Alicia Markova

Alicia Markova0:01

BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts.

Speaker 20:05

Hello, I'm Lauren Laverne and this is the Desert Island Discs podcast. This is the only extract the BBC has of this episode. The surviving recording did not include the music, so we've recreated the programme, adding the Castaways' choices. For rights' reasons, the music is shorter than on the original broadcast. The presenter is Roy Plomley. I hope you enjoy listening.

Presenter0:27

Now looking back to your childhood, do you recall any particular moment of inspiration when you said to yourself, I'm going to be a dancer?

Alicia Markova0:35

Well, I never said to myself I'm going to be a dancer.

Presenter0:38

How did it happen?

Alicia Markova0:39

Well, I had flat feet.

Presenter0:43

So did I, but it it it never made me a dancer. Well, what happened then?

Alicia Markova0:47

Well, I was sent to have exercises to strengthen them in that start of my training.

Presenter0:52

What was your very first professional appearance?

Alicia Markova0:55

Here in London in Christmas Pantomime, Dick Whittington at the Old Kennington Theatre.

Presenter1:01

Have a wave then.

Alicia Markova1:02

I was ten years of age.

Presenter1:04

And after that?

Alicia Markova1:06

Well, that led me to train seriously.

Alicia Markova1:09

with Serafina Stafyeva, the great Russian teacher.

Presenter1:12

Here in London.

Alicia Markova1:13

here in London, and that was where Diadgloff came to the studio.

Presenter1:16

Mm-hmm.

Alicia Markova1:17

and saw me working one day.

Presenter1:19

and offered you an engagement in his company.

Alicia Markova1:21

Not right away, because he was very amused at me.

Alicia Markova1:25

But uh later.

Alicia Markova1:27

He, yeah.

Alicia Markova1:29

decided to take me into the company.

Presenter1:31

Hmm.

Alicia Markova1:32

for the production of the Sleeping Beauty they were doing at the Alhambra.

Presenter1:35

Yeah.

Alicia Markova1:36

But unfortunately I never danced in it.

Presenter1:38

What?

Alicia Markova1:38

Uh

Alicia Markova1:39

Because I developed diphtheria.

Presenter1:41

Oh dear. But you did join the company later.

Alicia Markova1:44

Oh yes, I uh joined them on my fourteenth birthday, Monte Carlo.

Presenter1:48

Oh, that must have been wonderful, at the age of 14, going off to Monte Carlo to join the greatest ballet company in the world.

Alicia Markova1:55

Yes.

Presenter1:56

Who looked after you?

Alicia Markova1:57

I had my governess with me, and we were both in the care of Ninette de Valois.

Presenter2:02

Being a Russian company, of course, uh the rehearsals were taken in Russian weddings.

Alicia Markova2:07

Everything, yes. All the rehearsals and the rehearsal course were written on the board ration.

Presenter2:13

A a child dancer's life must be very hard, I mean the hours of dedicated practice every day as well as normal schooling.

Presenter2:20

Do you look back with uh any regret at having missed the sort of

Presenter2:24

carefree childhood that uh less talented children have.

Alicia Markova2:28

Well, if I can say, uh, honestly, I don't think I was ever aware of missing anything, because I was so intrigued and enthralled with what I was doing.

Alicia Markova2:39

And now to day I find all the things, if you can put it, that I missed, I enjoy em very much more.

Presenter2:45

Let's break off for record number three.

Presenter3:47

Well Madam Arkeva, when Diagov died and his company disbanded, what happened to you?

Alicia Markova3:54

Oh, at that time I just thought I was going to give up dancing completely. I didn't want to dance any longer.

Presenter4:00

Did you come back to London?

Alicia Markova4:01

I came back to London, yes, but I didn't dance here.

Alicia Markova4:04

And then I realized that I had to go on dancing. So I went back to Monte Carlo for a season.

Alicia Markova4:10

But I wasn't very happy, and then eventually Frederick Ashton

Presenter4:14

Yes. Of course in those days there was virtually no British ballet, was there?

Alicia Markova4:18

No, it was extraordinary, you know.

Presenter4:20

Mm-hmm.

Presenter4:21

So what what do have to do with Frederick Aston?

Alicia Markova4:23

Well, he uh had been asked by Sir Nigel Playfair to uh choreograph the dances for a Dryden play, the lyric Hammersmith. And he wrote and asked me if I would be interested to dance in them with him. Well, uh as you know, I I accepted and from there I went uh to the ballet club.

Alicia Markova4:45

Which start of the Rombeau Valley?

Speaker 24:46

Um

Alicia Markova4:47

And uh Ashton did many of his first works for me there, and then the Vic Wells and Camargo Society, you know one.

Presenter4:55

Yeah.

Alicia Markova4:55

being led to another

Presenter4:56

Then those fabulous years in the thirties when you were the first great British prima ballerina of the Vict Wells. Um tell us, Madame Markova, what was your salary?

Presenter5:06

when you started with the Vickwell.

Alicia Markova5:08

Oh, dear me, I think uh I think it was five guineas of performance.

Presenter5:13

Yeah.

Alicia Markova5:13

And well, and we didn't have a performance every week, I think it was every other week.

Presenter5:17

Ha ha ha.

Presenter5:19

You must have danced in most countries in the world now, haven't you?

Alicia Markova5:22

Well, I've danced in uh quite

Alicia Markova5:24

Alas.

Alicia Markova5:25

But there's still quite a few I haven't answered in

Presenter5:27

Any particular ambition still unfulfilled?

Alicia Markova5:31

Well, maybe to dance in Japan, perhaps.

Presenter5:34

Now this is a question you must have been asked thousands of times, which is your favorite classical role?

Alicia Markova5:39

She sells.

Presenter5:40

I thought you'd say that.