Knowra Tamara Karsavina Tamara Karsavina Tamara Karsavina (1885–1978) was a Russian ballerina and teacher, a principal dancer at the Mariinsky Theatre and a leading performer with Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes.
The Firebird : A 1910 ballet by Michel Fokine, with music by Igor Stravinsky, in which a magical bird helps a prince defeat an ogre. Karsavina created the title role in the Ballets Russes production that established the company in Paris.
Sergei Diaghilev : A Russian impresario who founded the Ballets Russes and brought Russian arts to international audiences. He recruited Karsavina as a leading dancer for his touring company.
Mariinsky Theatre : A historic Saint Petersburg opera and ballet theatre, formerly known as the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre. Karsavina trained and danced there as a principal before joining Diaghilev’s company.
Royal Academy of Dance : A British organization that promotes and examines dance education, especially classical ballet. Karsavina served as its vice-president and helped shape its ballet standards.
Russian ballet : The ballet tradition developed in Russia through imperial patronage, classical training, and distinctive theatrical repertory. Karsavina became one of its foremost performers and helped represent it abroad.
Petrushka : A ballet by Michel Fokine, set to Igor Stravinsky’s music, about a puppet who suffers unrequited love and meets a tragic end. She created the Ballerina role opposite Vaslav Nijinsky in the 1911 Ballets Russes premiere.
Michel Fokine : A Russian choreographer who helped reform classical ballet and created major works for the Ballets Russes. His choreography gave Karsavina title and featured roles in defining productions.
Imperial Ballet School : A Saint Petersburg institution that trained dancers for the Imperial Russian Ballet. Karsavina studied there, receiving the classical training that launched her stage career.
Ballets Russes : A touring ballet company founded by Sergei Diaghilev that transformed international ballet in the early twentieth century. Karsavina’s performances helped make the company’s productions influential across Europe.
Ballet and modernism : The exchange between ballet and modernist movements in music, visual art, and performance. The Ballets Russes works she performed brought classical dance into modernist collaboration.
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