Petroff, Paul (1908 - 1981)

Dupain, Max: Portrait of Paul Petroff, Ballets Russes, c. 1938

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Born in Elsinore, Denmark, as Paul Pedersen, Paul Petroff studied dance in Copenhagen with Katja Lindhardt before joining the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo during its early seasons. With the Ballets Russes he danced in the original cast of Jeux d'enfants, Les Presages, Beach, Choreartium, Jardin public, Symphonie fantastique, La Concurrence, Le Bourgeois gentilhomme, Francesca da Rimini (Paolo), Le Coq d'or, Les Dieux mendiants and Paganini (a Florentine Youth).

Petroff came to Australia as a leading dancer with the Covent Garden Russian Ballet on their tour of 1938 to 1939. He was a frequent partner of Irina Baronova and Tatiana Riabouchinska during this tour. He returned again for the 1939 to 1940 tour by the Original Ballet Russe when he partnered Tamara Toumanova on many occasions, including in The Firebird, Aurora's Wedding, Le Spectre de la rose and in the Don Quixote pas de deux. During this tour he also danced in the Sylphide and the Scotsman divertissement, partnering Natasha Sobinova, at the world premiere of David Lichine's Graduation Ball in Sydney in 1940.

After his Australian interlude, Petroff danced with Ballet Theatre, Ballet for America and the International Ballet. In 1942 he married the American dancer Nana Gollner, who danced under the name Nina Golovina. In 1948 he established a company with Gollner and toured Europe and South America. Petroff and Gollner taught together in California before moving to Belgium where they established a dance school in Antwerp and where Petroff died in 1981.

Footage of Petroff dancing on an Australian beach, filmed by Ewan Murray-Will, is available online at the australianscreen site 'Murray-Will, Ewan: Ballet Russes in Australia: Home Movie Clip 2: Dancing on the beach'

Bibliography:

Note: Two de Basil ballerinas danced under the name Nina Golovina - Nana Gollner and Gladys Godby. Godby, an English dancer, performed in Australia during the first and third de Basil tours - the Monte Carlo Russian Ballet and the Original Ballet Russe. Gollner danced with Ballets Russes companies, but did not come to Australia.

See also: Aurora's Wedding ; Ballets Russes Australian tours ; Baronova, Irina ; Choreartium ; Concurrence, La ; Coq d'or, Le ; Dieux mendiants, Les ; Don Quixote ; Firebird, The ; Francesca da Rimini ; Graduation Ball ; Lichine, David ; Paganini ; Riabouchinska, Tatiana ; Spectre de la rose, Le ; Symphonie fantastique ; Toumanova, Tamara

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Research Materials

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Find more about Petroff, Paul in:

• Internet - Google
• Articles - New York Public Library Dance Collection
• Pictures - Picture Australia