Olga Spessivtseva

Lore & Background

Olga Spessivtseva was born in Rostov-on-Don, the daughter of a theatre manager and a housewife. After her father's death, she was sent to an orphanage with theatrical connections in St. Petersburg. She entered St. Graduating in 1913, she joined the Mariinsky Theatre company and was promoted to soloist in 1916. She was a romantic dancer and, according to some, uniquely suited for roles such as Giselle and Odette-Odile in Swan Lake, quickly becoming one of the most popular dancers in the company. In 1916, Sergei Diaghilev invited her to tour with the Ballets Russes in the United States. She moved to the United States that year, teaching and advising the Ballet Theatre Foundation.

Reader's Guide

Olga Spessivtseva is remembered as a leading Russian prima ballerina of the early 20th century, particularly noted for her romantic interpretations of Giselle and Odette-Odile. Her career, though cut short by mental illness, included significant collaborations with the Ballets Russes and the Paris Opera Ballet. Her legacy endures as a symbol of artistic brilliance and tragic vulnerability.

Did You Know?

• She was born in Rostov-on-Don, the daughter of a theatre manager and a housewife.
• She studied at St. Petersburg's Imperial Ballet Academy under Klavdia Kulichevskaya and Yevgenia Sokolova.
• She never performed with Vaslav Nijinsky, as he left the Ballets Russes before she joined.
• When dancing abroad, she was frequently inaccurately billed as Olga Spessiva.

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