Markova was born and raised in London. She was a founder dancer of the Ballet Rambert (1931/5), the Vic-Wells Ballet (193/5), Markova-Dolin Company (1935/8), danced for the American Ballet Theatre (1941/5), and was co-founder and director of the English National Ballet. She toured with Dolin after the war until 1949. Her last period as a dancer came with the London Festival Ballet, which became the English National Ballet. She retired from professional dancing in January 1963 at fifty-two.