Tamara Karsavina photo, biography and personal life of Russian ballerina

Karsavina Tamara Platonovna – the famous Russian ballerina, famous ballet dancer of Diaghilev. During his long life she has experienced many upheavals, difficulties and trials, but forever memorable to viewers as a talented performer complex and intricate tricks.

Tamara Karsavina life years (1888 – 1978) created on the scene more than a dozen bright, memorable characters, skillfully passing a dance of emotions, feelings and sensations their characters.

What is notable about this dancer? What is its creative activity and personal life? The answers to these and many other questions you will find in this article. Also here are shown photos of Tamara Karsavina on stage and in everyday life.

Talented parent

Biography of Tamara Karsavina originated in tsarist St Petersburg, the birthplace of the future famous ballerina in the spring of 1885, in the family of a talented dancer, Platon Karsavin, who served in the Imperial theatre. The father, possessing virtuoso technique of execution of jumps and pirouettes, was not an outstanding artist, but still, after retirement, exercised his right to become a hereditary honorary citizen of the Russian Empire.

It Happened six years after the birth of Tamara. However, ceasing to speak, the father has not left the scene. For a time he taught ballet skills in theatre school of St. Petersburg.

According to the memoirs of Tamara Karsavina “Theater”, the family was not rich, often experiencing financial difficulties. Because of this, parents of the future ballerina was often forced to relocate in search of cheaper apartments and better.

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But despite all of the difficulties and problems, the father was the real head of the family. He introduced children to art, instilling in them a love of dance and music, encouraged to pay attention to your creativity.

Another memory of Tamara Karsavina on his father's influence on her life associated with the parent library, which she was reading from the age of six. The complete works of Pushkin, Lermontov and other classics have become real guides for thin and sensitive soul future ballerina Tamara Karsavina. Poetry and prose of these literary geniuses taught life and gave a lot of material for reflection.

Understanding, early matured girls soul was deeply imbued with the ideals of classical works, she sensitively perceive their essence and their meaning.

Strict mother

The mother of the future ballerina Tamara Karsavina – Anna Iosifovna Khomyakov, was quite strict, but loving parent. She never spoiled children, trying to instill in them moral and spiritual norms, but at the same time, a woman sensitive and attentive to their kids. They always know that Mama will forgive all that my mom will understand.

The Children grew up, and Anna Iosifovna tried to help them to choose their own path in life. She developed a talent son and daughter by providing the necessary options and tools.

Very soon the woman noticed that Tamarochka loves to dance, what her pretty well some pirouettes. Then Anna Iosifovna decided to give the baby to a ballet school to develop her natural talents and inclinations.

Controversial issue

Watching the dance technique of the daughter, the father also saw it as an extraordinary ability. There was something about dancing girls that were forced to wonder and admire at the same time. It wasn't soft or smooth. Was not performed by Tamara and has some expressionism or intensity. No. However, the girl is so unique, so original conveyed emotion of the music that it was impossible to deny her talent and innate skill.

And still his father did not want to see the daughter of a ballerina. Too much he knew about this profession, too often been behind the scenes of theatrical performances to allow their own child to get into this hornet's nest.

He saw the nature of his successor and considered it a modest and sensitive girl, unable to resist the terrible intrigues and harsh treatment of the theater group.

But the mother, seeing the talent of your cat and her burning desire to dance, has insisted that the girl tried to take exams in ballet school. What happened?

Education

In ballet Tamara Karsavina came at the age of ten, when impressed the admissions office at the Imperial theatre school their dancing abilities. Took it, despite the competition and limited in vacancies.

And could not be otherwise. The girl was very pleasant manners, friendly charm and your growth. Tamara Karsavina, both in childhood and in later years, was not distinguished by any article too large nor too fragile figure. Elegant, supple and flexible, she seemed like a real little Princess.

In the school of Tamara Karsavina was able to overcome a natural shyness and become more relaxed and more artistic. In addition, thanks to his perseverance and constant training, she was able to achieve the necessary elevation, and manner of performance. Now her dance compositions was characterized by noble elegance and precision, so necessary for each dancer.

