Ballerina. Born Brenda Wright. A dancer of much style and elegance whose career with the Royal Ballet was somewhat constricted by being a younger contemporary of Margot Fonteyn. had an excellent technique and was outstanding in the romantic repertoire - she enjoyed much acclaim in Les Sylphides and Giselle and had many successful seasons with Festival Ballet (now English National Ballet) and formed an excellent partnership with the renowned Sir Anton Dolin.
Wright was born the daughter of a Southport coal merchant. Her father encouraged his daughter's interest in dancing, which she had taken up for medical reasons. She studied at the Royal Academy of Dance and, in 1946, joined the Ballet Rambert. She toured with the company to Australia in 1947 and danced her first Giselle there in Sydney.
She got her big break in 1949 when she joined the Roland Petit Company in Paris. She travelled with that company to New York in 1950 and made her Broadway debut in Petit's version of Carmen.
She and her partner John Gilpin joined the Festival Ballet in 1952 where, after the departure of Alicia Markova, Wright was given many of the star ballerina roles. She and Gilpin danced many of the famous Tchaikovsky ballets, forming a incredible partnership.
It was in that year they also danced the world premiere of Frederick Ashton's Vision of Marguerite.
Wright also created roles in Alice in Wonderland and The Snow Maiden. In 1957, she enjoyed a tremendous success when she danced the title role in Giselle opposite Dolin in Paris.
She was soon recognised, particularly on the continent, as a ballerina of qualityl. She appeared often in Paris and, in 1956, appeared in a gala programme in Monte Carlo to celebrate the wedding of Prince Rainer and Grace Kelly. Three years later, she danced at a gala in Manchester for the Queen Mother.
In 1962 she was offered a position with the Royal Ballet. She remained a popular guest artist and often appeared at Covent Garden with the company. But Wright also toured regularly and came with the Royal Ballet on their early summer tours to Edinburgh and Glasgow.
She was seen in all the great classical ballets and memorably performed Giselle at the King's Theatre, Edinburgh in 1965.
She married her long time partner Jelko Yuresha and together led the Royal Ballet's smaller company, Ballet For All, on tours throughout the UK. In 1963 they went to Scotland and performed a programme they themselves had created called The World of Giselle. With a clever merging of dance and narrative it traced the history of romantic ballet.
Wright appeared in countries where ballet had seldom been seen. She and Yuresha danced and mounted ballets in Bombay, Kuala Lumpur, Sri Lanka and throughout South America.
In 1977, Wright retired from the stage and was much in demand as a teacher. She also staged works in China and as recently as 2000 staged, in New York, Variations for Four which she had inherited from Dolin.
Wright then retired and went to live near Zurich.
She is survived by her husband and her son and daughter.
Wright was born the daughter of a Southport coal merchant. Her father encouraged his daughter's interest in dancing, which she had taken up for medical reasons. She studied at the Royal Academy of Dance and, in 1946, joined the Ballet Rambert. She toured with the company to Australia in 1947 and danced her first Giselle there in Sydney.
She got her big break in 1949 when she joined the Roland Petit Company in Paris. She travelled with that company to New York in 1950 and made her Broadway debut in Petit's version of Carmen.
She and her partner John Gilpin joined the Festival Ballet in 1952 where, after the departure of Alicia Markova, Wright was given many of the star ballerina roles. She and Gilpin danced many of the famous Tchaikovsky ballets, forming a incredible partnership.
It was in that year they also danced the world premiere of Frederick Ashton's Vision of Marguerite.
Wright also created roles in Alice in Wonderland and The Snow Maiden. In 1957, she enjoyed a tremendous success when she danced the title role in Giselle opposite Dolin in Paris.
She was soon recognised, particularly on the continent, as a ballerina of qualityl. She appeared often in Paris and, in 1956, appeared in a gala programme in Monte Carlo to celebrate the wedding of Prince Rainer and Grace Kelly. Three years later, she danced at a gala in Manchester for the Queen Mother.
In 1962 she was offered a position with the Royal Ballet. She remained a popular guest artist and often appeared at Covent Garden with the company. But Wright also toured regularly and came with the Royal Ballet on their early summer tours to Edinburgh and Glasgow.
She was seen in all the great classical ballets and memorably performed Giselle at the King's Theatre, Edinburgh in 1965.
She married her long time partner Jelko Yuresha and together led the Royal Ballet's smaller company, Ballet For All, on tours throughout the UK. In 1963 they went to Scotland and performed a programme they themselves had created called The World of Giselle. With a clever merging of dance and narrative it traced the history of romantic ballet.
Wright appeared in countries where ballet had seldom been seen. She and Yuresha danced and mounted ballets in Bombay, Kuala Lumpur, Sri Lanka and throughout South America.
In 1977, Wright retired from the stage and was much in demand as a teacher. She also staged works in China and as recently as 2000 staged, in New York, Variations for Four which she had inherited from Dolin.
Wright then retired and went to live near Zurich.
She is survived by her husband and her son and daughter.
