1906 – Phyllis Bedells makes her London debut

Phyllis Bedells (1893-1985) was a British dancer and teacher, and founder of the Royal Academy of Dance. She rose to ballerina level using her own English name at a time when Russian names were prized. Bedells learnt from an impressive range of teachers representing a depth of knowledge and experience that would be hard to match today: Malvina Cavalazzi, Enrico Cecchetti, Anna Pavlova, Adeline Genée, Nicholas Legat and Adolph Bolm. She made her London debut at the age of 13 in Alice in Wonderland at the Prince of Wales Theatre.