Alfreda Thorogood has enjoyed an immensley successful career as a Principal dancer in the Royal Ballet and as an Artistic Director of dance.
She trainined with Vera Volkova and George Goncharov, at the Lower and Upper Royal Ballet Schools. She danced with the Royal Ballet Touring Company and in 1970 transferred to the Royal Ballet at the Opera House, Covent Garden where she danced as a principal until 1980.
Alfreda’s repertoire with the Royal Ballet included all the leading classical ballerina roles ; Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Princess Aurora & Bluebird in Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Swanhilda in Coppelia and Mary Vetsera & Marie Larische in Mayerling. She partnered her late husband David Wall, Rudolf Nureyev, Anthony Dowell, Derek Dean and Wayne Eagling.
Alfreda gained her teaching diploma on the RAD’s professional dancers teachers course. She was Senior Ballet Teacher at the Bush Davies School and then Deputy Ballet Principal. From 1988-1992 she was Artistic Advisor of the RAD and Chairman of the Grades Panel. In 1992 she was appointed Senior Ballet Teacher at Elmhurst Ballet School and was their Artistic Director of Dance from 1994-2004.
She has been a guest repetiteur for English National Ballet, a member of the Arts Council Advisory Board for Dance and has taught internationally.
Alfreda is pictured here with her late husband David Wall in Symmetries with the Royal Ballet.