Rasch, Albertina (1896–1967)

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Rasch, Albertina (1896–1967)

Austrian-born ballerina and choreographer. Name variations: Albertina Tiomkin; Madame Albertina Rasch. Born Jan 19, 1896, in Vienna, Austria; died Oct 2, 1967, in Woodland Hills, CA; trained in ballet at School of the Royal Opera House, Vienna; m. Dmitri Tiomkin (composer), 1927.

At 7, made professional debut with Royal Opera House Ballet in Vienna; moved to US (1911); was première danseuse at NY Hippodrome for some years; toured in vaudeville; danced and choreographed for NY Century Opera (1913–14), Chicago Opera (1914–15), American Opera Co. in Los Angeles (1915–16), and Geraldine Farrar's All-Star Ellis Opera (1916–18); back in Austria, worked in silent films (1921–23); opened a school of dance in NY (1923), training troupes known as The Albertina Rasch Dancers; choreographed many plays, including Rio Rita, Three Musketeers, The Band Wagon, The Great Waltz, Jubilee and Lady in the Dark, and such films as Naughty Marietta, The New Moon, Hell's Angels, Rosalie, Sweethearts, The Great Waltz, Idiot's Delight and Broadway Melody of 1940.