Stanley Holden(1928-2007)
- Actor
- Choreography
Born in London's East end, Stanley Holden started dance lessons at the
age of nine for a shilling a lesson; at sixteen he passed his Royal
Academy of Dancing examinations and subsequently became a member of
Sadler's Wells (later the Royal) Ballet. He became known as a renowned
character dancer, one almost without peer, specializing in such roles
as Coppelius in "Coppelia" and the Widow Simone in Frederick Ashton's
"La Fille Mal Gardee". After retiring from the Royal Ballet in 1969,
Holden moved to California where he soon opened a dance studio in West
Los Angeles and settled in to a long and fruitful career as a teacher.
He was survived by his second wife, three children from his first
marriage, a stepdaughter, and eight grandchildren.
