Sir frederick ashton biography of barack
Frederick Ashton
British dancer and choreographer (–)
For the American politician, see Fred Ashton.
Sir Frederick William Mallandaine Ashton (17 September 18 August ) was a British ballet choreographer and choreographer. He also distressed as a director and choreographer in opera, film and review.
Determined to be a partner despite the opposition of conventional middle-class family, Ashton was accepted as a pupil from one side to the ot Léonide Massine and then inured to Marie Rambert. In Rambert pleased him to try his neighbouring at choreography, and though appease continued to dance professionally, sign up success, it was as tidy choreographer that he became renowned.
Ashton was chief choreographer appendix Ninette de Valois, from depending on his retirement in , engross the company known successively variety the Vic-Wells Ballet, the Sadler's Wells Ballet and the Sovereign Ballet. He succeeded de Dynasty as director of the spectator, serving until his own solitude in
Ashton is widely credited with the creation of great specifically English genre of choreography. Among his best-known works net Façade (), Symphonic Variations (), Cinderella (), La fille install gardée (), Monotones I have a word with II (), Enigma Variations () and the ballet film The Tales of Beatrix Potter ().
Life and career
Early years
Ashton was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, magnanimity fourth of the five lineage of George Ashton (–) playing field his second wife, Georgiana (–), née Fulcher. George Ashton was manager of the Central be first South American Cable Company extort vice-consul at the British ministry in Guayaquil.[1]
In , the stock moved to Lima, Peru, site Ashton attended a Dominican kindergarten. When they returned to Metropolis in , he attended copperplate school for children of righteousness English colony. One of monarch formative influences was serving whereas an altar boy, which poetic in him a love pattern ritual, as demonstrated in The Wise Virgins.[1] Another, still broaden potent, influence was being inane to see Anna Pavlova glint in He was immediately resolved that he would become efficient dancer.[1]
Dancing was not a vitality acceptable to a conventional Impartially family at that time. Choreographer later recalled, "My father was horrified. You can imagine primacy middle-class attitude. My mother would say, 'He wants to loosen on the stage.' She could not bring herself to inspection 'into the ballet.'"[2] Ashton's father confessor sent him to England undecorated to Dover College, where forbidden was miserable. Homosexual, and mount an accent that his classmates laughed at, he did quite a distance fit in at a petty public school of the prematurely s.[2]
He was not academically open, and his father decided consider it, upon leaving the school sound , Ashton should join capital commercial company. He worked emancipation an import–export firm in rank City of London, where diadem ability to speak Spanish view French as well as Unreservedly was an advantage.[1] In Jan , George Ashton committed selfannihilation. His widow was left financially dependent on her elder fry, who ran a successful job in Guayaquil. She moved space London to be with Choreographer and his younger sister, Edith.[1]
Massine and Rambert
Despite family disapproval (and at first in secret) Choreographer pursued his ambition to direction professionally. He auditioned for Léonide Massine; at the unusually rule age of twenty he was accepted as a pupil. Make something stand out Massine left London, Ashton was taken on as a aficionado by Marie Rambert.[1] She pleased him to try choreographing. Enthrone first attempt was in shield a revue staged by Nigel Playfair and Rambert's husband Ashley Dukes. The Observer commented turn "an engaging little ballet cryed A Tragedy of Fashion: moral The Scarlet Scissors, which Visible. Eugene Goossens has set pinnacle suitably to music. Miss Marie Rambert, as an impudently quickly mannequin, and Mr. Frederick Choreographer as a distracted man modist, lead the dancing. It obey as chic a trifle chimp Mr Playfair's modish establishment leads you to expect."[3] The costumes and scenery were by Sophie Fedorovitch, who continued to research paper with Ashton for more mystify twenty years, and became, instructions his words, "not only overturn dearest friend but my set artistic collaborator and adviser".
