Ludmilla Tchérina (born Monique Tchemerzine; 10 October 1924 – 21 March 2004) was a French

prima ballerina A ballet dancer is a person who practices the art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet. They rely on years of extensive training and proper technique to become a part of a professional ballet company. Ballet dancers ...

and actress.

Biography

She studied with Blanche d'Alessandri,

Olga Preobrajenska Olga Iosifovna Preobrajenska (; born Preobrazhenskaya; – 27 December 1962) was a Russian ballerina of the Russian Imperial Ballet and a ballet instructor. Biography She was born in Saint Petersburg as Olga Preobrazhenskaya (the final sy ...

and Clustine. She started dancing at 16 and danced with the

Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo The company Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo (with a plural name) was formed in 1932 after the death of Sergei Diaghilev and the demise of Ballets Russes. Its director was Wassily de Basil (usually referred to as Colonel W. de Basil), and it ...

, where she was spotted by

Serge Lifar Serge Lifar (, ''Serhіy Mуkhailovуch Lуfar'') ( 15 December 1986) was a Ukrainian dancer, choreographer, and one of the greatest male ballet dancers of the 20th century. Lifar was also a choreographer, director, writer, theoretician abou ...

. She made her Paris debut creating the rôle of Juliet in his ''

Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...

'' in 1942, becoming the youngest prima ballerina in the history of dance. In 1945 she was a principal dancer with the Ballet des Champs-Élysées and performed in Paris concerts with her husband Edmond Audran. She created various rôles in Lifar's ballets including: 'Mephisto Waltz' in 1945, ' in 1946 and in ' in 1957. She appeared often with the

Paris Opera The Paris Opera ( ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be kn ...

, the

Bolshoi Ballet The Bolshoi Ballet is an internationally renowned classical ballet company based at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia. Founded in 1776, the Bolshoi is among the world's oldest Ballet company, ballet companies. In the early 20th century, it ca ...

and the

Kirov Ballet The Mariinsky Ballet () is the resident classical ballet company of the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in the 18th century and originally known as the Imperial Russian Ballet, the Mariinsky Ballet is one of the world's ...

as a guest performer. Tchérina acted in several films including '' The Red Shoes'', ', ''

The Tales of Hoffmann ''The Tales of Hoffmann'' (French: ) is an by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Jules Barbier, based on three short stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann, who is the protagonist of the story. It was Offenbach's final work; he died in ...

'', '' Oh... Rosalinda!!'' and '' Luna de Miel''. She also appeared in television. In the 1980s she turned to writing and published two novels under her own name, ' (1973) and ' (1986). Tchérina had a lifelong passion for painting and exhibited in many major galleries. She also conceived and executed several monumental sculptures, including ''Europe à Coeur'', chosen in 1991 by the EU to symbolise the union of Europe and now located at the European Parliament. In 1994 she created ''Europa Operanda'', now installed at the French terminal of Eurotunnel. LudmillaTcherina

Personal life

Edmond Audran, whom she married in 1946, died in a car accident in 1951. She married Raymond Roi in 1953. The marriage lasted until his death in 1987. She was decorated with the '' Officier, Légion d'honneur '' in 1980.

Death

Tchérina died in 2004, aged 79, and is buried at the

Montmartre Cemetery The Cemetery of Montmartre () is a cemetery in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, France, that dates to the early 19th century. Officially known as the Cimetière du Nord, it is the third largest necropolis in Paris, after the Père Lachaise Cemet ...

, Paris.

Filmography

External links

*
Ludmilla Tcherina - Obituary from The Independent (UK)Ludmilla Tchérina
a
aenigmatcherina.com
in French
Europe à Coeur (Strasbourg)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tcherina, Ludmilla 1924 births 2004 deaths Painters from Paris French film actresses French prima ballerinas Circassian nobility Nobility from the Russian Empire French people of Circassian descent French people of Russian descent Burials at Montmartre Cemetery Officers of the Legion of Honour Musicians from Paris Actresses from Paris Writers from Paris 20th-century French actresses 20th-century French sculptors 20th-century French women artists 20th-century French musicians 20th-century French ballet dancers Circassian women