Alicia Markova
A fragile-looking dancer with steely precision, she willed British ballet onto the world stage as its first international prima ballerina.
1910–2004 (age 94)·British ballerina·Birthday: December 1·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Alicia Markova was not born for the ballet; she was drafted into it. A sickly London child placed in lessons to strengthen her legs, she was a prodigy plucked at 14 by Sergei Diaghilev for his Ballets Russes. Under his exacting eye, she transformed from a technical wonder into an artist of ethereal lightness and dramatic depth. After Diaghilev's death, she became a pioneer, co-founding companies that would evolve into The Royal Ballet and touring relentlessly with small ensembles, proving classical ballet could thrive outside major capitals. Her partnership with Anton Dolin was electric, and her Giselle was considered definitive, a blend of ghostly pathos and flawless technique. In later years, she directed and taught, imparting the rigorous standards of a bygone era to new generations, having almost single-handedly established a British lineage in a dominated art form.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Alicia was born in 1910, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alicia Was Born
The biggest hits of 1910
Alicia's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1910Born
Halley's Comet makes its closest approach
President: William Howard Taft
1915Started school
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1923Became a teenager
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1926Could drive
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1928Could vote
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1931Turned 21
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1940Turned 30
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1950Turned 40
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1960Turned 50
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1970Turned 60
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1980Turned 70
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 80
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2004Died at 94
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
Key Achievements
- Recognized as a prima ballerina assoluta, one of only two English dancers to ever receive the title.
- Was a founding dancer of the company that became The Royal Ballet and the Rambert Dance Company.
- Achieved international fame as the first British ballerina to become the principal dancer of a major ballet company.
- Toured globally with her own companies, bringing full-length classical ballets to audiences worldwide in the 1950s.
Did You Know?
Her real name was Lilian Alicia Marks; Diaghilev Russified it to Markova.
She was known for her extremely high and light jumps, which seemed to defy gravity.
She made her professional debut at age ten in a pantomime production of 'Dick Whittington'.
During WWII, she danced for troops and in factories, once performing on a makeshift stage of cardboard beer crates.
“The most important thing I have learned is that the only way to get anything done is to go ahead and do it.”
