Diaghilev himself who gave Patrick his stage name, Anton Dolin. Diaghilev was a very powerful person in the ballet world. He liked to give Russian-sounding names to his star dancers. This helped keep the traditions of his ballet company alive.
Dancing and Creating Ballet Companies
In the 1930s, Dolin became a principal dancer with the Vic-Wells Ballet. Here, he often danced with Alicia Markova. They were a very popular dance pair. Together, they decided to start their own ballet groups. First, they founded the Markova-Dolin Ballet. Later, they also created the London Festival Ballet. These companies became very important in the world of ballet.
In 1933, Anton Dolin discovered a talented dancer named Vera Zorina. He helped her join the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo in 1934.
From 1940 to 1946, he worked with Ballet Theatre when it first started. He was both a dancer and a choreographer there. A choreographer is someone who creates the dance moves for a ballet.
Later Life and Legacy
Anton Dolin also wrote several books. One of them was his autobiography, called Ballet Go Round, which came out in 1938. An autobiography is a book about your own life. He also wrote a book about his dance partner, Alicia Markova.
In 1981, Anton Dolin was given a special honor. He was made a knight by the Queen of England. This means he could use the title "Sir" before his name. He was also featured in a documentary film called A Portrait of Giselle.
In April 1978, he was surprised on a TV show called This Is Your Life.
After Dolin passed away, two dancers, Jelko Yuresha and Belinda Wright, received the rights to his dance creations. These included his versions of famous ballets like Giselle and Pas de Quatre. They also got the rights to his own ballet, Variations for Four. Yuresha and Wright performed these ballets all over the world. They also helped other dance companies put on these shows. They even designed new costumes and sets for them.
In 2017, the Sir Anton Dolin Foundation was started in Berlin, Germany. This foundation was created by Jelko Yuresha and Philip Ronald Kay, who was Dolin's nephew. The main goal of the foundation is to protect and share Anton Dolin's amazing work and legacy. Now, all the rights to his ballets belong to this foundation.
See also
In Spanish: Anton Dolin para niños
