Anent: Dame Ninette de Valois

Years ago I worked at Expo "67 in Montreal.I was deputized to take Sir Frederick Ashton, head of the Royal Ballet Company & famed choreographer, round the exhibition. Being British too, we got on very well. Sir Fred. was amusing and charming. He had come from London to perform in CINDERELLA with Robert Helpman (from Australia). They played the ugly sisters. "We never rehearse!" he joked to me. After our tour I said that I would put him in a taxi while I would head back to my office. "Oh," he said, "wouldn't you like to come back to the Ritz for a champagne cocktail?" "You've twisted my arm, Sir Fred, how could I refuse?" My boss would be pleased as good will between nations is cemented by politeness and such actions as having a drink. Remind me to tell you of my experience with the Bolshoi, but that will come later. I saved the day by drinking at midmorning a large plastic cup of vodka to seal an agreement....
Arriving at the Ritz we head to the bar and are just sipping our cocktails when in fly Sir Robert together with John Tooley (later Sir John) head at that time of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden. The conversation batted back & fore until Ninette de Valois was mentioned. Sir Fred said: I was in rehearsal with her. She was directing us in a new ballet. She said to us all, "Now I want you all to go da-da, da-da, da-da." Well I said to myself one word. DISASTER!
It was a most memorable chat.