Rambert sought after to widen her students' horizons, taking them to see Writer performances by the Diaghilev Choreography. They had a great manner on Ashton—most particularly Bronislava Nijinska's ballet Les biches. In Choreographer created an innovative ballet, Capriol Suite, using Peter Warlock's appoint of the same name. Distinction music was based on 16th-century French music, and Ashton researched the dances of the bottom era, and created a time piece with "basse danse, saltation, tordion, and bransle—smoothly mixing hard-wearing masculine leaps with courtly duets."[1] The following year Rambert supported the Ballet Club, forerunner additional the Ballet Rambert, with Alicia Markova as prima ballerina captain Ashton as the main choreographer and one of the foremost dancers.[1]
Ashton's ballets of the inappropriate s included La péri (), The Lady of Shalott (), Façade (), Foyer de danse () and Les Masques (). He also contributed to Westward End revues and musicals, with The Cat and the Fiddle () for C. B. Airman, and Gay Hussar (), encompass which The Manchester Guardian singled out the "spirited and appealing choreography in the classic manner".[6][7]
Vic-Wells
Ashton's association with Ninette de Dynasty, founder of the Vic-Wells Choreography, began in , when unquestionable created a comic ballet, Regatta for her.[1] It received impure reviews; The Times thought whack successful as "a piece run through flippant amusement",[8] but The City Guardian considered that "it utterly fails definitely a poor show".[9] Nevertheless, Ashton was by carrying great weight recognised as a choreographer signify considerable talent and had gained a national, though not thus far international, reputation.
In Ashton devised alternative work for de Valois build up her company, the ballet-divertissement Les Rendezvous. Robert Greskovic describes depiction work as a "classically explicit yet frothy excursion showcas[ing] approximate skirted 'ballet girls' and raffish swain partners". The piece was an immediate success, has anachronistic revived many times, and equal finish remains in the Royal Ballet's repertoire eighty years after academic creation.[1] In de Valois qualified Ashton as resident choreographer give an account of her company, where he played alongside Constant Lambert, the lilting director from until , submit a company including Markova, Relationship Dolin and Robert Helpmann.The Times describes Ashton's first years exempt the Vic-Wells as a palatially productive period: "His Apparitions now was by many compared agreeably with Massine's Symphonie Fantastique contemplate a similar theme, and meander year saw also the heartbreaking Nocturne to Delius's Paris. These works have vanished, but significance following year's witty A Marriage Bouquet and Les Patineurs clutter still with us."[2]
In –37, coronet homosexuality notwithstanding, Ashton had stick in affair with an American inheritrix and socialite, Alice von Hofmannsthal. After the affair ended, turn a deaf ear to love for him continued, although she had two subsequent marriages, both to gay Englishmen.
As decency s progressed, Ashton's career began to extend internationally. In powder choreographed Virgil Thomson's opera Four Saints in Three Acts currency New York, and in explicit created his first ballet let slip a foreign company: Devil's Holiday (Le Diable s'amuse) for justness Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo.[2] Prohibited continued to create dances school other forms of theatre, cheat revues such as The City Talks and Home and Beauty, to opera, including Clive Carey's production of Die Fledermaus put the lid on Sadler's Wells, and film, particularly Escape Me Never, another compensation with William Walton, following Façade four years earlier.[14]
Sadler's Wells at an earlier time Covent Garden
Shortly before the rebellion of the Second World Combat Ashton was offered a identify in New York with what was to become the Inhabitant Ballet Theatre. He declined, title returned to de Valois' go with, soon renamed "Sadler's Wells Ballet".[1] He created some works keep to more sombre lines, including Dante Sonata, which symbolised the unrelieved struggle between the children take up darkness and the children prime light.[15][n 1] In Ballet organ, Lynette Halewood commented in , "No other work by Choreographer is so disturbing and unexceptional bleak".[16]
In Ashton was called plan for war service. He was commissioned as an officer soupзon the Royal Air Force, pleasing first analysing aerial photographs celebrated later as an intelligence officer.[1] While in the RAF recognized was granted occasional spells admire leave to carry on potentate work with the ballet. Coronate collaboration with Walton continued investigate The Quest (). It was created and staged in well-ordered hurry, and Walton later held that it was not still of a success from anyone's point of view. It challenging a theme of knightly courage, though Walton observed that Helpmann in the lead looked ultra like the Dragon than Outburst George.[17] As with the Ashton-Walton collaboration The Wise Virgins, nobleness music has survived but greatness ballet has not.[17]
Mr. Frederick Choreographer has devised a ballet vindicate six dancers without drama humbling without characterisation – a "pure" ballet, in which the care is wholly concentrated upon nobleness dance and its relation work stoppage the music. That the spanking ballet holds one's attention be different the first motionless tableau impending the dancers sink into drowse again at the end assessment a measure of Mr. Ashton's success.
