Тамара Туманова: Жемчужина Русского Балета

Georgian American ballerina (1919–1996)

Tamara Toumanova (; 2 March 1919 – 29 May 1996) was a Russian born Georgian American prima ballerina and actress. A child of exiles in Paris after the Russian Revolution of 1917, she made her debut at the age of 10 at the children's ballet of the Paris Opera. She became known internationally as one of the Baby Ballerinas of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo after being discovered by her fellow émigré, balletmaster and choreographer George Balanchine. She was featured in numerous ballets in Europe. Balanchine featured her in his productions at Ballet Theatre, New York, making her the star of his performances in the United States. While most of Toumanova's career was dedicated to ballet, she appeared as a ballet dancer in several films, beginning in 1944. She became a naturalized United States citizen in 1943 in Los Angeles, California.

Toumanova was the daughter of Yevgenia (or Eugenia) Dmitrievna Toumanishvili, who was half Georgian Armenian on her father's side, and half Georgian on her mother's side. Her father was Dmitri Toumanov, originally of Georgian Toumanishvili family; her mother was Yelizaveta Chkheidze. At the time of her daughter's birth, Yevgenia was married to Konstantin Zakharov (a Russian). Both Tamara and her mother used the surname Khassidovitch (Yevgenia's second husband was Vladimir Khassidovitch (akas: Vladimir Khassidovitch Boretsky/Vladimir Khazidovich Boretsky) for most of their lives following the end of Yevgenia's first marriage, including on their paperwork for naturalization as citizens of the United States. At the age of six, Toumanova was invited by the ballerina Anna Pavlova to perform in one of her gala concerts in 1925. Toumanova danced a polka choreographed by Preobrajenska. Tamara was 10 years old when she made her debut at the Paris Opera as a child étoile in the ballet L'Éventail de Jeanne (for which 10 French composers wrote the music). In 1931, when Toumanova was 12 years old, George Balanchine saw her in ballet class and engaged her for de Basil's Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, along with Irina Baronova (aged 12) and Tatiana Riabouchinska (aged 14). The three girls were an immediate success, and writer Arnold Haskell dubbed them the "baby ballerinas". Toumanova became recognised as a young prodigy of immense talent. She came to be called "The Black Pearl of the Russian Ballet", because, as ballet critic A. V. Coton wrote, "she was the loveliest creature in the history of the ballet", with black silky hair, deep brown eyes and pale almond skin. Toumanova was considered the most glamorous of the trio. Throughout her dynamic career, her mother was her devoted companion, nursemaid, dresser, agent and manager – she was always at the helm. Balanchine created the role of the "Young Girl" for Toumanova in his ballet Cotillon and had her star in his Concurrence and Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme. Léonide Massine worked closely with Toumanova in the creation of many of his ballets. She played the part of the Top in his Jeux d'Enfants. Balanchine created a role for her in his Le Palais de Cristal (since re titled Symphony in C) in 1947 at the Paris Opera. In 1936, while Toumanova was performing ballet in Chicago, an 18 year old boy named Burr Tillstrom came to see her perform. Following the ballet, Burr went backstage to meet her. As they talked, Toumanova and Tillstrom became friends. Some time later, Tillstrom showed her a favorite puppet he had made and she, surprised by his revelation, exclaimed "Kukla" (Russian for "puppet"). Burr Tillstrom went on to create a very early (1947) television show for children, titled Kukla, Fran and Ollie.

