Igor Youskevitch facts for kids
Igor Youskevitch (born March 13, 1912 – died June 13, 1994) was a very famous ballet dancer and choreographer. He was from Russia and Ukraine. Many people consider him one of the greatest male ballet dancers of the 20th century. He was known for his amazing classical ballet style. He was also a famous dance partner for the ballerina Alicia Alonso.
Contents
Early Life and Training
Igor was born in a village called Pyriatyn, which is now in Ukraine. His family left Russia in 1920 because of the Russian Revolution. They settled in Belgrade, which is now the capital of Serbia. Igor studied engineering at Belgrade University.
He started ballet training quite late, at age twenty. Before that, he was a gymnast and very active in sports. In 1932, a dancer named Zenia Grunt saw him at a sports event. She convinced him to try dancing. Even though he started late, his talent helped him become a professional dancer very quickly. He first performed in Paris in 1932.
He learned from several great ballet teachers. These included Elena Poliakova, Olga Preobrajenska, and Anatole Vilzak. After two more years of study in Paris, he joined a group called Les Ballets de Paris. In 1937, he became a main dancer with Le Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. He toured with them in the late 1930s.
Dancing in Australia
Igor Youskevitch visited Australia as a main dancer with the Monte Carlo Russian Ballet. This was during their tour in 1936 and 1937. He danced all the important roles during this tour. He had great success dancing with Helene Kirsova in a ballet called Le Carnaval.
Career in the United States
In 1944, Igor joined the U.S. Navy. He also became an American citizen. After the war, he worked hard to get back into dancing shape. In 1946, he started a successful career in the United States. He joined the American Ballet Theatre in New York.
In the late 1940s, he began dancing with Alicia Alonso. They became a very famous dance pair. Their partnership brought him his greatest fame. Igor also appeared in movies and on television. He showed his unique mix of strength and art in the 1956 ballet film Invitation to the Dance. After this, he returned to Le Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. He worked there as both a dancer and an artistic director.
Retirement and Teaching
Igor Youskevitch stopped dancing professionally in the 1960s. He then opened a ballet school in New York with his wife, Anna Scarpova, who was also a dancer. They ran the school from 1962 to 1980. In 1971, he began teaching dance at the University of Texas at Austin. He taught there until 1982.
From 1983 to 1994, he was the artistic director of the New York International Ballet Competition (NYIBC). In this role, he helped many young dancers from around the world. He taught them and shared his many years of dance knowledge.
His daughter, Maria Youskevitch, also became a dancer. She was a soloist with American Ballet Theatre. She also danced with the Maryland Ballet. Today, she teaches dance in New Jersey.
See also
In Spanish: Ígor Yushkévich para niños
