Rubinstein, Ida (1880–1960)
Rubinstein, Ida (1880–1960)
Russian ballerina. Name variations: Ida Rubenstein. Born of Russian-Jewish parentage in St. Petersburg, Russia, Sept 21, 1880 (some sources cite 1875, 1883 and 1885) in St. Petersburg, Russia; died Sept 20, 1960, in Venice; of Russian-Jewish parentage; studied with Michel Fokine.
Made debut (1907), in a private performance of Salomé, choreographed by Fokine; made Paris debut in premiere season of Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, dancing title role in Fokine's Cléopâtre (1909); danced Queen Zobeide to Bronislava Nijinska's Golden Slave in Fokine's Schéhérazade (1910) and became the rage of Paris; stayed with Ballets Russes, while also financially supporting the world of ballet and other principal artists; commissioned Ravel to write "Bolero" for a Fokine ballet; also commissioned Debussy to write the score for d'Annunzio's Le Martyre de Saint Sébastien (The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian), and played the title role; after leaving Ballets Russes (1915), formed her own company and hired Vaslav Nijinsky and Leonide Massine to direct and choreograph; made final appearance in title role of Orphée in Paris (1928).
See also Vicki Woolf, Dancing in the Vortex: The Story of Ida Rubinstein (2001).