Tamara Karsavina, the leading ballerina of the Ballets Russes, became a great teacher. The syllabus she devised for the RAD’s teacher training course in 1954 is still taught today. This was the second painting of her by Jacques Émile Blanche; he previously painted her in The Firebird, one of her signature roles. Largely self-taught, Blanche attended dress rehearsals of the Ballets Russes to paint its star dancers.
Luke Rittner, the RAD’s Chief Executive, says: ‘We are delighted to welcome Tamara Karsavina back home to the RAD. The painting will hang prominently in the new headquarters, continuing Karsavina’s lifelong mission to inspire dancers for generations to come.’
