Arnold Haskell (1903–1980). British critic, writer and director of The Royal Ballet School

Arnold Haskell was born in London in 1903 and attended Westminster School and then Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where he studied law. His interest in ballet was kindled when, on a visit to Serafina Astafieva’s Chelsea studio with his mother in the early 1920s, he watched the young Alicia Markova in class. By 1930 he was one of the founders of The Camargo Society and a director of The Ballet Club. In 1934 he published Balletomania, which introduced the word into the English language. The following year he became the first person ever to be appointed ballet critic by a British newspaper, the Daily Telegraph. In 1936 Haskell founded the Sadler’s Wells Benevolent Fund, an extraordinarily far-sighted move when ballet was still in its infancy in Britain. Later that year he travelled to Australia with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, and whilst there wrote articles and reviews, including some for the Dancing Times. In 1937 he published a book about this tour, entitled Dancing Round the World.

In 1946 Haskell was appointed director of the Sadler’s Wells Ballet School and is largely credited with pushing for a full academic education. This was in place by 1947, when the whole school moved to Colet Gardens in West London. He was appointed a Governor of The Royal Ballet in 1956, when the School and companies received the Royal Charter. He retired in 1964.

As well as being a tireless and educated advocate for British ballet, ensuring its future in several ways, for almost half a century he wrote a number of important and influential books illuminating the many influences and developments British ballet underwent. He was made chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur in 1950, and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1954. Haskell was married to Vivienne Marks, sister of Alicia Markova.