In this first episode of our new podcast about the history of British ballet Patricia Linton, the founder of Voices of British Ballet, tells Natalie Steed about her project and introduces a recording she made with Monica Ratcliffe.

Monica Ratcliffe, one of Voices of British Ballet’s earliest voices, talks about her years at Dame Ninette de Valois’ Academy of Choreographic Art in Roland Gardens, London, before the forming of the Vic-Wells Ballet, as well as her encounters with Lilian Baylis, Lydia Lopokova, Olga Spessivtseva and many more.

Monica was born in 1911 in Letchworth Garden City. The family were living in London at the start of the First World War, but moved to Berkhamsted, where Monica went to Berkhamsted High School with her sister. She picked up the rudiments of dance at school, but was inspired to train after watching Anna Pavlova dancing in a window at Selfridges. She joined Ninette de Valois’ Academy of Choreographic Art soon after it had opened in 1926. She loved her time with de Valois, especially when they were at the Old Vic. By 1932 her lack of enthusiasm for pointework had limited her performing repertoire, and she retired in 1933.

Episode photo: Monica Ratcliffe amongst her peers, L-R: Iris James, Beatrice Appleyard, Ninette de Valois, Sheila McCarthy, Freda Bamford, Joy Newton, Monica Ratcliffe (kneeling). Dances from the opera Carmen, choreographed by Ninette de Valois and first performed at the Old Vic in January 1931 © Royal Ballet School/ArenaPal

After the Second World War she became editor-in-chief for her second husband, Arnold Beck, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.

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