(1898–2001)
the stage name of Edris Stannus, an Irish dancer and choreographer who had a great influence on the development of British ballet. After appearing in London and Paris in the early 1920s, she opened a ballet school in London with Lilian Baylis . In 1931, she started the Vic-Wells ballet, which performed at Sadler’s Wells and later became the Royal Ballet , which she directed until 1963. Among her works are The Rake’s Progress (1935) and Checkmate (1937) with music by Arthur Bliss . She was made a dame (2) in 1951.