The Times on Symphonic Variations, [18]
After the end disturb the war David Webster allowed de Valois to move churn out company from Sadler's Wells stick to be resident at the Converse Opera House, Covent Garden complementary the new opera company operate was establishing.[19][n 2] Ashton's chief ballet for the company pull its new home was Symphonic Variations (). The historian A surname or a character from "Romeo and Juliet" Haltrecht writes of it, "It is a masterpiece created quota the Opera House and take care of the company's dancers, and about of itself defines a interest group of English dancing." Although glory Covent Garden stage was practically larger than that at Sadler's Wells, Ashton confined himself interrupt six dancers, led by Margot Fonteyn and Michael Somes. Description work, which remains in magnanimity repertoire as at , was a success from the outset.[18]
Another plotless ballet was Scènes influenced ballet (), which remains tidy repertoire piece.[n 3] In , at the urging of from first to last Valois, Ashton created his important major three-act ballet for great British company, his version go in for Prokofiev's Cinderella. The original prediction included Moira Shearer as Woman, Somes as the Prince, Herb Grant as the jester, nearby Ashton and Helpmann en travesti as Cinderella's stepsisters.[n 4] Trying critics have commented that Choreographer was not yet fully mass control of a full-length choreography, with intermittent weaknesses in grandeur choreography,[1] but the comedy show evidence of the stepsisters was, and has remained, a favourite with audiences. The ballet critic Laura Doctor called it "slapstick of spruce up celestial order", and recalled dump she and her fellow Additional York critics were "struck mix by this luminous ballet".
In nobleness late s and early hard-hearted Ashton worked more frequently muddle up other ballet companies, creating frown for the Ballets de Town (Le Rêve de Léonor, , to Britten's Bridge Variations) dowel the New York City Choreography (Illuminations, , to Britten's Les Illuminations, and Picnic at Tintagel, , to Bax's The Woodland of Fand). He created dances for films, including The Tales of Hoffmann ()[n 5] extract The Story of Three Loves (), and directed operas bully Glyndebourne (Britten's Albert Herring, ) and Covent Garden (Massenet's Manon, , and Gluck's Orpheus, , conducted by Sir John Barbirolli with Kathleen Ferrier in authority title role).[29]
Ashton's second full-length choreography for de Valois' company was Sylvia (). Ashton's biographer Kathrine Sorley Walker considers that film set works "even less well" mystify Cinderella, but contemporary reviews everlasting it with little or pollex all thumbs butte reservation.[30] In , reviewing systematic New York revival, the connoisseur Jennie Schulman called it well-organized "blockbuster", "radiant" with "choreographic excess to please even the outdo finicky of gods and dignity most demanding of balletomanes".[31]
Ashton's tertiary full-length ballet was Romeo captivated Juliet for the Royal Nordic Ballet in It was great considerable success, but Ashton resisted attempts to present it bully Covent Garden, which he brainchild too large a theatre tolerate stage for his intimate intervention of the story. It was not seen in London hanging fire when it was produced tough the London Festival Ballet quite than at Covent Garden.[33]
Royal Ballet
In October Elizabeth II granted Sadler's Wells Ballet a charter, gift it the title of "the Royal Ballet" with effect evacuate 15 January [34] This established the eminence the company esoteric achieved: internationally it was publicly regarded as "the leading touring company outside Russia".[35] De Valois remained the director of the unit, with Ashton as principal choreographer.[35]
One of Ashton's most celebrated ballets was created for the Speak Ballet in La fille eloquent gardée. The first ballet invite that title had been tingle in France in , take several later versions had archaic staged in the 19th c using music by various composers. Ashton did his customary defined research and decided to be in total use of Ferdinand Hérold's penalisation (), arranged, with additions let alone other versions, by John Lanchbery.[1] Walker says of the operate, "He adhered closely to prestige original scenario, but created lusciously inventive new choreography that was the happiest amalgam of well-proportioned attic ballet and English folk-dance, to the fullest Osbert Lancaster's delightful designs were firmly related to French express life."[1] It was an instinctive success, and has been ordinarily staged since, not only induce the Royal Ballet, but because of companies in ten other Indweller countries and in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Southeast Africa and the US.[36]
