Phyllis Bedells

Who was Phyllis Bedells?

Phyllis Bedells was an English ballerina and teacher. She studied with Bolm, Cecchetti, and Pavlova. From 1907 she was a dancer at the London Empire Theatre and became the first British prima ballerina there in 1914. She left in 1916 to dance in West End musical revues and in opera ballets at Covent Garden. She was a founding member of the Royal Academy of Dance in 1920 and helped to draw up its first syllabus. She was also a member of the Camargo Society. In 1931 she appeared as a guest artist with the Vic-Wells Ballet. She retired in 1935, becoming both a ballet teacher and an examiner for the Royal Academy of Dance. In 1979 the annual Phyllis Bedells Bursary was established in her honour. She published her autobiography, My Dancing Days, in 1954.