Origins & Early Life

Phyllis Spira (18 October 1943 – 11 March 2008) was a South African ballet dancer who began her career with the Royal Ballet in England. Upon returning to South Africa, she spent twenty-eight years as prima ballerina of CAPAB Ballet, a professional company in Cape Town named for the Cape Performing Arts Board. In 1984 she was named the first (and currently only) South African Prima Ballerina Assoluta. Born in Johannesburg, Phyllis Bernice Spira was the first daughter and second child of Lazar and Fanny Pauline (Rosen) Spira, working-class parents who lived in a modest home in the pleasant suburb of Orange Grove.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

When she was 4 years old, little Phyllis was enrolled in ballet classes, where, even at that tender age, she showed talent for dancing. After attending a Hebrew nursery school, she was educated at Orange Grove Primary School and Waverly High School for Girls, where ballet classes and training for eisteddfods were extracurricular activities. When she was 15, her headmistress, recognizing her exceptional talent, obtained official permission for her to leave school at the end of the tenth grade to pursue her dance training. Soon thereafter, she was...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Alvy Ray Smith — Contemporary (Born in 1943) (1943): Pioneering computer scientist and co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios.
• Antonio Inoki — Contemporary (Born in 1943) (1943): Pioneering Japanese wrestler, martial artist, and political figure.
• Arthur Ashe — Contemporary (Born in 1943) (1943): Pioneering American tennis star, celebrated for his skill and activism.
• Albert Hofmann — Contemporary (Died in 2008) (2008): Swiss chemist renowned for synthesizing LSD and pioneering psychedelic research.
• Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn — Contemporary (Died in 2008) (2008): Dissident author who exposed Soviet repression, notably the Gulag system.
• Arthur C. Clarke — Contemporary (Died in 2008) (2008): Pioneering science fiction writer, futurist, and popularizer of space travel.
• Canaletto — Shared historical date (10-18 · Born) (1697): Master Vedutista: Celebrated painter of Venetian and Roman cityscapes.
• Charles Babbage — Shared historical date (10-18 · Died) (1871): Pioneering polymath credited with originating the concept of the digital programmable computer.
• 1982 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament — Shared historical date (03-11 · Born) (1982): The 44th annual NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.
• Alexander Fleming — Shared historical date (03-11 · Died) (1955): Pioneering microbiologist known for the discovery of penicillin, revolutionizing medicine.
• 1943 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1943
• October 18 (10-18) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on October 18
• 2008 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 2008
• March 11 (03-11) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on March 11