Tatiana Riabouchinska

Tatyana Mikhailovna Rjabuschinskaja (Russian Татьяна Михайловна Рябушинская / Tatyana Mikhailovna Rjabuschinskaja, mostly Tatiana Riabouchinska written; * May 23, 1917 in Moscow, † August 24 2000 in Los Angeles ) was a Russian ballet dancer.

Life and career

It was discovered in 1931 by George Balanchine in a Paris dance studio and dedicated in 1932 with 15 years with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. Rjabuschinskaja was one of the three famous "Baby Ballerinas " (along with Irina Baronova and Tamara Toumanova ). Rjabuschinskaja remained true to the ballet to 1942 and danced in the period following the world as a guest ballerina in large ensembles such as Ballet Theatre, the London Festival Ballet, the Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas and Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires.

In 1943 she married the dancer and choreographer Davide Lichine. Rjabuschinskaja and Lichine were involved in two major Hollywood productions: They were the models for Hyacinth Hippo and Ben Ali Gator in Fantasia (1940 ) and the dancing silhouettes in Make Mine Music ( 1946). In the 50s and Rjabuschinskaja Lichine founded a dance school in Beverly Hills, where she trained actor and dancer. So Rjabuschinskaja trained Anne Bancroft for her role as a prima ballerina in the film The Turning Point.

Rjabuschinskaja taught until the day of her death at her studio in West Hollywood.