Mme Karina

[Jane Simpson]

Please can anyone tell me anything about 'the Danish ballerina, Mme Karina', who danced in London in 1931?

[Alexandra]

I've never heard of her -- perhaps Effy has? (There are several accomplished Danish dancers who grew up outside of the Royal Theatre -- or 'beyond the walls" as they say.)

[Pamela Moberg]

Going back quite a few years there was a famous teacher in Stockholm by the name of Lilian Karina - believe she was born in Hungary. I have never met her, never danced in Stockholm, but I could find out more.

[Jane Simpson]

I think this is probably someone different, Pamela. I'm afraid I misremembered the date she was in London - it was 1922 rather than in the thirties, and she was already presumably well-established by then. The NYPL index lists a cuttings file for 'Mme Karina', and there's a 'Karina' amongst the 'Little Biographies of Famous Dancers' in the Dancing Times for December 1917, along with Genee, Bedells, Kyasht and Astafieva.

The reason I asked in the first place is that I was looking at the website for the British Pathe News archive, and you can download a film of Mme Karina dancing the Dying Swan - at least you can if you've got a faster connection than I have!

[vjn452]

Please can anyone tell me anything about 'the Danish ballerina, Mme Karina', who danced in London in 1931?

I wonder if you ever found out any more about Mme Karina? I am interested as I have a signed photograph from her (in Dying Swan costume) and other photographs, she was a visitor to my aunt's family living in London in 1920s. I found the clip of her dancing the Dying Swan by Googling "Mme Karina ballet". Apparently she was a prima ballerina at Covent Garden and also the Royal Danish Ballet. If you're still out there would love to know any more! Julia

[cubanmiamiboy]

Please can anyone tell me anything about 'the Danish ballerina, Mme Karina', who danced in London in 1931?

I wonder if you ever found out any more about Mme Karina? I am interested as I have a signed photograph from her (in Dying Swan costume) and other photographs, she was a visitor to my aunt's family living in London in 1920s. I found the clip of her dancing the Dying Swan by Googling "Mme Karina ballet". Apparently she was a prima ballerina at Covent Garden and also the Royal Danish Ballet. If you're still out there would love to know any more! Julia

Hi, vjn452, and Welcome to BT! . I just watched the clip, and i found it fascinating. The sight of this little silent gem is precious, and i just added it to my playlist of Dying Swans. The order now goes like this. Pavlova, Karina, Ulanova, Plisetskaya, Moiseyeva, Makarova and Viengsay Valdes. The only data i found about Mme. Karina was in the book "The Art of Ballet", by Mark Edward Perugini, who briefly describes one of her performances on page 315:

"The appearance of that dainty Dresden-china dancer Mme. Karina in a graceful little dance-scene, "The Colour of Life", the expressive music of which was by Miss Dora Bright. Mme. Karina, another dancer who hails from Denmark won instantly appreciation from the beauty of her work and is indeed notable for her precision, grace and distinction"

http://books.google.com/books?id=LOxCAAAAI...7NtAQ&hl=en

Not a lot, but still...

[carbro]

Thanks, Jane, for the Pathe reference (which I missed when you first posted it). It was wonderful to see.

Readers might want to look down that gallery of clips to find one of Mme Karsavina at home. Another little treasure.

[cubanmiamiboy]

Readers might want to look down that gallery of clips to find one of Mme Karsavina at home. Another little treasure.

Saw it too...precious indeed, Carbro.

Jane, for the hint!

[Jane Simpson]

One of the pleasures of long-established sites like this is the way new readers dig up topics that you've completely forgotten about! I've never heard anything else at all about Mme Karina between when I asked the question and now, and it's really nice that new people can add information years later.