Asquith, Ruby (c. 1910–)

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Asquith, Ruby (c. 1910–)

American ballet dancer. Name variations: Ruby Christensen. Born c. 1910, possibly in Portland, Oregon; m. Harold Christensen (dancer).

Performed with the Christensen Brothers' vaudeville act; with the brothers, appeared in the musical The Great Waltz (1935), then joined the School of American Ballet, where she performed in numerous Balanchine works; was an original member of the touring troupe Ballet Caravan—which consisted of dancers from American Ballet—where she created roles in such works as Air and Variations (1936), Yankee Clipper (1937), Charade (1939); joined William Christensen's San Francisco Ballet (early 1940s) where she appeared in Now the Brides (1941), Sonata Pathétique (1943), and Prince Siegfried (1944); upon retiring from performance career, became dance faculty member of school of San Francisco Ballet.