Vera Zorina facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vera Zorina
publicity photo for Star Spangled Rhythm 1942
Born	Eva Brigitta Hartwig (1917-01-02)January 2, 1917 Berlin, Germany
Died	April 9, 2003(2003-04-09) (aged 86) Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S.
Occupation	Ballerina, musical theatre actress, choreographer
Years active	1928–1982
Spouse(s)	George Balanchine (1938–1946; divorced) Goddard Lieberson (1946–1977; his death) Paul Wolfe (1991–2003; her death)
Children	2, including Peter Lieberson

Vera Zorina (born Eva Brigitta Hartwig on January 2, 1917) was a famous dancer, actress, and choreographer from Norway. She lived until April 9, 2003. Many people remember her best for the movies where her husband at the time, George Balanchine, created the dances. These films include The Goldwyn Follies, On Your Toes, and Star Spangled Rhythm.

Early Life and Training

Vera Zorina was born in Berlin, Germany. Her father, Fritz Hartwig, was German, and her mother, Abigail Johanne Wimpelmann, was Norwegian. Both of her parents were professional singers.

Vera grew up in Kristiansund, a small town in Norway. She first performed as a dancer there at the local theater. She went to school in Berlin and learned to dance from famous teachers like Olga Preobrajenska and Nicholas Legat.

Becoming a Star

When Vera was 12, she met Max Reinhardt, a famous theater director. He chose her to be in his plays, A Midsummer Night's Dream (1929) and Tales of Hoffmann (1931).

In 1933, she was invited to join a dance company called the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. This is when she chose her stage name, Vera Zorina. The company wanted Russian-sounding names, and she picked "Zorina" from a list.

A few years later, she got a main role in the London show On Your Toes (1937). An American film producer named Samuel Goldwyn saw her and signed her to a movie contract. She acted in seven Hollywood movies between 1938 and 1946.

Original 1938 playbill from I Married an Angel starring Vera Zorina.

One of her big roles on stage was in the 1938 musical I Married an Angel. She played an angel who came down from heaven to marry a banker. Her character was very honest, which caused some funny problems for her husband.

Vera Zorina also played Ariel in William Shakespeare's play The Tempest in 1945 on Broadway. Later, she often performed in a show called Joan of Arc at the Stake, playing the main character. She even directed a musical called Cabaret in Norway in 1968. Her last performance was in a ballet called Perséphone in 1982.

Vera Zorina also worked as an adviser and director at Lincoln Center in New York. She directed operas at the Santa Fe Opera in New Mexico for several years. In 1986, she wrote a book about her life called Zorina.

Personal Life

In 1938, Vera Zorina married the choreographer George Balanchine. They worked together on many dance productions for both the stage and movies. They divorced in 1946.

Her second husband was Goddard Lieberson, who was the president of Columbia Records. They were married from 1946 until he passed away in 1977. They had two sons, Peter Lieberson, who became a composer, and Jonathan Lieberson.

Vera Zorina's last marriage was in 1991 to Paul Wolfe, a musician. She passed away in 2003 at the age of 86. Her granddaughters, Elizabeth, Katherine, and Kristina Lieberson, are members of the band TEEN.

Film Appearances

Vera Zorina appeared in several films during her career:

See also

In Spanish: Vera Zorina para niños