Nita Celia (Franks) Franca (1921 - 2007)

Born 25 Jun 1921 in London, England

Died 19 Feb 2007 at age 85 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

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Biography

Celia (Franks) Franca is Notable.

Celia Franca, a dancer, choreographer, and teacher, was the founder of the National Ballet of Canada and its artistic director for 23 years. She played an integral role in the development of ballet in Canada. ^[1]

Nita Celia Franks, born in 1921 ^[2] in east end London, was the daughter of Russian immigrants Gertrude Feigenbaum and Solomon Franks.^[3][4] She began studying dance at the age of four and was a scholarship student at the Guildhall School of Music and the Royal Academy of Dancing. After dancing with several companies, she joined Sadler's Wells Ballet (now the Royal Ballet) in 1941. In 1947 she joined the Metropolitan Ballet as a soloist and ballet mistress and while there created two ballets for BBC.

In 1950 she emigrated to Canada after accepting the invitation of a group of dance enthusiasts to create a ballet company based in Toronto. In addition to founding the National Ballet, she was a founding director of the National Ballet School.

She was married three times: her first marriages to British dancer Leo Kersley (married 1941)^[5] and Canadian musician and box office manager Bert Anderson (married August 3, 1951)^[6] ended in divorce. She was married for thirty years to musician James Morton. Celia was referenced in her obituary on 20 February 2007 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She died (age 85) on 19 February 2007.^[7]

Quote

"If I was born to anything, it was to start a ballet company and boss people around. I'll feel it's my company even when I'm in my grave."
— Celia Franca, quoted in "Celia Franca: Tour de Force"

Sources

1. ↑ The Canadian Encyclopedia
2. ↑ "England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV3W-5S55 : 2 October 2014), Nita C Franks, 1921; from "England & Wales Births, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Birth Registration, Mile End Old Town, London, England, citing General Register Office, Southport, England.
3. ↑ "England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:26DF-5ZC : 13 December 2014), Solomon Franks and null, 1915; from "England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1915, quarter 1, vol. 7A, p. 1089, Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
4. ↑ Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
5. ↑ "England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV8G-SJ3M : 8 October 2014), Nita C Franks and null, 1941; from "England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1941, quarter 1, vol. 3A, p. 3244, Watford, Hertfordshire, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
6. ↑ Whittaker, H. (1951, Aug 08). SHOW BUSINESS. The Globe and Mail (1936-Current) Retrieved from ProQuest
7. ↑ Obituary: "Canada, Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current"
   The Ottawa Citizen; Publication Date: 20 Feb 2007; Publication Place: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; URL: https://www.newspapers.com/image/466882699/?article=7cbfcd78-4215-4e50-a4a8-5d4da8cc3161&focus=0.41024622,0.118570626,0.5964109,0.2317093&xid=3355
   Ancestry Record 62226 #639575918 (accessed 5 December 2022)
   Name: Celia C.c. Franca; Gender: Female; Death Age: 85; Birth Date: abt 1922; Death Date: 19 Feb 2007; Obituary Date: 20 Feb 2007; Obituary Place: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Newspaper Title: The Ottawa Citizen; Spouse: James Morton.

See also:

• Wikipedia: Celia Franca
• Wikidata: Item Q2943961, en:Wikipedia
• Guardian obituary, February 22, 2007