Margot Fonteyn, born Margaret Evelyn Hookham on May 18, 1919, was a rising British ballerina during the 1930s who later became one of the most iconic figures in ballet and the prima ballerina assoluta of the Royal Ballet.

She began her ballet training at the age of four and spent part of her childhood in China, where she studied under Russian émigré teacher Georgy Goncharov.

Returning to London around age 14, she joined the Vic-Wells Ballet School, performing initially under variations of the name 'Margot Fontes' before adopting 'Fonteyn.' She made her debut in 1934 as a snowflake in The Nutcracker and had her solo debut a year later in The Haunted Ballroom.Frederick Ashton created a role specifically for her in Le Baiser de la Fée, highlighting her talent early on.

Fonteyn quickly rose to prominence after Alicia Markova left the company, performing principal roles in classics such as Giselle, Swan Lake, and The Sleeping Beauty.

During the late 1930s, she established herself as the company’s leading ballerina, forming key partnerships with dancers like Robert Helpmann and training with renowned Russian teachers in Paris.These early years laid the foundation for a career that would span decades, culminating in her famous partnership with Rudolf Nureyev in the 1960s.