Karsavina, Tamara Platonovna

The ballerina was born on February 25 ( March 9 ) in 1885 in St. Petersburg in the family of the dancer of the imperial troupe Platon Karsavin and his wife Anna Iosifovna, born Khomyakova, the grand-niece of the famous Slavophile A. S. Khomyakov ^[6] . Brother - Lev Karsavin , Russian philosopher.

In 1902 she graduated from the Imperial Theater School , where she learned the basics of ballet mastery from teachers Pavel Gerdt , Alexander Gorsky and Enrico Cheketti . On June 1, 1902, she entered the corps de ballet of the Mariinsky Theater , where in April 1902 she made her debut in the pas de deux “Pearl and Fisherman” of the ballet “Javotta” ( Saint-Saens ) ^{[7] [8]} . May 1, 1904 transferred to the category of second dancers ^[9] . The debut performance of the leading role in the ballet " Awakening of Flora " was not a success ^[10] . December 16, 1906 she made her debut as the Tsar-maiden in the Humpbacked Horse , and the following year she was transferred to the rank of the first dancers ^[11] . In 1910 she became a prima ballerina ^{[12] [13]} . On the stage of the Mariinsky Theater, Karsavina performed leading roles in the ballets of the classical repertoire - Giselle , Sleeping Beauty , Nutcracker , Swan Lake , etc.

Collaboration with Mikhail Fokin began with his early productions. On March 8, 1907, Karsavina performed the Ges-Dur waltz of the new edition of Chopeniana ^[14] . At first, the ballet master attributed all his sympathies to Anna Pavlova , who did not immediately guess in Tamara Karsavina the ideal actress of her theater and provided the ballerina with supporting roles. On December 22, 1907, Karsavina performed the Assyrian "dance with a torch" at the same concert, when Pavlova first presented the Fokin's " Swan ".

The beginning of the tour activity was in the summer of 1906 with the troupe of G. G. Kyaksht in the cities of Russia. Then she toured in Prague (1908), Milan and London (1909), Berlin , Brussels and London (1910) ^[15] . In the autumn of 1913, she performed on the tour of the Dyagilev troupe in South America ^[16] .

Since 1909, at the invitation of Sergei Dyagilev, Karsavina began performing in tours of ballet artists of Russia in Europe organized by him, and then in Dyagilev's Russian Ballet ^[17] . The most notable works of the ballerina during the period of cooperation with Dyagilev were the leading parties in the ballets Firebird , Phantom of the Rose , Carnival , Petrushka (staged by Mikhail Fokin ), Treugolka , Woman's fads (directed by Leonid Myasin ) and others. The ballerina considered the most remarkable role to be the Shamakhani queen from the ballet “Golden Cockerel”, which she regarded as the masterpiece of Fokine ^[18] . According to V.M. Krasovskaya, Karsavina "best expressed and embodied the concept of the Fokin heroine, seductively deceptive, alluring and dangerous" ^[19] . According to the perception of S. L. Grigoriev , “Karsavina in the role of the Firebird was unmatched. <...> Undoubtedly, this role was ideally created for her ” ^[20] .

Performed the role of Belgium in the performance-pantomime "1914", the author and director of Prince. SM Volkonsky (premiere January 6, 1915 at the Mariinsky Theater). The performance was the "prom" of the Rhythmic Gymnastics Courses , which closed with the start of the First World War.

In 1916 she gave birth to Nikita, a British diplomat, Henry Bruce. In 1917, Karsavina married Henry Bruce. The last performance in Russia took place on May 15, 1918 on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater in the party of Nikiya in La Bayadère ^[15] , and in the summer of the same year ^[5] left for London with her husband and son. In exile, the ballerina continued performing on stage, toured with the Russian ballet Dyagilev , and was engaged in teaching. In addition, in the early 1920s, the ballerina appeared in episodic roles in several silent films made in Germany and Great Britain - including the film “The Path to Strength and Beauty” ( 1925 ) with Leni Riefenstahl . In 1931, left the scene ^[21] . In 1930 - 1955 she held the position of Vice President of the Royal Academy of Dance ^[5] .

Tamara Karsavina died on May 26, 1978 in London at the age of 93.

