Olga Preobrajenska was born in St. Petersburg on January 21, 1871. I have yet to find out what her real surname is hence the two different ways of spelling it in the title of this page. I have a feeling the one way is the Russian way and the other the English way. Her mother … Read more
Marie Petipa was the daughter of famous choreographer Marius Petipa, but she has quite a tragic story behind her. Marie Mariusovna Petipa was born on the 29th of October 1857 in St. Petersburg. She studied classical ballet under her father Marius Petipa. Her mother was Maria Petipa. She made her debut at the Mariinsky Theater … Read more
I grew up watching and admiring Natalia Bessmertnova and her dancing, so I thought it would only be fitting to write a post about this bewitching Russian ballerina. Here are some of the productions that she has been recorded doing. Luckily there is a lot of footage of her dancing, unlike the earlier Russian Ballerina’s. … Read more
Most people believe that these six magnificent and famous Russian Ballet Dancers have marked the progress of Russian Ballet Dancing during the twentieth century. Each of these famous Russian Ballet Dancers has in some way laid the groundwork for the further development of the art of ballet dancing worldwide. Each of these Russian ballerina’s has in … Read more
Tamara Platonovna Karsavina was born in St. Petersburg on the 10th of March 1885. She was the daughter of well-known dancer Platon Karsavin and she was lucky enough to study ballet dancing under famous teachers Paul Gerdt and Enrico Cecchetti at the famous Imperial School. Due to his own bitter experiences, Platon initially refused to … Read more
Michel Fokine was born Mikhail Mikhaylovich Fokine on the 23rd of April 1880 in St Petersburg. If you are wondering who Michel Fokine was, he was a dancer and choreographer that profoundly influenced the 20th-century classical ballet repertoire. In 1905 he composed The Dying Swan for Russian Ballerina Anna Pavlova. He was chief choreographer at … Read more
Dawn Weller – South African Ballerina – A Short Autobiography Ken Yeatman, who is an Ex-Principal dancer with Pact, Capab, Pacofs and Napac Ballet Companies wrote this extract in the book, Dawn Weller: Portrait of a Ballerina, which describes her perfectly. ‘Dawn Weller did not reach her present position through natural talent. She is there … Read more
Although there have been many famous ballet dancers over the years, some of them stick out in our minds more than others. One such dancer was definitely Margot Fonteyn who dominated British ballet for over forty years. This is an amazing feat, especially since the career span of a dancer is normally so short. My … Read more
Dame Adeline Genee is a name that is not familiar with most of the general public, but in her time Adeline Genee was well known and celebrated in England as a great ballet dancer. She was a Danish girl and at the age of 15 already a veteran of five years on the stage. Dame … Read more
In this post, I would love to share the Royal Ballet History with you, as it is both interesting and fascinating. The Royal Ballet is one of the most Famous ballet companies in the world and is internationally renowned for its artistic and creative excellence. Marie Rambert and Ninette de Valois are just two of … Read more