Kira Abricossova Bousloff (1914–2001) was a dancer with

Ballets Russes The Ballets Russes () was an itinerant ballet company begun in Paris that performed between 1909 and 1929 throughout Europe and on tours to North and South America. The company never performed in Russia, where the Russian Revolution, Revolution ...

who toured Australia in 1938 and stayed, divorcing first husband Serge Bousloff then marrying (and divorcing)

James Penberthy James Penberthy AM (3 May 191729 March 1999) was an Australian composer and journalist. Biography He was born Albert James Penberthy in Melbourne in 1917. He served with the Royal Australian Navy during World War II. He then studied at the Univ ...

while having a significant influence on the evolution of ballet in

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

. Born Kira Abricossova in Russia, the child of an aristocratic Russian family who were stranded in Monte Carlo by the 1917 Russian Revolution, she was raised in France, taking lessons from Russian émigrés. She established

West Australian Ballet West Australian Ballet (WAB) is the state ballet company of Western Australia and is based at the Western Australian Ballet Centre in Maylands, an inner suburb of Perth. Founded in 1952 by Kira Bousloff (formerly of the Ballets Russes), it i ...

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

(1952) and founded a ballet school which continues to this day. A number of significant Australian dancers came through the school, including Stephen Heathcote. In recognition of her contributions to Australian Ballet she was awarded a

Medal of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of then ...

(OAM) in 2000. She was the recipient of an Australia Dance Award for lifetime achievement in 2000. Made a Western Australian State Living Treasure 1998

References

1914 births 2001 deaths Australian ballerinas French emigrants to Australia Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia 20th-century Russian ballet dancers {{Russia-bio-stub