Page "Rosella Hightower" Paragraph 3

She joined the de Basil Ballet in 1946, which was performing under the name Original Ballet Russe.

Hightower received acclaim from John Martin of The New York Times after a March 1947 performance of Giselle by the Original Ballet Russe at the Metropolitan Opera House.

After Alicia Markova, who had been scheduled to dance the title role, became sick, Hightower was called in as her replacement, and learned the part she had never danced before in some five hours of rehearsal with dancer / choreographer Anton Dolin.

Martin's review stated that the " Original Ballet Russe had planned no novelty for the opening of its season ... but there was a major one on its program nevertheless.

This was the unscheduled first appearance of Rosella Hightower in the title role of Giselle ", calling it " a thoroughly admirable achievement, which brought an ovation from the audience ".

Three days later, Martin's review of Swan Lake called Hightower " the newest star on the ballet horizon " after her two performances with Dolin and then André Eglevsky as her partner