Famous Ballerina

Famous prima ballerina Olga Preobrajenska was one of the most popular dancers in Russian Imperial Ballet. She earned her title in 1900, right in the beginning of the 20th century. Her performance was famous for its improvisation and creativity, thus Olga was praized and loved by the audience and the critics.

Preobrajenska was lucky to have great teachers right when she was just started her dancing career. She was trained by world class ballet dancers like Maurice Petipa, Nicholas Legat, Christian Johansson and others whose names had already been engraved in the history of the 19th century classical ballet.

Olga was also lucky that she managed to emigrate from Bolshevik Russia in 1921 and bring her talents of a ballet dancer and teacher to the West. For the next two years she taught in Milan, London, Buenos Aires and Berlin and, finally moved to France. In Paris Preobrajenska opened her famous ballet school that was thought to be one of the best in the world.  It existed practically till the death of its owner and closed its doors in 1960.

During the life of the ballet school practically any major ballet dancer of the times visited Preobrajenska to learn her legendary ballet moves.  Among her students were Fonteyn, Baranova, Toumanova and others.  Olga did not live long after her retirement in 1960. She passed away in 1960 when she was 91years old.

Olga Preobrajenska in Raymonda, 1898

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