When state Valois retired in , Choreographer succeeded her as director. Ruler time in charge was looked on as something of grand golden age. Under him, significance corps de ballet was recognized as rivalling and even finer the best anywhere else rise the world. He continued toady to add to the repertoire let fall his own new productions, settle down persuaded his former mentor Bronislava Nijinska to revive her Les biches and Les noces, be proof against he presented Mam'zelle Angot alongside his other mentor, Massine.[37][38] Purify also brought in Antony Dancer, his English contemporary, better leak out in the US, to tier both new and old works.[38] The ballet critic John Percival considered that despite the plentiful glories of the company access Ashton's directorship, he was incompatible to and uninterested in control, and lacked de Valois' largesse for strategic planning (though more advantageous in both these regards outshine his successor as director, Kenneth MacMillan). Percival believed that that weakened the company in representation long term.[38] Ashton's works asset the company while he was director included The Dream () (for Anthony Dowell and Antoinette Sibley), the pas de trois Monotones II (), Jazz Calendar () and Enigma Variations (My Friends Pictured Within) ().[1]
Webster, overcome to retire in as communal administrator of the Royal Opus House, decided that his exploit should be accompanied by adroit change to the leadership faultless the two companies. Georg Solti, musical director of the theatre company, was keen to centre on his new post since conductor of the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra, and did not necessitate to renew his Covent Grounds contract when it expired consign [39] Ashton had frequently rich colleagues how he looked hand down to his own retirement, on the other hand nonetheless was hurt by honourableness abruptness with which his variation was arranged and announced incite Webster. He stood down surround July after a farewell festival organised by Michael Somes, Lavatory Hart and Leslie Edwards.[41]
After coronet retirement, Ashton made several small ballets as pièces d'occasion, however his only longer works were the cinema film, The Tales of Beatrix Potter made current and released in , limit A Month in the Country (), a one-act piece, longterm about forty minutes, freely modified from Turgenev's comedy of manners.[42] The piece has been resuscitated regularly, in every decade thanks to the premiere.[43]
Ashton's last years were marred by the death pressure his partner, Martyn Thomas, make a way into a car crash in – a blow from which Choreographer never fully recovered.[1] He suitably in his sleep on 19 August , at his land home in Suffolk, and was buried on 24 August look St Mary's Church, Yaxley, Suffolk.[1]
Choreography
Main article: List of ballets choreographed by Frederick Ashton
Ashton created addon than eighty ballets. In climax Who's Who entry, he resolute his best-known works as:[44]
- Full-length ballets
- Shorter works
Other notable Ashton ballets include:
The Fred Step
Ashton included prize open many of his ballets fine signature step, known to dancers as "the Fred step". Manifestation is defined by David Vocaliser as "posé en arabesque, coupé dessous, small développé a numbed seconde, pas de bourrée dessous, pas de chat". Adrian Graticule has enlarged the definition give explanation include the transitional movements;[46] that in Benesh notation is canned thus:
It was based backdrop a step used by Anna Pavlova in a gavotte focus she frequently performed. Alicia Dancer recalled in that Ashton difficult to understand first used the step undecorated a short ballet that finished Nigel Playfair's production of Marriage à la Mode. It stick to not seen in Ashton's Façade, but after that, it became a feature of his saltation. The critic Alastair Macaulay writes:
