Throwback Thursday and the Baby Ballerinas
It was dance critic Arnold Haskell who dubbed them “baby
ballerinas”. This was in the 1930s, during
the same period that child movie stars enthralled the public.
The three dancers were:
Irina Baronova (age 12), Tatiana Riabouchinska (age 14), and Tamara
Toumanova (age 12). They were discovered
by George Balanchine in Paris, having been taken out of Russia by their parents
to avoid the Bolsheviks. Balanchine selected
them to star in a new company, the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo.
These “babies” danced almost non-stop and had a schedule
that would not be tolerated by today’s standards. By the time they were in their twenties, they
had logged more time onstage then many dancers twice their age. And a life of one-night stands, traveling by
train and eating wherever they could, was hardly a glamorous life.
However, the publicity generated by the baby ballerinas may
have helped revive interest in ballet at a time when it appeared to be waning. A book called Irina: Ballet, Life and Love written
by Irina Baronova, describes her life, love, and adventures as a baby
ballerina.
From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:
Dance History Factoid #41:
“The baby ballerinas were three young dancers with the
Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo.”
Link of the Day:
Quote
of the Day:
“The best kind of
friend is the kind you can sit on a
porch swing with, never say a word, and then walk away
feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had.
-
Unknown
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