Frederic Franklin
| Frederic Franklin | |
|---|---|
Frederic Franklin and Maria Tallchief in a 1955 ad for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo.
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| Born |
13 June 1914 Liverpool, England |
| Died | 4 May 2013 (aged 98) New York City, U.S |
| Occupation | Ballet dancer, ballet director |
| Spouse(s) | William Haywood Ausman |
| Relatives | John Franklin (brother) |
| Awards | full list |
Frederic Franklin CBE (13 June 1914 – 4 May 2013), sometimes also called "Freddie", was a British-American ballet dancer and director.
Born in Liverpool, England, Frederic Franklin claimed that on seeing the 1924 film Peter Pan, his only thought was to go on the stage. He began his career in 1931 at the Casino de Paris with Josephine Baker. After briefly dancing with the Vic-Wells Ballet (a forerunner of the Royal Ballet Company), he joined the Markova-Dolin Ballet in 1935.
Three years later, Franklin became a dancer with Leonide Massine's Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, where he was premier danseur until 1952. Known as a quick study and for having an impeccable memory, Franklin also became the company's ballet master in 1944. With the Ballet Russe, Franklin originated many indelible characters and starred in over 45 principal roles by such choreographers as Massine, Michel Fokine, Bronislava Nijinska, Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, Agnes de Mille, Ruth Page and Valerie Bettis.
While performing internationally with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, Frederic Franklin and Alexandra Danilova created one of the legendary ballet partnerships of the twentieth century. Among the other ballerinas he partnered were Alicia Markova, Irina Baronova, Agnes de Mille, Ruthanna Boris, Yvette Chauviré, Moira Shearer, Rosella Hightower, Maria Tallchief, Tamara Toumanova, Alicia Alonso, and Lois Ellyn.
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