Alexandra Danilova Biography

Alexandra Danilova

An internationally recognized, versatile dancer known for her grace, intensity and glamour. Danilova's professional career began in 1911 when she joined St. Petersburg's Imperial Ballet. She met George Balanchine as a young dancer and began a lifelong relationship with him — both professional and personal (they lived together for several years but never married). She also danced with what is known today as the Kirov Ballet, for Sergei Diaghilev and with the Ballets Russes. She came to the United States in the 1940s with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, which became an American company with the dawn of World War II, and became an American citizen in 1946. With the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, she partnered with Frederic Franklin for more than 20 years. Danilova was also a respected teacher, working with the School of American Ballet.