Sir Frederick Ashton (1904 - 1988), ballet dancer and choreographer. Among his works are the Symphonic Variations set to the music of Cesar Franck; his first example of the abstract ballet of pure movement. A major work was also Cinderella, first produced at Covent Garden in 1949. Born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, he spent his early years in South America. Among those with whom he later studied dancing were Massine, Nijinska and Marie Rambert, who was the first to encourage him in his choreographic work.