What was behind this progress? As recognized herselfdancer she tough and relentlessly engaged in tormenting themselves with additional training in the evenings and weekends. And the result was worth it.

First steps on the big stage

Immediately after graduation (which happened in 1902), Tamara Karsavina was accepted into one of the ballet companies of the Mariinsky theatre, where she immediately began to sympathize with Mathilde Kschessinska-prima ballerina and dance teacher. However, another talented performer-Anna Pavlova, took a dislike to the young dancer. As repeatedly wrote in his memoirs, Tamara Karsavina, Anna Pavlovna several times humiliated her in front of everyone and trying to make fun of or insult. Perhaps the older Pavlov saw in the young actress on her opponent and rival.

One of the first performances of Tamara Karsavina on the big stage of the Mariinsky theatre was solo, single performance. However, later, the aspiring ballerina confidently declared itself as about the professional talented dancer.

To a greater extent this was facilitated by her familiarity with the main theatre dancer Michel Fokine, who boldly tried himself as a choreographer. In his first performances of Mikhail Mikhailovich involved Anna Pavlova, but later began to invite to the leading role of the younger and more plastic Karsavina. Since the direction of Tamara Karsavina was determined – she became prima ballerina of the ballet.

Less than a year as the girl shone on the stage of the Mariinsky theatre, performing Central roles in famous classical ballets "Giselle", "the Nutcracker”, “Sleeping beauty”, “Swan lake" and others.

Later, However, she was really frustrated – Tamara found malaria. For the treatment the girl went with her mother to Italy, where he recovered completely and was able to take lessons from the famous Katharina Beretta. Having returned to Petersburg, she started to dance better and better, and fans of the sentences appeared more. Herself, the Royal family said the performance artist and sent her my thank you gifts.

Tour Europe

In 1909, Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev was founded, the ballet repertory company in which Karsavina had to play the second role after Pavlova. However, Anna Pavlovna, for some unknown reason, quarrelled with the head of the troupe and left her. Thus at the heart of all productions took Karsavina Tamara Platonovna.

She had to play a great role to perform on the famous stages of the music of Europe and command the reverence of the public and critical acclaim.

Some brilliant performances by talented ballerinas

Among the most outstanding performances of the period mention should be made of the one-act ballet-pantomime "Carnival", was first staged by Diaghilev in his “Russian seasons” in the spring of 1910. Initially, the show was held in Berlin, then the success was repeated in Paris and St. Petersburg.

The Ballet was staged just three days of rehearsals and implied performances not only on stage but in the auditorium. This innovative approach was unusual and originalnym, and brought success not only Karsavina, but by the whole company.

Performing part of Columbine, Tamara Platonovna, dressed as a heroine of the Italian Comedy, looked charming, and her jewelry pirouettes delicately combined with a certain sharpness in his movements. Partners Karsavina in the role of harlequin in turn by Leonid Leontiev, Vaslav Nijinsky and Mikhail Fokine.

You Also need to remember the one-act ballet "the Firebird", written by Russian composer Igor Stravinsky and decorated by prominent artists and decorators Alexander Golovin and Leon Bakst. Premiere of this production took place at the Paris Grand Opera, in the summer of 1910.

A Ballet based on the tales of Russian folklore of the Firebird, was an original fusion of rhythm and tenderness, turbulent emotions and secret joy. The young composer, worried about his brainchild, was present at all the rehearsals, helping Tamara and her partner Mikhail Fokine to realize the fusion of sounds and to recreate them in his grotesque dance.

The success of the ballet as the success of Karsavina, was impressive. Many have compared her with the flame, burning their rhythmic movements and caressing his grace and tenderness of execution.

Watching the dancing of the actress, the audience was delighted, freezing her from the unexpected jumps and pirouettes. The admiration of the audience was evident in the long applause and silent adoration that accompanied young to take everywhere, wherever she went.

The following year, Tamara Karsavina performed in the one-act ballet by Mikhail Fokine “the Ghost of the Rose" or (“the Vision of Rose”), based on the music of Carl von Weber and the poems of théophile Gautier. Premiere screening was held in the Opera Monte Carlo, in the spring of 1911.

