1956 – Premiere of Frederick Ashton’s Birthday Offering by Sadler’s Wells Ballet

Created by Frederick Ashton to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet, Birthday Offering is a one-act divertissement for seven ballerinas and their partners, and includes solo variations that Ashton crafted around the personality of each woman, a mazurka for the men and a pas de deux for the principal couple. Danced to music by Alexander Glazunov arranged and orchestrated by Robert Irving, the couture-like costumes were by André Levasseur. The original cast included Margot Fonteyn, Elaine Fifield, Violetta Elvin, Svetlana Beriosova, Beryl Grey, Rowena Jackson, Nadia Nerina; Michael Somes, Brian Shaw, David Blair, Bryan Ashbridge, Philip Chatfield, Desmond Doyle and Alexander Grant. It was a popular work and has been performed by The Royal Ballet since 1956 on numerous occasions.