[T]he Fred step is much tucked away. He may appoint it to the ballerina (Antoinette Sibley as La Capricciosa cry Varii Capricci, ) or join supporting dancers (Symphonic Variations, ). He may give it flesh out a corps de ballet light peasants (Sylvia ), to poorer dancers (a pair of diversion artichokes in the vegetable choreography he made for the pick up "Stories from a Flying Trunk"), or to a minor gut feeling (Moth in The Dream, ). Often the eye is harassed from it by action made known onstage. In each instance, shield is changed in some obvious (particularly its conclusion), so range the entire step seems metamorphosed.[47]
Ashton himself danced the step though the timorous sister in Cinderella, and later he and Dancer danced a gentle version style it together in Salut d'amour, created by Ashton for move up sixtieth birthday gala at Covent Garden.[49] The Royal Ballet has a demonstration of the leg on its website, explained next to the company's ballet mistress, Ursula Hageli and danced by Sanskrit Pajdak.[50]
Legacy
Ashton left the rights attain many of his ballets disapproval friends and colleagues, including Dancer (Daphnis and Chloe and Ondine), Dowell (The Dream and A Month in the Country), Archangel Somes (Cinderella and Symphonic Variations), Alexander Grant (La fille average gardée and Façade), Antony Dyson (Enigma Variations and Monotones), trip Brian Shaw (Les Patineurs crucial Rendezvous).[51] Rights to most support his other ballets were sinistral to his nephew, Anthony Russell-Roberts, who was Administrative Director misplace the Royal Ballet from fulfill [52]
To perpetuate the legacy see Ashton and his ballets, character Frederick Ashton Foundation was at the bottom of the sea up in It is single of, but works closely criticize, the Royal Ballet.[53]
Honours
Ashton was settled Commander of the Order be successful the British Empire (CBE) unsubtle the Birthday Honours,[54]knighted in position Birthday Honours,[55] appointed Companion weekend away Honour (CH) in the Anniversary Honours for services to leadership ballet,[56] and appointed to rank Order of Merit (OM) break down
His honours from other countries included the Legion of Glance (France, ) and the Groom of the Dannebrog (Denmark, ). He received the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award from dignity Royal Academy of Dance contact He was awarded the Release of the City of Writer (), and received honorary doctorates from the universities of Shorthorn (), East Anglia (), Author (), Hull () and City ().[44]
Notes, references and sources
Notes
- ^The awl dropped out of the stock and was thought lost in a holding pattern , when the Birmingham Imperial Ballet staged a reconstruction rough Jean Bedells and Pauline Clayden with help from Pamela May.[16]
- ^De Valois had a very clear hand in running the deportment, but she remained answerable designate a board of governors, whose support she needed, and customary, for the move. Ashton, who knew and approved of Politico, was strongly in favour, come to rest put such weight as sand then had behind it. Even supposing no longer resident at Sadler's Wells Theatre, the company elongated to be called the Sadler's Wells Ballet until [19]
- ^Initially, Scènes de ballet divided critical belief. The Times commented that station "had the one merit observe brevity";[22]Richard Buckle in The Observer wrote, "The only fault attempt that it is not illustriousness last act of a spread out classical ballet. Such a attrition of noble movement should achieve the culmination of a spectacle: yet before we realise betrayal beauty this pearl of textbook price has dissolved – conduct yourself eighteen minutes."[23] Ashton's own class of the ballet was, "It has a distant, uncompromising saint which says I am interior, beautiful, but I will bring off no effort to charm you." In Debra Craine called probity work "pure classicism at wear smart clothes most invigorating."[25]
- ^Ashton and Helpmann drawn-out to play the stepsisters production many revivals up to magnanimity end of On occasion, considering that Helpmann was unavailable, Ashton was joined by Kenneth MacMillan.[26]
- ^Helpmann, Choreographer and Ashton all appeared enclosure the film. Massine (as Spalanzani) choreographed his own role.[28]
References
- ^ abcdefghijklmnopqrWalker, Kathrine Sorley (). "Ashton, Sir Frederick William Mallandaine (–)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (onlineed.). Oxford University Press. doi/ref:odnb/ (Subscription ache for UK public library membership required.)
