User:Seamanjg/Margaret Craske

Margaret Craske (November 26 1892 February 18 1990) was a British dancer and one of 20th century's leading authorities on the Cecchetti method of teaching ballet.

Ms. Craske began her career dancing with (Dame) Ninette de Valois, founder of the Royal Ballet, in English variety theaters. Serge Diaghilev chose her for his company, Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo after he observed her in a class taught by Enrico Cecchetti, the Italian master ballet teacher. When a serious foot injury ended her performing career, Cecchetti asked her to assist at his London studio and chose her to continue his teachings when he retired to Italy in 1923. In 1924 she opened her own school where she taught Sir Frederick Ashton, Sir Anton Dolin, Antony Tudor, (Dame) Peggy van Praagh, and (Dame) Margot Fonteyn. She was ballet mistress for the Sadler's Wells Ballet (see Royal Ballet) and conducted examinations for the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing. From 1939 to 1946 she lived in India and became a disciple of the guru Meher Baba.

On Antony Tudor's recommendation, American Ballet Theatre invited Ms. Craske to become the company's ballet mistress and teacher (1946). When the Metropolitan Opera and American Ballet Theatre collaborated to form a ballet school (Metropolitan Opera Ballet School) in 1950, Ms. Craske became its director.

In 1968, Ms. Craske left the school to became ballet mistress of the Manhattan Festival Ballet and to teach at the Manhattan School of Dance (1968-1983). Her students included Melissa Hayden, Hugh Laing, Nora Kaye, Paul Taylor, Glen Tetley, Viola Farber, Andra Corvino, Ernesta Corvino and Sallie Wilson. Like Cecchetti, Ms. Craske stressed technique and attention to detail in her classes. She emphasized the quality of movement and anatomical exactitude.

Ms. Craske wrote two references on the Cecchetti method: The Theory and Practice of Allegro in Classical Ballet, co-authored with C. W. Beaumont (1930) and The Theory and Practice of Advanced Allegro in Classical Ballet, co-authored with Derra de Moroda (1951). She also wrote The Dance of Love, (1980) and Still Dancing with Love, (1990) about her work with Meher Baba.

--Seamanjg (talk) 00:34, 1 January 2010 (UTC)