Leskova, Tatiana (1922 - )

Hall, Hugh P.: Tatiana Leskova as a junior girl (centre), Tatiana Riabouchinska as a junior girl (third from left), and artists of the Original Ballet Russe in 'Graduation ball', 1940

Research Materials | Other Resources

Tatiana Leskova was born of Russian emigre parents in Paris, where she studied with Lubov Egorova and other former Imperial Russian ballerinas. She joined the Ballet de la Jeunesse prior to being chosen, at the age of sixteen, to join Colonel de Basil's Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo.

Leskova toured to Australia with de Basil's Original Ballet Russe in 1938. She remained with the company following this tour, travelling to South America and settling in Brazil in 1945. In 1950 she joined Rio de Janiero's Teatro Municipal, going on to become a principal dancer, ballet mistress, and finally artistic director with Jorge Garcia of this company. During this time she began working with Leonide Massine and restaged his first symphonic ballet, Les Presages.

In her ongoing freelance career, Leskova has continued to revive signature works by Massine created for the Ballets Russes. She staged Choreartium for Birmingham Royal Ballet in 1991, and Les Presages for the Paris Opera Ballet in 1989, for the Joffrey Ballet in 1994, and for the Australian Ballet in 2007.

See also: Australian Ballet, The ; Ballets Russes Australian tours ; Choreartium ; Massine, Leonide ; Presages, Les

---

Research Materials

Ephemera | Oral history | Picture | All

---

Other resources

Find more about Leskova, Tatiana in:

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