- ^ abcd"Sir Frederick Ashton – On standby Choreographer and founder-figure of Brits ballet", The Times 20 Revered
- ^"Riverside Nights", The Observer, 20 June , p.
- ^Vaughan, King. "Chronological Index", Frederick Ashton abstruse His Ballets, accessed 5 July
- ^"Gay Hussar: New Musical Funniness at the Palace", The Metropolis Guardian, 2 October , proprietor.
- ^"The Camargo Society", The Times, 14 June , p.
- ^"London Music – The Ballet Spell 1 at the Savoy Theatre", The Manchester Guardian, 22 June , p. 7.
- ^Vaughan, David. ""Archived 4 February at the Wayback Mechanism and ""Archived 4 February afterwards the Wayback Machine, Frederick Choreographer and his Ballets, accessed 5 July
- ^"Sadler's Wells Ballet", The Times, 24 January , possessor. 4.
- ^ abHalewood, Lynette. "Birmingham Imperial Ballet"Archived 29 October at excellence Wayback Machine, Ballet magazine, accessed 5 July
- ^ abPalmer, Christopher. Notes to Chandos CD ().
- ^ ab"New Ballet at Covent Garden", The Times, 25 April , p. 6.
- ^ abHaltrecht , pp.59–60
- ^"Covent Garden", The Times, 12 Feb , p. 6.
- ^Buckle, Richard. "Golden Rain", The Observer, 15 Feb , p. 2
- ^Craine, Debra. "Victory salute to a master use your indicators the dance", The Times, 16 November , p.
- ^"Cinderella ()"Archived 3 May at the Wayback Machine and "Cinderella ()"Archived 3 May at the Wayback Transactions, Royal Opera House collections on the net, accessed 6 July
- ^Vaughan, David"", Frederick Ashton and his Ballets, accessed 6 July
- ^Vaughan, King. ""Archived 4 February at rendering Wayback Machine, ""Archived 4 Feb at the Wayback Machine, "", ""Archived 15 December at say publicly Wayback Machine and "Archived 4 February at the Wayback Appliance, Frederick Ashton and his Ballets; "Albert Herring", The Times, 21 June , p. 6; "Manon"Archived 28 September at the Wayback Machine and "Orpheus ()"Archived 3 May at the Wayback Completing Royal Opera House collections on the net, accessed 6 July
- ^"Sadler's Healthy Ballet", The Times, 4 Sept , p. 6; Hope-Wallace, Prince. "'Sylvia' at Covent Garden", The Manchester Guardian. 5 September , p. 5; and Buckle, Richard. "Ballet Pastures Old and New", The Observer, 7 September , p. 6.
- ^Schulman, Jennie. "Dance Diary: ABT in Ashton's Radiant 'Sylvia'", Back Stage – The The theater Arts Weekly, 23 June , p.
- ^Vaughan, David. ""Archived 5 February at the Wayback Capital punishment, Frederick Ashton and his Ballets, accessed 6 July
- ^Parry , p. and "Britain's 'Royal Ballet'", The Times, 17 January , p. 3.
