The Baby Ballerinas were 3 young leading principal dancers of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in the 1930s. They were individually selected by George Balanchine, and deemed the "Baby Ballerinas" by ballet critic Arnold Haskell based upon their age.
Read more at Russian Ballet History Diaghilev's Ballets Russes 1909-1929
Irina Mikhailovna Tennant (Baronova) (1919 - 2008)
About Irina Mikhailovna Tennant (Baronova)
She studied with Olga Preobrajenska in Paris, after her parents had emigrated from Russia. Original Ballerina in the Ballet Russes. "Irina made her debut with the Paris Opera in 1930, aged 11. Choreographer Georges Balanchine one day noticed the little girl with the grace of movement and obvious commitment to the stage. He engaged her for the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo. She was 13 years old. And then Balanchine hit on an idea. He would get three very young dancers straight from the school and make them into a company of children. He chose Tamara Toumanova, 13, Tatiana Riabouchinska, 15 and Irina, 13. In 1933, during their first season in London, ballet writer Arnold Haskell gave them a nickname that stuck: the Three Baby Ballerinas. It turned out to be a piece of marketing genius. The baby ballerinas caused a sensation, packing houses around Europe, the US and beyond.
(Source: Sunday Age (Melbourne) September 14, 2003 Sunday
Agenda; Pg. 1 "My Life With ... "
BY: Peter Wilmoth)
Read more at Geni
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| Miss Karen organised the Preview the film Ballet Russes at the Newcastle Lyrique Theatre and Irina's launch and signing of her book - Irina |
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| Family wth Irina |
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| Granddaughter, Tahlia with Irina |
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| Miss Karen and me with Irina |
The late Irina spent her final years living with her daughter in Australia. Miss Karen was honoured to have her as Patron of Baby Ballerinas & Co..
Miss Kim painted two portraits of her in 2006.
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| Collection of Irina Tennant |
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| Collection of the Artist on loan to the Studio Baby Ballerinas and Co |
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