Margot Fonteyn's first performance with Rudolph Nureyev had been anticipated with feverish excitement by the ballet world. Fonteyn's personal invitation led to Nuryev's first appearance in London in a gala for the Royal Academy of Dancing on November 2nd, 1961. They did not dance together on that occasion..but shortly afterwards it was announced that the two were to appear in Giselle at Covent Garden the following February. News of Nureyev's dancing with the Kirov in Paris, his 'leap' to the West in June and the success of his gala performance fuelled the enormous interest in the production of Giselle... Over 70,000 applications for tickets were received for the three scheduled performances.