Margot Fonteyn Born "Margaret Hookham" in Reigate, Surrey, Fonteyn joined the Royal Ballet (then called the Sadler Wells Ballet) when she was a teenager. By 1939 she was the company's star, and she was the inspiration for many of Sir Frederick Ashton's ballets, such as Ondine and Daphnis and Chloe and Sylvia.
Fonteyn also worked with the choreographer Roland Petit and later in life, Martha Graham. She was especially renowned for her portrayal of Aurora in Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty. In 1949 the Royal Ballet toured the United States and Fonteyn became an instant celebrity.
