Pamela May

Pamela May was a dancer of great classical purity and belonged to the famous early generation of Royal Ballet dancers who blazed a trail for theatre dance in Britain. Born in Trinidad, 30 May 1917, she joined the Sadler‘s Wells Ballet School at the age of fifteen, joining the Vic-Wells Ballet in 1934. Ninette de Valois and Frederick Ashton created many roles for her and she was in the historic first cast of Ashton‘s “Symphonic Varia­tions“ in 1946.

In the ballerina roles of the standard repertory she was outstanding as Odette/ Odile and Aurora but is remembered by many for her assumption of the role of Swanilda in “Coppélia“ where her command of classical mime and gift for comedy were utilised to great advantage. Although she retired from ballerina roles in 1952 she continued to dance as a character artist for another thirty years. Although she was an extremely versatile ballerina – as many dancers of her period needed to be – she was outstanding for her energy, vivacity and purity of line. She died aged 88, on 6 June. Monica Mason, Director of the Royal Ballet said, “she has been part of our lives, not only as a ballerina, but as a teacher at the Royal Ballet School and as a ...