In 1931, Ninette de Valois started a ballet company with just six dancers. Within twenty years, the Royal Ballet as it became was established as one of the worlds great companies. It has produced celebrated dancers, from Margot Fonteyn to Darcey Bussell, and one of the richest repertoires in ballet. This book is a perceptive and critical account of its first 75 years, tracing the companys growth, and its great cultural importance.