Tankho Selimovich Izrailov (russian: Танхо Селимович Израилов; he, תנקהו ישראלוב born December 2, 1917 – November 30, 1981) was a Soviet Dagestan ballet dancer, a ballet master, a

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 ...

, and of

Mountain Jewish Mountain Jews or Caucasus Jews also known as Juhuro, Juvuro, Juhuri, Juwuri, Juhurim, Kavkazi Jews or Gorsky Jews ( he, יהודי קווקז ''Yehudey Kavkaz'' or ''Yehudey he-Harim''; russian: Горские евреи, translit=Gorskie Yevrei ...

origin. He was awarded the honorary title

People's Artist of the USSR People's Artist of the USSR ( rus, Народный артист СССР, Narodny artist SSSR), also sometimes translated as National Artist of the USSR, was an honorary title granted to artists of the Soviet Union. Nomenclature and significan ...

Biography

Tankho Izrailov was born in the village of Tsovkra, Kulinsky District,

Dagestan Dagestan ( ; rus, Дагеста́н, , dəɡʲɪˈstan, links=yes), officially the Republic of Dagestan (russian: Респу́блика Дагеста́н, Respúblika Dagestán, links=no), is a republic of Russia situated in the North C ...

, Mountain Republic. He studied at the Akhundov Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre,

Baku Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world a ...

. In 1934 Izrailov founded and led the dance ensemble of the Mountain Jews. From 1937 to 1954, he was the soloist and assistant choreographer of the Ensemble of Folk Dance of the USSR under the direction of Igor Moiseyev. In 1955 Tankho Izrailov graduated from the department of the choreography at the Lunacharsky State Institute for Theatre Arts (GITIS) in Moscow. Tankho Izrailov staged performances of dances of the play ''"Dawn of the Caspian Sea"'' at the Yermolova Theatre, ''"Grooms"'' (A. Tokayev) at the Moscow Academic Theatre of Satire, and ''"Silk Suzani"'' (A. Kakhara) at the Moscow Regional Drama Theater named after A. Ostrovsky. In 1954-55 Izrailov was the director of the National Academic Ensemble of Folk Dance ''"Joc,"'' and from 1955 to 1958 he headed the Dance Ensemble of the Turkmen SSR. Tankho Izrailov was the creator, artistic director and choreographer of the Choreography Folk Dance Ensemble of the Dagestan ASSR ''" Lezginka."'' The first performance took place on May 11, 1958 in Makhachkala Theater named after Maxim Gorky. Immediately after the first performance the ensemble was invited to Moscow to represent the culture of Dagestan in the State Kremlin Palace. Soon, the dance ensemble Lezginka began tours around the Soviet Union and foreign countries. They gained worldwide fame. Izrailov headed the dance ensemble Lezginka from 1958 to 1978. He was buried at the Kuntsevo Cemetery in Moscow.

Awards

* Honored Artist of the Turkmen SSR * People's Artist of the RSFSR (1967) A draw sketch of Tankho Izrailov
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(1978) * Order of the Badge of Honour

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Izrailov, Tankho 1917 births 1981 deaths People from Dagestan Mountain Jews Soviet Jews Russian male ballet dancers Soviet choreographers Russian choreographers People's Artists of the USSR People's Artists of the RSFSR Russian Academy of Theatre Arts alumni Burials at Kuntsevo Cemetery