Margot Fonteyn

Former prima ballerina Darcey Bussell looks at the life and career of Margot Fonteyn.

Margot Fonteyn ranks prominent among the most venerated ballerinas of the 20th century. This programme brings her to life thanks to exceptional archive material, in which she appears with Michael Somes in the three great Tchaikovsky ballets.

A biographical look at the career of the acclaimed Margot Fonteyn. As a little girl called Peggy Hookham growing up in Shanghai, she told her mother she would one day become the greatest dancer in the world. Still performing at the age of 67 despite being almost unable to walk, hers is a story of courage and tenacity, of unbelievable devotion to her art and to those whom she loved. Those who ultimately left her penniless and alone, to be buried in a pauper’s grave.

Biography of Dame Margot Fonteyn.

A documentary about dancer Heinz Bosl who died in 1975 - aged 28.

Documentary about the dancer Rudolf Nureyev.

Classic ballet by Kenneth MacMillan to the music of Prokofiev.

Perhaps the most popular ballet video ever released, this version of Tchaikovsky's beloved work stars one of the most famous classical dance partnerships of all time, Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn. Nureyev choreographed this production for the Vienna State Opera Ballet. Two icons of 20th-century dance in magnificent form. Ballet authority John Lanchbery, former music director of the Sadler's Wells and Royal Ballet companies, as well as of American Ballet Theatre and Australian Ballet, conducts the Vienna Symphony Orchestra in Tchaikovsky's enchanting score.

"This film presents rare documentary footage of presidential inaugurations, from William McKinley in 1897 to Lyndon Johnson in 1965. The film conveys the strength, stability, and continuity of the U.S. government. Included in the program are highlights of the 1965 inaugural parade, footage from the inaugural balls, and performances by Carol Channing, Louis Armstrong, Margot Fonteyn, and Rudolf Nureyev. The film was produced by News of the Day, written and directed by Walter de Hoog, narrated by James Cagney, and includes original music by Bruce Herschensohn" (US National Archives).

Documentary about the Royal Ballet. Includes selections from "Les Sylphides" and "The Sleeping Beauty" with Rudolf Nureyev and Dame Margot Fonteyn