The plot of the ballet was a weave of memories of the girl, who had just returned from his first ball, and her dreams. She remembers your date and dream about the one and only, with whom she will be comfortable and happy to dance all my life. However, with the first rays of the sun dance of the young lovers is broken, the Ghost of the rose begins to melt, and the girl wakes up.

A Leading role in the production was played by VaclavNijinsky (the Ghost of the Rose) and Tamara Karsavina (the Girl). So they looked harmoniously (not only ballet, but also in many other productions), which went down in history as one of the best ballet couples of the time. Young artists keen sense of not only rhythm, but also each other, which helped them to continue smoothly and successfully work on many joint pairs.

Following their successful joint performance was a ballet in four scenes "Parsley" where young people played the roles of Parsley and dancers.

The Premiere of this production took place in the summer of 1911, the Paris châtelet, it was the story of a puppet character, which woke up life and there was emotion.

Bright and extraordinary talent of young performers as never before manifested itself in a lively and rhythmic music for the ballet.

Personal life at the height of fame

The Success of “Russian ballet of Diaghilev" was just phenomenal. The more popular would like to know the troupe better known and popular became its artists. The success of Tamara Karsavina was simply amazing. She has impressed everyone not only for its malleability, beauty and artistry, but a rich inner world, erudition, education. Because of this, the girls got a lot of fans wanting to give her not only your hand but also the heart.

One of them was a promising officer Carl Mannerheim, the court physician Sergei Botkin and even the choreographer Fokine. However, the artist chose for a husband a completely different person – poor and docile aristocrat Vasily Mukhin who loves the art of music and the dancer.

However, this Union lasted only a few years. In 1913 the personal life of Tamara Karsavina has changed dramatically. Prima met Henry Bruce – British Ambassador to the Russian Empire. The man is so smitten by the artist's passion that I decided to move her family to their homeland, where they married in 1917. Soon, a young woman gave birth to a son.

Of Course, pregnancy and childbirth affected the career of a dancer. For some time she left the stage to assume the most important role – the role of the mother of the family.

Life abroad

But Tamara Karsavina was not going to leave the stage. It still shone in the ballet productions of Diaghilev's touring with a troupe in Europe and even America.

The Most successful post-war performance of the young women can be called a ballet by Leonid myasina “Cocked”, designed by Pablo Picasso and first performed by the London Alhambra in 1917. Later the work was shown again in 1920 in Paris and Monte Carlo.

The Ballet was a harmonious mix of classical and folk dances. Written in the style of Spanish folklore, it consisted of a few Central rooms, connected to each other pantomime scenes.

The Plot was simple and straightforward – Miller (Leonid Massine) and his Wife (Tamara Karsavina) live in love and harmony, however, the Governor (Leonid Wojcikowski) tries to seduce a woman that leads him to universal derision.

Other activities

Leaving the ballet, a young woman competed in the British dance ensemble “the Rambert” and had a solo song in La Rock.

In Addition to dancing, the Russian ballet dancer was engaged in teaching. For example, since 1930-th year, it for twenty years held the post of Vice-President of the British Academy of dance, where he developed a new method of recording dance movements.

In the 1920-ies the actress participated in the filming of several German and British films, for example, “the Path of power and beauty". However, she got a minor, one might even say, a cameo role, but she was involved in the art world and popular. And it was for her the most important.

Life with her husband

According to numerous responses, Tamara Karsavina lived with her husband, a diplomat in perfect harmony. Henry Bruce was very polite and gentle person, adoring his wife and admires her incredible talent.

However, according to other sources, it was not all in the Union smoothly. For example, for a long time there were rumors of a romance between American poet of Spanish descent Mercedes de Acosta and a heroine of our article. It is worth mentioning that Mercedes de Acosta more famous for its Lutheran writings, and vivid and long-lasting lesbian relationships with Hollywood movie stars. Reliable if the rumors about her relationship with Tamara Platonovna or is it a figment of the imagination of journalists and paparazzi – is not known. However, the question about the sexual orientation of Tamara Karsavina still remains open.

Dead famous dancer in London at age ninety-three.