Alexandra Danilova
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (July 2015) |
Alexandra Danilova | |
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Александра Данилова | |
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Aleksandra Dionisyevna Danilova (Russian: Александра Дионисьевна Данилова; November 20, 1903 – July 13, 1997) was a Russian-born
Early life
Born in
Career
In 1924, she and
The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo presented Gaîté Parisienne in the U.S. for the first time at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York, on 12 October 1938, with Danilova as the Glove Seller.[6] Portraying her as a vivacious, glamorous, sophisticated woman of the world,[7] Danilova in Gaîté became one of the attractions of the Ballet Russe, and the ballet often concluded a season's opening-night performance. On the opening night of the company's 1941 season in New York, when Danilova made her first entrance she was given a spontaneous ovation that stopped the show. Such show-stopping ovations thenceforth became a tradition of every opening-night Gaîté with Danilova.[8]
Danilova made her
In 1972, she staged a
Danilova had a small, but nostalgically delightful, role (especially for those who knew her earlier work) in the 1977 movie The Turning Point as a ballet coach for upcoming ballerinas.
In 1986 she published an autobiography called Choura, her own personal nickname. The book won the 1986 de la Torre Bueno Prize.[10]
Personal life
She had a long intimate relationship with Balanchine after his divorce from Tamara Geva, from 1926 to 1933, but they never married. They continued their professional partnership long after their romance ended. Danilova, who became an American citizen in 1946, was twice married, to Giuseppe Massera in 1934 and to Casimir Kokitch in 1941. [citation needed]
Ephemera
In Hugh Martin's Look Ma, I'm Dancin' of 1948, a disillusioned would-be dancer contrasts her skills with the talents of some of the leading ballerinas of the day, including Markova and Pavlova. The song includes the line "And as for Alexandra Danilova, I know I'll never make a schlemiel of 'er."
Death
Danilova died on July 13, 1997, in New York.
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Anderson, Jack (July 15, 1997). "Alexandra Danilova, Ballerina and Teacher, Dies at 93". The New York Times.
- ^ "Son to Mrs. Kazimir Kokich", The New York Times, November 26, 1958.
- ^ a b Dunning, Jennifer (May 22, 1989). "Ballet School Gala Benefit Is a Farewell For Teacher". The New York Times.
- ^ "Alexandra Danilova," Archived November 3, 2014, at the Wayback Machine Kennedy Center website; accessed July 1, 2015.
- ^ a b Gregory, John (July 15, 1997). "Obituary: Alexandra Danilova". The Independent. Archived from the original on September 22, 2013. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
- ^ Balanchine and Mason, 101 Stories of the Great Ballets (1989), p. 183.
- ^ Franklin, interview (2004), Gaîté Parisienne, a film (1954) by Victor Jessen on DVD (2006).
- ^ Anderson, The One and Only: The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo (New York: Dance Horizons, 1981), p. 18.
- ^ Macaulay, Alastair (May 30, 2012). "Recreating Lost Instants in a Reconstructed Ballet", nytimes.com; retrieved May 31, 2012.
- ^ "Society of Dance History Scholars - de la Torre Bueno Prize awards 1973-2001". sdhs.org. Archived from the original on August 7, 2012. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
External links
Archives at | ||||
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How to use archival material |
- Archive footage of Alexandra Danilova performing the Sugar Plum variation from The Nutcracker in 1952 at Jacob's Pillow
- Archive footage of Alexandra Danilova and Frederic Franklin performing Gaite Parisienne in 1948 at Jacob's Pillow
- Alexandra Danilova papers, 1954-1989 Manuscripts and Archives, New York Public Library.
- Alexandra Danilova at Find a Grave
- InfoPlease database entry
- StreetSwing.com entry
- The Ballerina Gallery - Alexandra Danilova
Reviews
- "'Giselle' Performed by the Ballet Russe; Mia Slavenska Dances Title Role at the Metropolitan". The New York Times. November 18, 1939. p. 22.