1951 – Premiere of Frederick Ashton’s Daphnis and Chloë by Sadler’s Wells Ballet

Taking Maurice Ravel’s sumptuous score for Mikhail Fokine’s 1912 ballet (since lost), Frederick Ashton created Daphnis and Chloë for Sadler’s Wells Ballet in 1951 as a vehicle for Margot Fonteyn whose lyrical intensity was showcased in her choreography. Ashton’s response to the music was sophisticated and he matched the rapturous ending with an outpouring of joyous dancing for the whole company. John Craxton’s atmospheric designs were replaced by The Royal Ballet in 1994 but were restored to the stage in 2004. The original cast also included Michael Somes, Violetta Elvin, John Field and Alexander Grant.