Ballerina. A star of England's Royal Ballet for more than 20 years, she is remembered for her technical expertise and for excelling in comedic roles. Born Nadine Judd, she was raised in central South Africa, took up ballet on the advice of a doctor who said she had "weak feet", and made her stage debut at eight as Cio-Cio-San's child in a production of Puccini's "Madame Butterfly". She moved to Durban for further study in 1939 then relocated to England in 1945 for advanced training, first with Ballet Rambert then with the Sadler's Wells Ballet School. Nadia made her 1946 professional debut with Sadler's Wells (since 1956, the Royal Ballet), at that time taking "Nerina" from a South African flower, as a Circus Dancer in Andree Howard's "Mardi Gras" and the next year earned praise in the lead of Chopin's "Les Sylphides". Designated Prima Ballerina in 1952, she created nine new roles over the years, several in works by Frederick Ashton, including a Spring Fairy in "Cinderella" (1948), the 1956 "Birthday Offering", and Lise in 1960's "La Fille Mal Gardee". Though noted for happier fare such as Tchaikovsky's "Sleeping Beauty" and "Swan Lake" and Stravinsky's "The Firebird", she also danced creator performances in Kenneth MacMillan's 1956 "Noctambules" and Robert Helpmann's 1963 "Elektra". The year 1960 saw her debut with the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad and Moscow's Bolshoi Ballet, and though she had a dust-up with Rudolf Nureyev his subsequent defection to the West ended her appearances in Russia. Nadia retired to the South of France in 1969 and essentially dropped from view, though she did appear at occasional galas. She died after a brief illness.
Ballerina. A star of England's Royal Ballet for more than 20 years, she is remembered for her technical expertise and for excelling in comedic roles. Born Nadine Judd, she was raised in central South Africa, took up ballet on the advice of a doctor who said she had "weak feet", and made her stage debut at eight as Cio-Cio-San's child in a production of Puccini's "Madame Butterfly". She moved to Durban for further study in 1939 then relocated to England in 1945 for advanced training, first with Ballet Rambert then with the Sadler's Wells Ballet School. Nadia made her 1946 professional debut with Sadler's Wells (since 1956, the Royal Ballet), at that time taking "Nerina" from a South African flower, as a Circus Dancer in Andree Howard's "Mardi Gras" and the next year earned praise in the lead of Chopin's "Les Sylphides". Designated Prima Ballerina in 1952, she created nine new roles over the years, several in works by Frederick Ashton, including a Spring Fairy in "Cinderella" (1948), the 1956 "Birthday Offering", and Lise in 1960's "La Fille Mal Gardee". Though noted for happier fare such as Tchaikovsky's "Sleeping Beauty" and "Swan Lake" and Stravinsky's "The Firebird", she also danced creator performances in Kenneth MacMillan's 1956 "Noctambules" and Robert Helpmann's 1963 "Elektra". The year 1960 saw her debut with the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad and Moscow's Bolshoi Ballet, and though she had a dust-up with Rudolf Nureyev his subsequent defection to the West ended her appearances in Russia. Nadia retired to the South of France in 1969 and essentially dropped from view, though she did appear at occasional galas. She died after a brief illness.
Bio by: Bob Hufford
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