Michael Somes

Michael Somes was an English ballet dancer who became a principal dancer of The Royal Ballet, London, and the frequent partner of Margot Fonteyn. He was awarded the first scholarship given to a male by the Royal Ballet in 1934, and he originated roles in 24 ballets choreographed by Frederick Ashton, who was his friend and mentor. He was also an assistant director of the company under Ashton from 1963 to 1970. He appeared in several television and film versions of ballets, such as Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, and Romeo and Juliet. He was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1959. He was married three times, first to Deirdre Dixon, a junior soloist for the Royal Ballet, who died in 1959; then to Dame Antoinette Sibley, a prima ballerina of the Royal Ballet, whom he divorced in 1973; and finally to Wendy Ellis, another ballet dancer. He died of a brain tumour in London in 1994. He was buried at Westminster Abbey, where a memorial stone was placed in his honour.