Farron, Julia, 1922–2019, English ballerina, b. Joyce Margaret Farron-Smith. She studied at the Vic-Wells Ballet School, joined the company (now the Royal Ballet) in 1936, and, as the company's youngest dancer, created (1937) the role of Pépé the dog in Ashton's A Wedding Bouquet. Ashton subsequently created numerous roles for Farron, who became noted for the suppleness of her upper body and her acting ability; those parts included Diana in Sylvia, the Neapolitan dancer in Swan Lake, and Berta in Ondine. Her other famous roles included the Prelude in Fokine's Les Sylphides, Belle Épine in John Cranko's Prince of the Pagodas, and the Prostitute in Robert Helpmann's Miracle in the Gorbels. She retired in 1961 but was brought back (1965) by Kenneth Macmillan as Lady Capulet in his Romeo and Juliet, a role she performed until 1976. She also pursued a career in teaching, at the Royal Ballet School (1964–82) and Royal Academy of Dance (1983–89), where she was director.
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