Alexandra Denisova
Encyclopedia
Alexandra Denisova real name Patricia Denise Meyers Galian, is a Canadian ballerina.
Born in Canada
, she started taking classical ballet lessons in childhood.
After the October Revolution
, many artistic and cultural professionals, including ballet dancers and choreographers, emigrated from Russia
, bringing with them the typical Russian forms of ballet, which was developing mostly independently from the Western trends since the 19th century and followed classic forms long abandoned in the West. As the Russian ballet enjoyed great popularity in the West, these emigrants were always in great demand. It is due to this popularity that the European dancers started to adopt Russian pseudonyms. Young Patricia Galian also followed this trend and started to perform as Alexandra Denisova.
Before the beginning of World War II, she worked in troupe of Original Ballet Russe
— OBR (other name is Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo). The troupe went on tour in the different countries, first of all making tour across Europe. All were broken by the Second World War: tours across Europe have been cancelled. The route has changed in a direction to the South America.
Soon troupe Original Ballet Russe gave representations in Havana. One of founders of troupe Vasily Voskresensky, the former officer of the Russian imperial army, having brought troupe to Cuba, to Havana, has decided to meet the old colleague-officer who has settled there — Nikolay Yavorsky.
Nikolay Yavorsky wasn't the professional dancer too, but once in young years he has been given to training to ballet. In emigration this knowledge was useful. He began to give lessons of ballet skill. Among his pupils there were brothers Fernando Alonso
(1914) and Alberto Alonso (1917—2007) and a girl Alicia Ernestina de la Caridad del Cobre Martínez Hoya. Fernando Alonso and Alicia married; Alicia became Alicia Alonso
. Alberto Alonso began his dance career aged 17 in 1936 with Original Ballet Russe where he became the partner, and then the husband of ballerina Alexandra Denisova. Alberto Alonso and Alexandra Denisova married in May 1939 in Melbourne.
Tours in Australia were tightened, in 1940 during this tours David Lichine
created the ballet Graduation Ball
(Alexandra Denisova as one of girl). To return to Europe at war it was impossible. It was reflected in the troupe finance. Some dancers have left troupe to America which was far from war. As a result Alexandra Denisova accepted all roles of a star of troupe Irina Baronova
, and has coped with them so successfully that critic Arnold Haskell
marked in the publication in the newspaper The Home on April 1, 1940:
Young Denisova during the season danced many of her (Baronova) roles. For any ballerina to undertake this means shouldering an initial handicap, but the Canadian girl proved her mettle and earned high praise. (Arnold Haskell, The Home, April 1, 1940).
Alberto Alonso has been occupied in many parties too. But the family began to fall. Denisova and Alberto separated in 1944, while on vacation in the United States, and she was never to return to Cuba. She began to live in the USA, Los Angeles
.
She acted at different theaters in ballets of Michel Fokine
(Paganini), David Lichine
(Rhapsody, 1946), George Balanchine
(Song of Norway, 1946) etc.
Denisova’s career continued in Hollywood, with small roles dancing when she has removed her Russian pseudonym: films On an Island with You
— 1948 (in several scenes she replaced ill Cyd Charisse
), Two Tickets to Broadway
— 1951, Singin’ in the Rain — 1952, Knock on Wood — 1954, Three for the Show
— 1955, Meet Me in Las Vegas
— 1956, Marjorie Morningstar
— 1958 etc.
In the 1950s she had a position of Assistant to the Dance Director in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios.
Fragments with his participation (with the real name Patricia Denise Galian) have entered into a film Ballets Russes ([San Francisco, CA] : Geller/Goldfine Productions ; New York, NY : Zeitgeist Films, ©2006).
Born in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, she started taking classical ballet lessons in childhood.
After the October Revolution
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
, many artistic and cultural professionals, including ballet dancers and choreographers, emigrated from Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, bringing with them the typical Russian forms of ballet, which was developing mostly independently from the Western trends since the 19th century and followed classic forms long abandoned in the West. As the Russian ballet enjoyed great popularity in the West, these emigrants were always in great demand. It is due to this popularity that the European dancers started to adopt Russian pseudonyms. Young Patricia Galian also followed this trend and started to perform as Alexandra Denisova.
Before the beginning of World War II, she worked in troupe of Original Ballet Russe
Original Ballet Russe
The Original Ballet Russe was a ballet company established in 1932 by René Blum and Colonel Wassily de Basil as a successor to the Ballets Russes. The company assumed the new name Original Ballet Russe after a split between de Basil and Blum...
— OBR (other name is Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo). The troupe went on tour in the different countries, first of all making tour across Europe. All were broken by the Second World War: tours across Europe have been cancelled. The route has changed in a direction to the South America.
Soon troupe Original Ballet Russe gave representations in Havana. One of founders of troupe Vasily Voskresensky, the former officer of the Russian imperial army, having brought troupe to Cuba, to Havana, has decided to meet the old colleague-officer who has settled there — Nikolay Yavorsky.
Nikolay Yavorsky wasn't the professional dancer too, but once in young years he has been given to training to ballet. In emigration this knowledge was useful. He began to give lessons of ballet skill. Among his pupils there were brothers Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso (dancer)
Fernando Alonso is a Cuban ballet dancer and ex-husband of Alicia Alonso.-References:...