V.M. Krasovskaya wrote: “The names of Anna Pavlova and Tamara Karsavina are connected with the flowering of ballet impressionism of the beginning of the 20th century ” ^[22] . “Glory to Karsavina, judging by her world resonance, was not inferior to Pavlova’s glory. Both names were often called side by side, and often opposed. ”

Karsavina was involved in the first Russian season of Dygilev in 1909 in Paris. After leaving Pavlova’s troupe from the second Dygilev season of 1910, Karsavina took the place of prima ballerina. The danger of moving during the First World War prevented Karsavina from performing outside Russia from 1915 to 1918, besides waiting for a child in 1915. After successful premieres with the participation of a ballerina, a number of productions were firmly included in the repertoire of the Russian seasons (“Sylphs”, “Carnival”, “The Firebird”, “Ghost of the Rose”, “Petrushka”, “Tamara”, “Daphnis and Chloe”, “Golden cockerel "and others.). In the assessment of V. M. Krasovskaya, “The Firebird of Karsavina became one of the most disturbing symbols of the time, like the Swan of Pavlova. In these images, created by Fokin for the two greatest dance artists, two poles of life and art were cast: a tragic escape from tragedy and a keen sense of its inevitability. <...> The bird turned into a miracle-maiden, knowing no hatred or love ” ^[23] .

Thanks to Fokin and Dyagilev, on their very first visit to Paris, Anna Pavlova, Tamara Karsavina and Vatslav Nijinsky gained world fame. Karsavina signed a contract with the London "Colosseum". Until the end of her life, Dyagilev Karsavina kept warm relations with him and dedicated to the famous entrepreneur the last chapter of her memoirs “Theater Street” (1929), completed in the year of his death ^[24] . Ballerina participated in a third of the premieres of the Russian seasons (in 22 first performances from 67; without a dance in “Pir”) ^[25] , except for them she was engaged in the performances of other performances of the Dygilev troupe. The list includes speeches by Karsavina at the premieres according to S. L. Grigoriev ^[26] :

1909

staged by M. M. Fokine in Chatelet , Paris

• " Feast " - Princess Florina (May 19)
• " Sylphs " - Waltz (June 2)
• Cleopatra (June 2)

1910 Grand Opera

• Carnival - Columbine (May 20 in Berlin, June 4 in Paris)
• " Giselle " - Giselle (June 18, partner Nijinsky)
• Firebird - Firebird (June 25, partner Fokin)
• Orientals (June 25)

1911

• “ The Phantom of the Rose ” - A Girl (the best part in a duet with VF Nizhinsky and a rare hit in the role ^[27] ; April 19 at the Monte-Carlo Theater )
• " Narcissus " - the nymph Echo (Monte Carlo Theater, April 26)
• " Petrushka " - Ballerina (the best part in a duet with VF Nizhinsky, Chatelet, June 13)

1912

• “ Blue God ” (or “Blue God”) - Young girl (or Indian girl , paired with Nijinsky, Shatle, May 13)
• " Tamara " - Tamara (paired with Bolm , Chatelet, May 20)
• “ Daphnis and Chloe ” - Chloe (together with Nizhinsky, Chatelet, June 8)

1913

• “The Games ” - with Nizhinsky, staged by Nijinsky at the Theater of Champs Elysees on May 15
• “ The Tragedy of Salome ” - Salome (paired with Gavrilov, staged by B. G. Romanov at the Theater des Champs Elysees on June 12)

1914

in the productions of M. M. Fokine

• " Butterflies " (April 16 at the Monte-Carlo Theater)
• The Golden Cockerel - The Queen of Shamakhi (May 24, Grand Opera, Paris)
• Midas - Queen of Oread (June 2, Grand Opera, Paris)

1919

• “ Treugolka ” - Melnichikha (July 22, first performance staged by LF Myasin , Alhambra , London)

1920 year

directed by L.F. Myasin in the Grand Opera, Paris

• " Song of the Nightingale " - the living Nightingale (February 2)
• Pulcinella - Pimpinella (May 15)
• " Women's fads " (also "Women's tricks" or "Women's tricks", May 27)

1926

• Romeo and Juliet - Juliet (paired with Serge Lifar ; production by B.F. Nizhinskaya , May 4 at the Casino, Monte Carlo)

In the finale of Agatha Christie 's story “Harlequin Street” from the collection “ Mysterious Mr. Keen ” (1930), the heroine Anna Denman ( Anna Denman ) after her death was identified as the brilliant ballerina Anna Kharsanova ( Anna Kharsanova ), who combines in herself a dying nymph Allusions to the performances of both the famous Russian ballerinas who settled in England at the end of the 1910s: Anna Pavlova (the dying swan) and Tamara Karsavina (the nymph). ” In the Russian translation of the story by N. Kaloshina from the 20-volume work of the writer, the heroine appears under the name of Anna Karsavina ^[28] .

