The Royal Ballet (1959) Reviews

An excellently filmed performance of three separate ballet segments, The Royal Ballet begins each segment with a synopsis of the story about to be unveiled, and then the curtains open on the stage of the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden. Stars of each performance are Dame Margot Fonteyn and Michael Somes. The first curtain goes up on Act Two of Swan Lake featuring Fonteyn as Odette and Somes as Prince Siegfried. The following two segments are from the rousing Firebird by Igor Stravinsky and Ondine by Hans Werner Henz. This film was released just before Margot Fonteyn was convinced to give up retirement and partner with Rudolph Nureyev in what would become one of the more famous dancing duos in ballet history. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi