Desert Island Discs: Archive 2000-2005
BBC Radio 4
Categories: Society & Culture
Listen to the last episode:
Dame Alicia Markova was born Lilian Alice Marks in December 1910, in a two-bedroom flat in Finsbury Park, London. She began ballet classes because she was flat footed and knock kneed. Her natural talent, when she was ten, was spotted by Diaghilev, the Russian artistic impresario who founded the Ballets Russes and brought the contemporary arts of Russia to Europe. Dame Alicia joined Diaghilev's company, which was based in Monte Carlo, in 1925, a month after her 14th birthday. Diaghilev changed her name to Alicia Markova and cast her in the title role of Nightingale in Le Rossignol, a ballet scored by Stravinsky, choreographed by Balanchine and with costumes designed by Matisse. It premiered in Paris in June 1925.
After Diaghilev's death in 1929 she returned to England and became a leading figure of the emerging English ballet scene, dancing with the Ballet Rambert and Vic Wells Ballet, as well as at Sadlers Wells. Dame Alicia danced the leading roles in Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and Giselle, which became her trademark, illustrating her unique style of fragility and strength. In 1950, together with her dancing partner Anton Dolin, Dame Alicia founded The London Festival Ballet which eventually became the English National Ballet. She was still dancing Giselle at the age of 48 and had her last dance on stage in the early 1960s. Subsequently she has worked as director, patron and teacher and was awarded the CBE for services to dance in 1958. Her memory for dance steps has proved invaluable for dance historians, pupils and teachers alike.
[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]
Favourite track: Softly Awakes my Heart from Samson and Delilah by Camille Saint-Saëns Book: Speaking of Diaghilev by John Drummond Luxury: The perfume Knowing by Estee Lauder
Previous episodes
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212 - Dame Alicia Markova Sun, 29 Sep 2002
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211 - Colin Montgomerie Sun, 12 Mar 2000
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210 - Henry Blofeld Sun, 30 Nov 2003
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207 - Kim Cattrall Sun, 26 Dec 2004
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206 - Engelbert Humperdinck Sun, 19 Dec 2004
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205 - John Fortune Sun, 12 Dec 2004
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204 - Sir Bobby Robson Sun, 05 Dec 2004
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203 - Tracey Emin Sun, 28 Nov 2004
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202 - Clive Stafford Smith Sun, 21 Nov 2004
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201 - Matthew Bourne Fri, 19 Nov 2004
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200 - Ann Leslie Sun, 07 Nov 2004
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199 - Matthew Pinsent Sun, 31 Oct 2004
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198 - Jack Mapanje Sun, 24 Oct 2004
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197 - Rt Hon Sir Menzies Campbell MP Sun, 17 Oct 2004
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196 - Anne Scott James Sun, 10 Oct 2004
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195 - Desmond Morris Sun, 03 Oct 2004
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194 - Virginia McKenna Sun, 26 Sep 2004
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193 - Joe Simpson Sun, 19 Sep 2004
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192 - Hugh Masekela Sun, 11 Jul 2004
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191 - Rt Hon Michael Howard MP Sun, 04 Jul 2004
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190 - Tim Rice Sun, 27 Jun 2004
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189 - Diana Athill Sun, 20 Jun 2004
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188 - Karan Bilimoria Sun, 13 Jun 2004
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187 - Geraldine James Sun, 30 May 2004
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186 - Sir Ken Adam Sun, 23 May 2004
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185 - Pen Hadow Sun, 16 May 2004
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184 - U A Fanthorpe Sun, 09 May 2004
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183 - Graham Norton Sun, 02 May 2004
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182 - Antonio Pappano Sun, 25 Apr 2004
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181 - Bernard Cornwell Sun, 18 Apr 2004
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180 - Michael Morpurgo Sun, 11 Apr 2004
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179 - Angela Gheorghiu Sun, 04 Apr 2004
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178 - Jack Vettriano Sun, 28 Mar 2004
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177 - Ralph Kohn Sun, 21 Mar 2004
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176 - Bill Nighy Sun, 14 Mar 2004
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175 - Sir Gulam Noon Sun, 07 Mar 2004
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174 - Judith Kerr Sun, 29 Feb 2004
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173 - John Cale Sun, 22 Feb 2004
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172 - Sacha Distel Sun, 15 Feb 2004
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171 - Sister Frances Dominica Sun, 08 Feb 2004
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170 - Rt Hon Lord Sainsbury Sun, 01 Feb 2004
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169 - Paul Dacre Sun, 25 Jan 2004
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168 - Stephen Frears Sun, 18 Jan 2004
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167 - Jimmy Tarbuck Sun, 11 Jan 2004
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166 - Martha Lane Fox Sun, 04 Jan 2004
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165 - Paul O'Grady Sun, 28 Dec 2003
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164 - Emmylou Harris Sun, 21 Dec 2003
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163 - Nicholas Grimshaw Sun, 14 Dec 2003
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162 - Pat Barker Sun, 07 Dec 2003
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161 - Sir Christopher Meyer Sun, 23 Nov 2003