Celia Franca, CC OOnt (25 June 1921 – 19 February 2007) was the founder of The National Ballet of Canada (1951) and its artistic director for 24 years.
Born Celia Franks in London, England, the daughter of an East End tailor, she began to study dance at the age of 4 and was a scholarship student at the Guildhall School of Music and the Royal Academy of Dance. She made her professional debut aged 14. She caught the attention of choreographer Walter Gore and successfully auditioned for Marie Rambert's ballet company in 1936. She changed her name to Franca in emulation of Alice Marks, who changed hers to Alicia Markova.
Read more about Celia Franca: Career
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