Born on May 18, 1919 in Reigate, Surrey/England, 
she was discovered in her teens by ballet dancer/choreographer Sir Frederick Ashton and went on to perform with such prestigious companies as Sadler's Wells and the Royal Ballet of Great Britain.
Ms. Fonteyn teamed with Ashton on-stage from the mid-1930's and was instrumental in developing the "English" style of ballet, more reserved and refined than the accepted European school. On the verge of retirement in the early 1960's, Ms. Fonteyn - widely regarded as one of the greatest classical ballet dancers of all time - returned to the stage as the partner of legendary russian ballet dancer Rudolph Nureyev.
Despite their polar-opposite temperaments, Fonteyn and Nureyev matriculated into one of the greatest dance teams of the 20th century. Their artistry has been preserved for generations to come in such "Concert" films as Romeo and Juliet and LeDanseur. Retiring permanently in 1981, Ms. Fonteyn spent her last decade coaching others in the ballet roles that had won her fame
Margot Fonteyn was the wife of Panamanian diplomat Roberto Arias, who in 1964 was permanently paralyzed in an assassination attempt. She died of cancer on February 21, 1991 in Panama City, Panama. In August of 1996, she was one of five "Women of Achievement" selected for a set of british stamps issued on that date.