Ilze Liepa starred in the television series Imperia Under Attack as Tamara Karsavina. In the collection of the historical costume of fashion historian Alexander Vasiliev there is an evening dress by Tamara Karsavina of 1925, created in the fashion house Mouna Katorza . Previously, this dress was in the personal collection of Serge Lifar .

Memoirs

• Karsavina T.P. Theater Street = Theater Street / Trans. from English G. Gulyanitskaya. - L .: Art, 1971. - 248 p. - (Theatrical memoirs). - 30 000 copies
• Karsavina T.P. Theater Street = Theater Street / Trans. from English I. E. Balod. - Moscow : Tsentrpoligraf, 2004. - 320 p. - 6 000 copies - ISBN 5-9524-1053-7 .
• [Karsavina, Tamara]; Phelan, Andrew L. Tamara; Karsavina: Beyond the Ballerina: Her unpublished, untitled manuscript for the first years in England / Annotated and with histotical essay by Andrew L. Phelan ; Introd. by Douglas Blair Turnbaugh . - [ Norman, Oklahoma ]: Quail Creek Ed., 2018. - (120 p .; 30 photos) 126 p. - 300 copies - ISBN 9780996012263 . ^[29]

• Bouquet for Tamara Karsavina / Comp. and the layout of V. Kiselev. - M .: Composer, 1998. - 81 p. - ISBN 9785852851666 .
• S.L. Grigoriev. Ballet Dyagileva, 1909–1929 = The Diaghilev Ballet. 1909-1929 / Trans. from English Chistyakova N.A .; foreword and com. V.V. Chistyakova . - M .: Artist. Fighter Theater, 1993. - 383 p. - ( Ballets Russes ). - 5 000 copies - ISBN 5-87334-002-1 .
• Degen A., Stupnikov I. Tamara Platonovna Karsavina (Neopr.) . Belcanto.ru. The appeal date is March 18, 2019.
• Dyukina E.N. Karsavina Tamara Platonovna // Ballet: Encyclopedia / Ch. ed. Yu. N. Grigorovich . - M .: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1981. - 623 p.
• Krasovskaya V.M. Pavlova. Karsavina. Spesivtseva // Russian Ballet Theater of the Early 20th Century: Dancers. - L .: Art, 1972. - Prince. 2. - p. 275-304. - 456 s. - 30 000 copies
• Sokolov-Kaminsky A. A. Karsavina Tamara Platonovna // Russian Ballet: Encyclopedia / Ed. E. P. Belova, G. N. Dobrovolskaya , V. M. Krasovskaya , E. Ya. Surits . - M .: Great Russian Encyclopedia, Consent, 1997. - 632 p. - 10 000 copies - ISBN 5-85270-099-1 .
• Tamara Platonovna Karsavina "Stray Dog": Bouquet Karsavina / Of. thin S. Sudeikin. - Pg. : Contemporary Art, 1914. - 24 p.
• Truskinovskaya D. Tamara Platonovna Karsavina (Neopr.) . Belcanto.ru. The appeal date is March 18, 2019.
• Ukolova Yu. V. Performing art of Tamara Karsavina in the English period of her creativity / Julia V. Ukolova // Bulletin of the Academy of Russian Ballet. A. Ya. Vaganova 2006, ISSN 1681-8962, No. 15, p. 88-111.
• Ukolova Yu. V. Pedagogical activity of Tamara Karsavina in the context of the development of the English ballet theater / Julia Viktorovna Ukolova // Bulletin of the Academy of Russian Ballet. A. Ya. Vaganova 2001, ISSN 1681-8962, No. 9, p. 151-157.
• M. Fokin. M. Against Flow / Ed. G. N. Dobrovolskaya ; compilation of Yu. V. Slonimsky , G. N. Dobrovolskaya. - 2nd ed., Ext. and rev. - L .: “ Art ”, 1981. - 510 p.
• Les ballets russes : [ fr. ] : Catalog d'exposition [Paris, Bibliothèque-musée de l'Opéra, 24 novembre 2009 - 23 mai 2010] / Direction de Mathias Auclair et Pierre Vidal; assistés de jean-michel vinciguerra; préface de Bruno racine. - Montreuil: Gourcuff Gradenigo, 2009. - 299 p. - ISBN 978-2-35340-067-6 .

• Essay on Tamara Karsavina (English)
• Photos of Tamara Karsavina // collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London.
• Photos of Tamara Karsavina // The Ballerina Gallery
• Tamara Karsavina // Bibliographic resource "To Remember"
• Tamara Karsavina on Project1917