Yekaterina Geltzer

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Yekaterina Vasilyevna Geltzer (November 2, 1876 - December 12, 1962) was a prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Ballet who danced in the theatre from 1898 to 1935. She worked with Marius Petipa, Sergei Diaghilev, and Reinhold Glière. After the Russian Revolution of 1917, she helped to preserve the art of ballet in Russia. She was the first ballet dancer to receive the title of "People's Artist of Russia" (1925). Her most famous post-revolutionary role was a Chinese dancer in the premiere of Gliere's Red Poppy. This production was staged by her husband Vasily Tikhomirov for her 50th birthday. In 1943, she was awarded USSR State Prize.

Once backstage at the Bolshoi Theatre, and well passed the age of 60, Geltzer was heard telling her collegues "help me get myself up on pointe, after that I know what to do."

Yekaterina Geltzer. Moscow, 1890	Yekaterina Geltzer. Moscow, 1920	Yekaterina Geltzer. Moscow, 1950	Geltzer as Medora in Alexander Gorsky's production of Le Corsaire, 1910
Geltzer with Tikhomirov in Nikolai Legat's The Little Scarlet Flower. Moscow, 1911	Geltzer with Tikhomirov in Alexander Gorsky's production of The Naiad and the Fisherman, Moscow, circa 1910

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