Arbatova, Mia (c. 1910–)

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Arbatova, Mia (c. 1910–)

Latvian ballet dancer. Born c. 1910, in Dribin, Mogilev, Belarus; raised in Riga, Latvia.

A major contributor to the development of ballet in Israel, trained at Paris Opera Ballet School, where a company tour led to her 1st trip to Palestine (1934); danced with Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, London, and Mikhail Mordkin Ballet, New York, before returning to Palestine (1938), where she taught ballet classes at Gertrude Krauss' studio; associated with the Haganah (late 1940s), the Zionist military organization in Palestine that later became Israel Defense Forces; performed political cabaret in Tel Aviv, Israel, and with Habimah Theater; her widespread teaching helped lead to establishment of Israel Classical Ballet (1968).