George Skibine

George Skibine (born January 30, 1920, Trakehnen, East Prussia (soviet Yasnaya Polyana, Kaliningrad Oblast, after 1945) – died January 14, 1981, Dallas, Texas) was a ballet dancer and choreographer.

Born as Yuriy Borisovich Skibin, the son of Boris Skibine (né Skibin), a member of Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, he began to perform with the company from the age of five years, as an extra in Petrouchka.

He was studied with various Russian teachers including Olga Preobrajenska, Julia Sedova, Alexandre Volinine and Lyubov Egorova before making his debut on ballet stage in 1937 in Egorova's Ballets de la Jeunesse. In 1938, at age 18, he became to dance with the René Blum's Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. Danced with the company in 1938-1939, then performed with Ballet Russe of W. de Basil (1939-1941), Ballet Theatre (1941-1942), Markova-Dolin Ballet (1946), again with Original Ballet Russe (1947), Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas (1947-1956), Ruth Page Civic Ballet (1956-1957 & 1959, with Marjorie Tallchief), Paris Opera (1957-1961, with Marjorie Tallchief). In 1959 was named danseur étoile.

He was named choreographer in 1950.

He later served as artistic director for Paris Opera Ballet (1958-1961), the Harkness Ballet (1964-1966) and the Dallas Civic Ballet (1969).

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