Lepeshinskaya, Olga (1916—)

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Lepeshinskaya, Olga (1916—)

Soviet ballerina. Born in 1916; attended Bolshoi Ballet School.

In 1925, nine-year-old Olga Lepeshinskaya entered the Bolshoi Ballet School; one year later, she was dancing the part of Cupid in Don Quixote. Before graduating from the Bolshoi in 1933, she also danced the principal part of Masha in The Nutcracker. In 1935, Lepeshinskaya created the role of Suok the Circus Dancer for Three Fat Men, and played the title role in Svetlana in 1939. Known for her powerful presence, charm, and masterful technique, Lepeshinskaya appeared as Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, Lise in La Fille Mal Gardée, Jeanne in Flames of Paris, Kitri in Don Quixote, and Tao Hoa in The Red Poppy. She graced the stages of Paris, Japan, China, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Mexico.