(1914) and Alberto Alonso (1917—2007) and a girl Alicia Ernestina de la Caridad del Cobre Martínez Hoya. Fernando Alonso and Alicia married; Alicia became Alicia Alonso
Alicia Alonso
Alicia Alonso Martínez is the Cuban prima ballerina assoluta and choreographer. Her company became the Ballet de Cuba in 1955....
. Alberto Alonso began his dance career aged 17 in 1936 with Original Ballet Russe where he became the partner, and then the husband of ballerina Alexandra Denisova. Alberto Alonso and Alexandra Denisova married in May 1939 in Melbourne.
Tours in Australia were tightened, in 1940 during this tours David Lichine
David Lichine
David Lichine / Дэвид Лишин was a Russian/French/US ballet dancer and choreographer; he was born as Давид Лихтенштейн David Lichtenštejn / David Lichtenstein ....
created the ballet Graduation Ball
Graduation Ball
"Graduation Ball" is a ballet, choreographed in 1940 in Australia by David Lichine during the 1939-1940 tour of the Original Ballet Russe. The single-act, light-hearted comic ballet was premiered on Friday, March 1st, 1940, in Sydney...
(Alexandra Denisova as one of girl). To return to Europe at war it was impossible. It was reflected in the troupe finance. Some dancers have left troupe to America which was far from war. As a result Alexandra Denisova accepted all roles of a star of troupe Irina Baronova
Irina Baronova
Irina Mikhailovna Baronova , FRAD was a Russian ballerina who was one of the Baby Ballerinas of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, discovered by George Balanchine in Paris in the 1930s...
, and has coped with them so successfully that critic Arnold Haskell
Arnold Haskell
Arnold Lionel Haskell was a British dance critic who founded the Camargo Society in 1930. With Ninette de Valois, he was influential in the development of the Royal Ballet School, later becoming the school's headmaster.He became fascinated by ballet when his mother prevailed on him to come with...
marked in the publication in the newspaper The Home on April 1, 1940:
Young Denisova during the season danced many of her (Baronova) roles. For any ballerina to undertake this means shouldering an initial handicap, but the Canadian girl proved her mettle and earned high praise. (Arnold Haskell, The Home, April 1, 1940).
Alberto Alonso has been occupied in many parties too. But the family began to fall. Denisova and Alberto separated in 1944, while on vacation in the United States, and she was never to return to Cuba. She began to live in the USA, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
She acted at different theaters in ballets of Michel Fokine
Michel Fokine
Michel Fokine was a groundbreaking Russian choreographer and dancer.-Biography:...
(Paganini), David Lichine
David Lichine
David Lichine / Дэвид Лишин was a Russian/French/US ballet dancer and choreographer; he was born as Давид Лихтенштейн David Lichtenštejn / David Lichtenstein ....
(Rhapsody, 1946), George Balanchine
George Balanchine
George Balanchine , born Giorgi Balanchivadze in Saint Petersburg, Russia, to a Georgian father and a Russian mother, was one of the 20th century's most famous choreographers, a developer of ballet in the United States, co-founder and balletmaster of New York City Ballet...
(Song of Norway, 1946) etc.
Denisova’s career continued in Hollywood, with small roles dancing when she has removed her Russian pseudonym: films On an Island with You
On an Island with You
On an Island with You is a 1948 musical romantic comedy film directed by Richard Thorpe. It stars Esther Williams, Peter Lawford, Ricardo Montalbán, Cyd Charisse and Kathryn Beaumont....
— 1948 (in several scenes she replaced ill Cyd Charisse
Cyd Charisse
Cyd Charisse was an American actress and dancer.After recovering from polio as a child, and studying ballet, Charisse entered films in the 1940s...
), Two Tickets to Broadway
Two Tickets to Broadway
Two Tickets to Broadway is a 1951 musical film directed by James V. Kern. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Sound Recording .-Cast:* Tony Martin as Dan Carter* Janet Leigh as Nancy Peterson* Gloria DeHaven as Hannah Holbrook...
— 1951, Singin’ in the Rain — 1952, Knock on Wood — 1954, Three for the Show
Three for the Show
Three for the Show is a 1955 musical comedy remake of Too Many Husbands. It starred actress Betty Grable in her last musical, opposite Jack Lemmon, Gower Champion and Marge Champion.-Cast:*Betty Grable as Julie Lowndes...
— 1955, Meet Me in Las Vegas
Meet Me in Las Vegas
Meet Me in Las Vegas is an MGM musical comedy produced by Joe Pasternak and directed by Roy Rowland filmed in Eastman Color and CinemaScope. The film has a running time of 112 minutes.-Cast and crew:...
— 1956, Marjorie Morningstar
Marjorie Morningstar (film)
Marjorie Morningstar is a 1958 melodrama film based on the 1955 novel of the same name. The film, released by Warner Bros. and directed by Irving Rapper tells a fictional coming of age story about a young Jewish girl in New York City in the 1950s...
— 1958 etc.
In the 1950s she had a position of Assistant to the Dance Director in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios.
Fragments with his participation (with the real name Patricia Denise Galian) have entered into a film Ballets Russes ([San Francisco, CA] : Geller/Goldfine Productions ; New York, NY : Zeitgeist Films, ©2006).
Sources
- Ю. А. Бахрушин (Yu. A. Bakhrushin). "История русского балета" (History of the Russian Ballet. М., Сов. Россия, 1965, 249 с.