| Code | DS/UK/3519 |
| Name | De Valois; Dame; Ninette (6 June 1898-8 March 2001); OM CH DBE; Irish-born British dancer, choreographer and director of classical ballet |
| Variations of Name | Edris Stannus |
| Dates | 6 June 1898-8 March 2001 |
| Gender | Female (cisgender) |
| Place of Birth/Origin | Blessington, County Wicklow, Ireland (born) |
| Relationships | Daughter of Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Stannus DSO (British Army officer) and Elizabeth Graydon Smith (glassmaker known as Lilith Stannus)
Spouse of Dr Arthur Blackall Connell (physician and surgeon) |
| Biography | Dame Ninette de Valois OM CH DBE was an Irish-born British dancer, teacher, choreographer, and director of classical ballet. Most notably, she danced professionally with Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, later establishing the Royal Ballet, one of the foremost ballet companies of the 20th century and one of the leading ballet companies in the world. She also established the Royal Ballet School and the touring company which became the Birmingham Royal Ballet. She is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of ballet and as the "godmother" of English and Irish ballet. |