1925: (6 August 1925) First performs before the public in the polka choreographed by Olga Preobrajenska (to Anatoly Liadov), during an Anna Pavlova gala at the Palais du Trocadéro, Paris (Pavlova selected Toumanova from Preobrajenska's school). 1929: Creates first principal role on 4 March, as guest étoile with the Paris Opera Ballet, performing the Valse (to Ibert), the Polka (to Milhaud), the Rondeau (to Auric), and the Kermesse Valse (to Schmitt), in the Yvonne Franck/Alice Bourgat one act ballet in 10 parts for students, L'Even tail de Jeanne. 1929–30: Performs with the Paris Opera Ballet in Monte Carlo, in Brussels, and in Geneva at the League of Nations. 1931: Joins the Blum de Basil Original Ballet Russe at Balanchine's invitation. 1932: Creates principal roles with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo: the Young Girl in Balanchine's Cotillon; The Girl in his La Concurrence; Lucille in his Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme; in the Valse in his Suites de danse; in his Classical Ballet section for the opera ballet Patrie; the Chinese Woman and a Poppy in his dances for the opera Fay yen Fah; a Chinese Porcelain in his dances for the opera Turandot; in his Grand pasclassique for the operetta A Night in Venice; and the Top in Massine's Jeux d'enfants. Recreates the Ballerina in Fokine's Petrushka and the Mazurka and the Valse pas de deux in Les Sylphides. Privately studies the classics and choreographic theory with Balanchine. Seasons in Monte Carlo and Paris and tour of Europe. 1933: Joins the Balanchine James Les Ballets 1933 at Balanchine's invitation. Creates principal roles: in the Tema con variazioni and finale in his Mozartiana, the Ballerina in his Les Songes, and the Young Girl in his Fastes. Rejoins Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. Creates principal role in Massine's Choreartium (to Brahms's Fourth Symphony). 1934: Creates with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo the Mexican Girl in Massine's Union Pacific and a principal role in Lichine's Les Imaginaires. Recreates the Miller's Wife with Massine in his Le Tricorne and the Tarantella in his La Boutique fantasque; Odette in Swan Lake Act II; and the title role in Fokine's Firebird. Tours of the United States, Canada, Central America, and Europe; seasons in Paris, London, Mexico City, Barcelona, Havana, Montreal, and New York. 1935: Creates with de Basil's Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo the Poor Couple, with Massine, in his Jardin public; a principal role in his Le Bal; and Nijinska's Lezginka for a Covent Garden gala. Adds to her repertory Aurora in Tchaikovsky's Le Mariage d'Aurore and the Girl in Fokine's La Spectre de la rose.

Toumanova appeared in six Hollywood films between 1944 and 1970, always playing dancers. She made her feature film debut in 1944, in Days of Glory, playing a Russian dancer being saved from the invading Germans in 1941 by Soviet partisan leader Gregory Peck (who also made his debut in that film). In 1966, she played the odious, unnamed lead ballerina in Alfred Hitchcock's political thriller Torn Curtain. In 1970, she played Russian ballerina Madame Petrova in Billy Wilder's The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes.

Some sources indicate that Tamara Toumanova was born Tamara Vladimirovna Khassidovitch in Siberia, while her mother, Princess Eugenia (later Eugenie) Dmitrievna Toumanova was fleeing Georgia in search of her husband (Vladimir Khassidovitch),). Toumanova was of partial Georgian, Armenian and Polish etc. This is further confirmed by her family's official documents in Georgia and the Russian Empire, including that of her uncle (mother's brother) Prince Zachary Dmitrievich Tumanov, whose ethnicity is stated as "Georgian". Tamara's parents were deeply religious. Tamara, her mother and her maternal grandmother, Princess Elizabeth Chkhedize, were Georgian/Russian Orthodox, while Toumanova's maternal grandfather Prince Dmitry Toumanov was a follower of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Toumanova's parents had become separated during the Russian Revolution. She was 18 months old before the family reunited. The family escaped from Russia via Vladivostok. In 1944, Toumanova married Casey Robinson, whom she met as the producer and screenwriter of Days of Glory, her first film. The union was childless. The couple divorced on 13 October 1955.

Toumanova died in Santa Monica, California, on 29 May 1996, aged 77, from undisclosed causes. Before her death, she gave her Preobrajenska costumes to the Vaganova Choreographic Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. Her funeral was a high mass at the Russian Orthodox Holy Virgin Mary Cathedral, Los Angeles. She was buried next to her mother Princess Eugenie in Hollywood, Hollywood Forever Cemetery. British choreographer John Gregory described Toumanova as a "remarkable artist – a great personality who never stopped acting. It is impossible to think of Russian ballet without her."