Margot Fonteyn was the greatest dancer England has ever produced. In her life she transcended the world of dance and became a tabloid darling second to none, a true celebrity. And when, already in her forties, Fonteyn teamed up with Rudolf Nureyev, their astonishing union created one of the most brilliant and magical partnerships in all of ballet history. Their artistic and sexual chemistry electrified all those who were lucky enough to watch them perform. But her remarkable talent and façade of fastidious primness masked a dark torrent within. Fonteyns life was the stuff of unimaginable fiction: taken as an underage mistress; married to a Panamanian Ambassador; involved in an attempted coup; the lover of innumerable, often homosexual, public figures; a cultural icon of the swinging sixties; betrayed by her husbands family, and, above all, a dancer of extraordinary physical eloquence and purity all culminating in this fragile beauty dying a penniless, lonely recluse. This gripping film uncovers a mountain of archive footage, including memorable performances with Nureyev, and meetings with those who danced with her, knew her, and loved her.
Video Rating: 5 / 5
by Dane Youssef
Now THIS one looks like a must-see. But where’s the rest of it? I know there’s copyright laws and all that jazz, but couldn’t you just put up a little bit more?
Wait, I heard that Peggy was buried not in a “pauper’s grave,” but in the wealthy and powerful mausoleum of her husband’s family Arias, right next to Tito.
She was a woman of such grace and dignity that she just welcomed all in with open arms. Which is why she was so taken avantage of.
by Dane Youssef
Fonteyn died in Panama after her husband died there too.
She did not have a lot of money due to her husband’s medical bills. /After an assasination attempt he was left paralysed from the neck down./
She was not, however, a recluse and was not penniless.
A gala performance was held for her (in Covent garden) in her later years to raise money for her…