Ballet Dancer. A renowned performer, noted for his bold stage presence. He began his career at age 14 with the French Maryinsky company, performed with Ida Rubinstein's troupe, and toured Europe and the Mediterranean with the Ballets Russes de Paris. In 1935 he joined the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and remained its principal dancer until 1962. During the 1940s and 1950s he also was the principal dancer for the Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas, appearing in Broadway musicals and in such Hollywood films as "Samson and Delilah" (1949). In the early 1960s Zoritch opened a ballet school in Hollywood, Calfornia and later taught at the University of Arizona at Tucson (1973 to 1987), becoming one of America's most respected dance instructors. After the fall of the Soviet Union he made annual trips back to his native Russia to serve on the juries of the Perm ballet competitions. In the 2005 documentary film "Ballets Russes", Zoritch was featured as a charismatic peformer who helped defined the artistry of ballet.
Ballet Dancer. A renowned performer, noted for his bold stage presence. He began his career at age 14 with the French Maryinsky company, performed with Ida Rubinstein's troupe, and toured Europe and the Mediterranean with the Ballets Russes de Paris. In 1935 he joined the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and remained its principal dancer until 1962. During the 1940s and 1950s he also was the principal dancer for the Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas, appearing in Broadway musicals and in such Hollywood films as "Samson and Delilah" (1949). In the early 1960s Zoritch opened a ballet school in Hollywood, Calfornia and later taught at the University of Arizona at Tucson (1973 to 1987), becoming one of America's most respected dance instructors. After the fall of the Soviet Union he made annual trips back to his native Russia to serve on the juries of the Perm ballet competitions. In the 2005 documentary film "Ballets Russes", Zoritch was featured as a charismatic peformer who helped defined the artistry of ballet.
Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith
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See more Zoritch memorials in:
Records on Ancestry
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