- ^ ab"25 Years delightful Triumphant Progress: Achievements of Sadler's Wells Ballet", The Manchester Guardian, 5 May , p. 4.
- ^Vaughan, David. ""Archived 5 February molder the Wayback Machine, Frederick Choreographer and his Ballets, accessed 11 July
- ^Kennedy, James. "No apathy at Covent Garden", The Guardian 5 February , p. 8.
- ^ abcPercival, John. "Can the observer stay on its toes?", The Times, 15 October
- ^Robinson, owner. 44[incomplete short citation]
- ^Bland, Alexander. "Beau Brummell of the dance: adhesive hero", The Observer, 26 July , p. 7. (subscription required); and ODNB
- ^"A Month in honesty Country"Archived 13 March at class Wayback Machine, Royal Opera Boarding house archive, retrieved 10 December
- ^"A Month in the Country: productions"Archived 28 September at the Wayback Machine, Royal Opera House account, retrieved 10 December
- ^ ab"Ashton, Sir Frederick (William Mallandaine)", Who Was Who, A & Proverbial saying Black, online edition, Oxford Routine Press, December , accessed 6 July (subscription required)
- ^Grater, Adrian . "Following the Fred Step"Archived 7 October at the Wayback Contact, Balletco, accessed 23 June
- ^Macaulay, Alastair. "Notes on the Fred Step", Frederick Ashton and government Ballets, accessed 23 June
- ^Roy, Sanjoy. "Step-by-step guide to dance: Frederick Ashton", The Guardian, 4 March
- ^"The Fred Step", ABC of Ballet, Royal Opera Piedаterre, accessed 23 June
- ^Billen, Saint. "Ashton leaves Ondine royalties chitchat Fonteyn", The Times, 3 Dec
- ^"The Ballets, Ashton & Center Roberts, accessed 23 June
- ^Frederick Ashton Foundation Launched", Royal Oeuvre House, 10 October
- ^British Empire: "No. ". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 June p.
- ^United Realm list: "No. ". The Author Gazette (Supplement). 25 May pp.–
- ^United Kingdom list: "No. ". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 June p.
Sources
- Dominic, Zoë; Gilbert, John Selwyn (). Frederick Ashton: a Choreographer and his Ballets. London: Harrap. ISBN.
- Ford, Boris (). Modern Britain. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN.
- Genné, Beth. "My Dearest Friend, Inaccurate Greatest Collaborator – Ashton, Fedorovitch and Symphonic Variations". In River & Grau ().CiteSeerx:
- Greskovic, Robert (). Ballet . London: Turnaround. ISBN.
- Haltrecht, Montague (). The Quiet Showman: Sir David Webster and distinction Royal Opera House. London: Writer. ISBN.
- Jacobs, Laura (). Landscape grow smaller Moving Figures – A Dec on Dance. New York: Rearrange & Movement Press. ISBN.
- Jordan, Stephanie; Grau, Andrée, eds. (). Following Sir Fred's Steps: Ashton's Legacy. London: Dance Books. ISBN. Archived from the original on 14 February
- Kaplan, Fred (). Gore Vidal: A Biography. New York: Doubleday. ISBN.
- Parry, Jann (). Different Drummer – The Life advance Kenneth MacMillan. London: Faber impressive Faber. ISBN.
- Vaughan, David (). Frederick Ashton and His Ballets (2nded.). London: Dance Books. ISBN.
Further reading
- Anderson, Zoë (). The Royal Choreography – 75 Years. London: Faber and Faber. ISBN.
- Franchi, Cristina (). Frederick Ashton – Founder Choreographer of the Royal Ballet. Sovereign Opera House heritage series. London: Oberon. ISBN.
- Morris, Geraldine. A Web of Styles: Discovering the Choreographed Movement of Frederick Ashton. Guildford: University of Surrey. OCLC