born Nov. 20, 1903, Peterhof, Russia
died July 13, 1997, New York, N.Y., U.S.
Russian-born U.S. ballet dancer and teacher.
She attended the Imperial Ballet School in St. Petersburg and became a soloist at the Mariinsky Theatre . In 1924 she joined the Ballets Russes . From 1938 to 1952 she danced with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo , touring worldwide as its prima ballerina. She created leading roles in The Triumph of Neptune , Gaîté Parisienne , Swan Lake , and Coppélia . After retiring in 1957 she became a full-time faculty member at the School of American Ballet (196489). She was instrumental in bringing classical and modern Russian repertoires to the U.S.
Alexandra Danilova in Swan Lake .
The Bettmann Archive