The Prince and the Showgirl:

How Prima Ballerina Ludmilla Tcherina

danced her way across the silver screen.

Harald-Reportagen, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Early Life

Born in Paris, Ludmilla Tcherina (1924-2004) was the daughter on an exiled Russian Prince

Avenir Tchemerzine. She started dancing at three years of age and showing early signs of talent, she took to the stage at 11. She trained at the Paris Opera and studied under Blanche d'Alessandri, Olga Preobrajenska and in 1940 she joined Serge Lifar's Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. She became the youngest Prima Ballerina. At the Ballet des Champs-Élysées in 1945,

she was the principal dancer.

1940's and 50's

She danced all over the world and appeared regularly at the Paris Opera, The Bolshoi Ballet

and the Kirov Ballet. In 1946 she made her first film appearance as ballerina Karin in the French drama Un revenant. In Britain she starred in the movie The Red Shoes (1948).

Filmography

Date / Film / Role

1946 Un revenant Karina

1948 The Red Shoes Irina Boronskaja

1949 Fandango Angélica

1950 La nuit s'achève Danielle Chevalier

1951 The Tales of Hoffmann Giulietta

1951Clara de Montargis Clara

1951Parsifal Kundry

1952 Grand Gala Monique

1953 Sins of Rome Amitys

1954 Mata Hari's Daughter Elyne

1954 Sign of the Pagan Princess Pulcheria

1955 Oh... Rosalinda!! Rosalinda

1959 Honeymoon Anna

1962 The Lovers of Teruel Isa

1964 Une ravissante idiote

1969 Salome

1972 La dame aux camélias

1975 La reine de Saba

1975 La passion d'Anna Karénine

Art & Sculpture

A talented writer, artist and sculptor, she exhibited at many prestigious galleries. A monumental sculpture Europe à Coeur (1991) was chosen to be displayed outside the European Parliament, Strasbourg.

The Sculpture entitled Europa Operanda (1994), is displayed at the French terminal of Eurotunnel.