Ballerina. Born Brenda Wright. A dancer of much style and elegance whose career with the Royal Ballet was somewhat constricted by being a younger contemporary of Margot Fonteyn. had an excellent technique and was outstanding in the romantic repertoire - she enjoyed much acclaim in Les Sylphides and Giselle and had many successful seasons with Festival Ballet (now English National Ballet) and formed an excellent partnership with the renowned Sir Anton Dolin.
Wright was born the daughter of a Southport coal merchant. Her father encouraged his daughter's interest in dancing, which she had taken up for medical reasons. She studied at the Royal Academy of Dance and, in 1946, joined the Ballet Rambert. She toured with the company to Australia in 1947 and danced her first Giselle there in Sydney.
She got her big break in 1949 when she joined the Roland Petit Company in Paris. She travelled with that company to New York in 1950 and made her Broadway debut in Petit's version of Carmen.
She and her partner John Gilpin joined the Festival Ballet in 1952 where, after the departure of Alicia Markova, Wright was given many of the star ballerina roles. She and Gilpin danced many of the famous Tchaikovsky ballets, forming a incredible partnership.
It was in that year they also danced the world premiere of Frederick Ashton's Vision of Marguerite.
Wright also created roles in Alice in Wonderland and The Snow Maiden. In 1957, she enjoyed a tremendous success when she danced the title role in Giselle opposite Dolin in Paris.
She was soon recognised, particularly on the continent, as a ballerina of qualityl. She appeared often in Paris and, in 1956, appeared in a gala programme in Monte Carlo to celebrate the wedding of Prince Rainer and Grace Kelly. Three years later, she danced at a gala in Manchester for the Queen Mother.
In 1962 she was offered a position with the Royal Ballet. She remained a popular guest artist and often appeared at Covent Garden with the company. But Wright also toured regularly and came with the Royal Ballet on their early summer tours to Edinburgh and Glasgow.
She was seen in all the great classical ballets and memorably performed Giselle at the King's Theatre, Edinburgh in 1965.
She married her long time partner Jelko Yuresha and together led the Royal Ballet's smaller company, Ballet For All, on tours throughout the UK. In 1963 they went to Scotland and performed a programme they themselves had created called The World of Giselle. With a clever merging of dance and narrative it traced the history of romantic ballet.
Wright appeared in countries where ballet had seldom been seen. She and Yuresha danced and mounted ballets in Bombay, Kuala Lumpur, Sri Lanka and throughout South America.
In 1977, Wright retired from the stage and was much in demand as a teacher. She also staged works in China and as recently as 2000 staged, in New York, Variations for Four which she had inherited from Dolin.
Wright then retired and went to live near Zurich.
She is survived by her husband and her son and daughter.
Wright was born the daughter of a Southport coal merchant. Her father encouraged his daughter's interest in dancing, which she had taken up for medical reasons. She studied at the Royal Academy of Dance and, in 1946, joined the Ballet Rambert. She toured with the company to Australia in 1947 and danced her first Giselle there in Sydney.
She got her big break in 1949 when she joined the Roland Petit Company in Paris. She travelled with that company to New York in 1950 and made her Broadway debut in Petit's version of Carmen.
She and her partner John Gilpin joined the Festival Ballet in 1952 where, after the departure of Alicia Markova, Wright was given many of the star ballerina roles. She and Gilpin danced many of the famous Tchaikovsky ballets, forming a incredible partnership.
It was in that year they also danced the world premiere of Frederick Ashton's Vision of Marguerite.
Wright also created roles in Alice in Wonderland and The Snow Maiden. In 1957, she enjoyed a tremendous success when she danced the title role in Giselle opposite Dolin in Paris.
She was soon recognised, particularly on the continent, as a ballerina of qualityl. She appeared often in Paris and, in 1956, appeared in a gala programme in Monte Carlo to celebrate the wedding of Prince Rainer and Grace Kelly. Three years later, she danced at a gala in Manchester for the Queen Mother.
In 1962 she was offered a position with the Royal Ballet. She remained a popular guest artist and often appeared at Covent Garden with the company. But Wright also toured regularly and came with the Royal Ballet on their early summer tours to Edinburgh and Glasgow.
She was seen in all the great classical ballets and memorably performed Giselle at the King's Theatre, Edinburgh in 1965.
She married her long time partner Jelko Yuresha and together led the Royal Ballet's smaller company, Ballet For All, on tours throughout the UK. In 1963 they went to Scotland and performed a programme they themselves had created called The World of Giselle. With a clever merging of dance and narrative it traced the history of romantic ballet.
Wright appeared in countries where ballet had seldom been seen. She and Yuresha danced and mounted ballets in Bombay, Kuala Lumpur, Sri Lanka and throughout South America.
In 1977, Wright retired from the stage and was much in demand as a teacher. She also staged works in China and as recently as 2000 staged, in New York, Variations for Four which she had inherited from Dolin.
Wright then retired and went to live near Zurich.
She is survived by her husband and her son and daughter.
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