Tamara Karsavina

Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. She is one of the few amongst the great artists of the dance whose virtuosity is not discussed. It is taken for granted - yet entirely apart from her immense artistry, her technique stands almost alone in its strength and purity. Where many other dancers have made a feature of their technique, hers is entirely subordinated to her genius for dramatic interpretation. I have seen her strike an attitude or suggest a pose in everyday clothes without any of the charitable illusions of the stage. No words can describe the beauty of those movements. They suggest a veritable collection of tanagra figures. Knowing Karsavina it is not easy to keep the personal note out of this study. I have tried to do so, but it is not necessary in this introduction.