Tamara Geva

Tamara Geva (1906–1997) was a Russian-born American ballet dancer, actress, and choreographer. She helped bring modern ballet to American audiences through stage and film work.

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George Balanchine: A Georgian-born choreographer who became a leading figure in American ballet and co-founded New York City Ballet. Geva married Balanchine and collaborated with him during their early years in the United States.
Ballets Russes: A Paris-based ballet company led by Sergei Diaghilev from 1909 to 1929, known for innovative collaborations across the arts. Geva performed with the company, whose touring brought modern ballet to audiences beyond Russia.
Russian ballet: A ballet tradition shaped by imperial schools, influential choreographers, and major Russian companies. Geva’s training began within this tradition before she became a performer in the United States.
American ballet: Ballet created and performed in the United States, shaped by immigrant artists, schools, and companies. Geva’s performing career contributed to ballet’s establishment on American stages.
Alexandra Danilova: A Russian-born ballerina celebrated for her performances with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and American companies. Danilova shared Geva’s Russian ballet background and helped establish classical dance in the United States.
Ziegfeld Follies: A series of elaborate Broadway revues featuring comedy, music, dance, and spectacle. Geva’s stage work placed ballet-trained movement within American revue and musical theater.
Imperial Ballet School: The St. Petersburg school that trained dancers for the imperial theaters and later became the Vaganova Academy. Geva studied in the Russian system of formal ballet education associated with the school.
Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo: A touring ballet company founded in 1932 that carried repertory and dancers from the Ballets Russes tradition. The company exemplified the touring ballet culture through which European dance reached American audiences.
Michel Fokine: A Russian choreographer whose reforms helped shape early twentieth-century ballet. Geva’s training and early performance world emerged from the ballet traditions Fokine helped transform.
On Your Toes: A 1936 Rodgers and Hart musical comedy centered on ballet and popular entertainment. Geva appeared in the Broadway production, which brought ballet into a comic musical plot.