Russian Ballet Dancer and Teacher. A late starter in ballet, she studied with Vaganova and Galina Ulanova's mother Maria Romanova at Volynsky's Private Russian Choreographic School from 1920-1925. She danced with GATOB (later the Kirov) from 1925-1929 and then toured Japan with a small ensemble. In 1929 she defected in Shanghai nut hearing about Diaghilev's death she decided to remain in China. There she danced with Georgi Goncharov's Russian Ballet Company and taught at his school. She founded her own school in Hong Kong in 1932 and moved to London with her husband, Hugh Finch Williams, in 1936 and opened another school. She taught at Sadler's Wells from 1943-1950. She eventually became the leading Western authority on the Vaganova teaching method and was a great influence on many British dancers includng Fonteyn. In 1950 she went to the La Scala in Milan as a teacher and the following year went to Copenhagan where she became a permanent teacher and artistic advisor to the Royal Danish Ballet (1952-1975). She did much to impove the standards and restore the conmpany's international reputation. Among her students there wete Erik Bruhn, Peter Martins and Peter Schaufuss. She worked as a guest teacher to many other companies including Kurt Jooss's Folkwang Ballet, New York City Ballet and the Harkness Ballet. Became a Knight of Order of Dannebrog in 1956.
Russian Ballet Dancer and Teacher. A late starter in ballet, she studied with Vaganova and Galina Ulanova's mother Maria Romanova at Volynsky's Private Russian Choreographic School from 1920-1925. She danced with GATOB (later the Kirov) from 1925-1929 and then toured Japan with a small ensemble. In 1929 she defected in Shanghai nut hearing about Diaghilev's death she decided to remain in China. There she danced with Georgi Goncharov's Russian Ballet Company and taught at his school. She founded her own school in Hong Kong in 1932 and moved to London with her husband, Hugh Finch Williams, in 1936 and opened another school. She taught at Sadler's Wells from 1943-1950. She eventually became the leading Western authority on the Vaganova teaching method and was a great influence on many British dancers includng Fonteyn. In 1950 she went to the La Scala in Milan as a teacher and the following year went to Copenhagan where she became a permanent teacher and artistic advisor to the Royal Danish Ballet (1952-1975). She did much to impove the standards and restore the conmpany's international reputation. Among her students there wete Erik Bruhn, Peter Martins and Peter Schaufuss. She worked as a guest teacher to many other companies including Kurt Jooss's Folkwang Ballet, New York City Ballet and the Harkness Ballet. Became a Knight of Order of Dannebrog in 1956.
Bio by: Medora
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