Alexandra Mikhailovna Balashova (russian: Александра Михайловна Балашова; 3 May 1887 — 5 January 1979), also seen as Aleksandra Balashova or Alexandra Balachova, was a Russian ballet dancer, and later a dance teacher and
choreographer
Choreography is the art or practice of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which motion or form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A choreographer is one who cr ...
.
Early life
Alexandra Balashova was born in Moscow. She was educated at the
Bolshoi Theatre
The Bolshoi Theatre ( rus, Большо́й теа́тр, r=Bol'shoy teatr, literally "Big Theater", p=bɐlʲˈʂoj tʲɪˈatər) is a historic theatre in Moscow, Russia, originally designed by architect Joseph Bové, which holds ballet and op ...
Ballet School.
Career
Balashova was a principal dancer at the Bolshoi Theatre starting in 1905. She often danced with
Mikhail Mordkin
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Mikhail Mordkin (russian: Михаил Михайлович Мордкин; December 9, 1880, Moscow, Russian Empire - July 15, 1944, New York) graduated from the Bolshoi Ballet School in 1899, and in the same year was appointed ballet m ...
, and was known for such roles as Aurora in '' The Sleeping Beauty'' and Odette/Odille in ''
Swan Lake
''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoye ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, link=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failur ...
''. She performed in London in 1911, replacing
Yekaterina Geltzer Yekaterina Vasilyevna Geltzer (November 2, 1876 – December 12, 1962) was a prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Ballet who danced in the theatre from 1898 to 1935. She was the daughter of the famous Russian dancer Vasily Geltzer.
She worked with Mariu ...
; for publicity, London bootmakers were challenged to fit "her marvelous instep" from their stock. She left Russia in 1921 and danced for about ten more years in Western Europe, then taught, while living in France. Among her students was dance notation expert Jacqueline Challet-Haas. In 1946 Balashova was credited as choreographer on a production of ''
La fille mal gardée
LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States.
La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* La (musical note), or A, the sixth note
* "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figur ...
'' in London.
Russian artist
Filipp Malyavin
Filipp Andreevich Malyavin (russian: Филипп Андреевич Малявин) (October 22, 1869, Kazanka (Julian calendar: October 10) – December 23, 1940, Nice, France) was a Russian painter and draftsman.Alexei K. Ushkov as his second wife. They left Russia in 1921, taking a residence in
Isadora Duncan
Angela Isadora Duncan (May 26, 1877 or May 27, 1878 – September 14, 1927) was an American dancer and choreographer, who was a pioneer of modern contemporary dance, who performed to great acclaim throughout Europe and the US. Born and raised in ...
's former apartment in Paris. Balashova died in 1979, aged 91, in a rest home near Paris. There is a box of her papers, mostly correspondence and photographs, at
Amherst University
The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst, UMass) is a public research university in Amherst, Massachusetts and the sole public land-grant university in Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Founded in 1863 as an agricultural college, ...