Margareta Petrovna Froman (8 November 1890 – 24 March 1970), known professionally as Margarita Froman, was a Russian ballet dancer, dance educator, and choreographer. (Sources vary on her birthdate; some give a year as late as 1896.)
Early life
Margareta Petrovna Froman was born in
Moscow, the daughter of a Swedish father and a Russian mother.
She began her dance studies at the
Imperial School of Ballet.
Career
Froman was a soloist at the
Bolshoi Theatre
The Bolshoi Theatre ( rus, Большо́й теа́тр, r=Bol'shoy teatr, literally "Big Theater", p=bɐlʲˈʂoj tʲɪˈatər) is a historic theatre in Moscow, Russia, originally designed by architect Joseph Bové, which holds ballet and ope ...
in Moscow as a young woman. She toured Europe and the United States with
Diaghilev's Ballets Russes.
She appeared in an early Russian silent film, dancing in ''Aziade'' (1918) with Mikhail Mordkin.
In 1917 she moved to Yugoslavia with her brothers Maximilian, Pavel, and Valentin, who all also worked in the dance profession.
She was ballet mistress at the
Croatian National Theatre, and choreographer at the Zagreb Opera Ballet, and the State Opera Ballet in
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
. In 1938 she choreographed and produced several shows in Milan, at
La Scala
La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...
. She retired from performing in 1947.
She created choreography for the film ''Zastava'' (1949). In 1955 she choreographed the Yugoslav National Opera and Ballet's London productions of ''
Prince Igor'', ''
Romeo and Juliet
''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...
, The Devil in the Village'', ''
Ero the Joker'' and ''The Gingerbread Heart''.
Froman moved to the United States in 1957, and taught with her brother Maximilian at the Froman Professional School of Ballet in
New London, Connecticut.
She also taught at the
Hartford Conservatory
The Hartford Conservatory was a performing arts school in Hartford, Connecticut, that operated from 1890 to 2011. It offered programs in music, dance, musical theater and recording arts to post-secondary students on a pre-professional level. Its ...
and the
University of Connecticut.
One of her noted students was
Mia Slavenska
Mia Slavenska, née Čorak (20 February 1916 in Brod-na-Sava, now Croatia, then Austria-Hungary – 5 October 2002 in Los Angeles, United States) was a Croatian-American soloist of the Russian Ballet of Monte Carlo in 1938–1952 and 1954–1955 ...
.
Personal life
Margarita Froman lived in
Willimantic, Connecticut for her last 13 years. She died in 1970, aged 80 years, in Boston. Her papers were donated to the University of Connecticut by her sister, Olga.
Her grave is in the Russian Orthodox Cemetery in Willimantic.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Froman, Margarita
1890 births
1970 deaths
Choreographers from the Russian Empire
Ballerinas from the Russian Empire
Russian women choreographers
People from the Russian Empire of Swedish descent
Yugoslav emigrants to the United States
White Russian emigrants to Yugoslavia
20th-century Russian women educators