1944 – Anglo-Russian Ballet established

Daughter of the editor of The Stage, Letitia Browne opened the Wimbledon Ballet Club in 1935. Browne worked with ENSA (the Entertainments National Service Association) during World War Two, taking various groups of dancers on tours across western Europe, which culminated in the formation of her Anglo-Russian Ballet, operating until 1947. Browne was the principal choreographer of the company, whose repertory included works by Joan Lawson and Angelo Andes. The group amalgamated with Leon Hepner’s Fortune Ballet in 1947, becoming the larger entity of the Metropolitan Ballet.