Anton Dolin (1904–1983)

Anton Dolin was born Sydney Francis Patrick Chippendall Healey-Kay in Sussex, England, to a family of Irish descent. He studied with Russian ballerina Serafina Astafieva in London, and joined the Ballets Russes in 1921. During this time he changed his name to Dolin to sound more exotic. He became a principal with the company in 1924, and then with the Vic-Wells Ballet in the 1930s. He was famed for his athletic, virile style and his excellence as a partner. He and Alicia Markova were one of the great dance partnerships of the era. They were the stars of the early Royal Ballet; in 1935, they created their own company, Markova-Dolin Ballet, and then London Festival Ballet in 1950. He joined Ballet Theatre (present-day American Ballet Theatre) at its inception in 1940 and remained with it as a dancer and choreographer until 1946. He also was a close friend and partner of Irina Baronova, one of the so-called Baby Ballerinas. Dolin wrote six books, including Alicia Markova: Her Life and Art (1953) and his autobiography Ballet Go Round (1938). He was knighted in 1981, and was featured in the 1982 documentary film A Portrait of Giselle.