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Dame Beryl Grey DBE (1927 – 2022)

Dame Beryl Grey DBE DMus DLitt Ded FRSA was a legendary retired British Ballerina. She was the president of the ISTD, Vice President of the RAD, a Director of the Royal Opera House and Birmingham Royal Ballet and in 1997 was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award by the Royal Academy of Dance for her services to Ballet. Beryl was awarded a CBE in 1973, a Damehood in 1998 and was made a Companion of Honour in 2017. She was the only Ballerina to be awarded this honour, alongside the founder of the Royal Ballet, Dame Ninette de Valois, and its most renowned choreographer, Sir Frederick Ashton.

Beryl Grey joined the Sadler’s Wells School and at age 14 Dame Ninette de Valois took her into the Vic Wells Company (later to become the Royal Ballet). She danced Odette/Odile in Swan Lake at age 15 and made her debut in the lead role of Giselle age 17. During the 1940s and 50s she was one of the Royal Ballet’s leading ballerinas, alongside Margot Fonteyn, and in 1957 she had the honour of being the first British ballerina ever to appear as guest ballerina with the Kirov and Bolshoi Ballet in Russia. During the 1960s she was an international guest ballerina across Europe, South America, the Far East, USA and Canada.

Dame Beryl was director general of the Arts Educational School, a Governor of the Adeline Genee Theatre and a great supporter to the Bush Davies School in Sussex. She was both a Governor and Artistic Director of London Festival Ballet (now English National Ballet) from 1968-79.

The Gielgud Academy was deeply honoured to have Dame Beryl as its patron. Her ever present and continued support was valued by pupils, parents and faculty alike and the school will always remember her kindness. Each year since her passing, the Dame Beryl Grey Cup for Artistry is presented to a pupil in her honour.

Photograph of Dame Beryl at Buckingham Palace on the event of her investiture as Companion of Honour in 2017