List of female dancers

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The following is a list of female dancers by nationality — notable women who are well known for their work in the field of dance.

Africa

Algeria

• Mariquita (1830–1922), early choreographer, director and teacher in Paris, Folies Bergère, Opéra Comique

Egypt

• Fifi Abdou (born 1953), belly dancer, film and television actress
• Naima Akef (1929–1966), belly dancer, film actress
• Nagwa Fouad (born 1936), belly dancer
• Nadia Gamal (1937–1990), belly dancer, toured widely including North America
• Samia Gamal (1924–1994), belly dancer, film actress
• Taheyya Kariokka (1919–1999), belly dancer, film actress
• Nelly Mazloum (1929–2003), belly dancer, show dancer, folklorist, own dance company
• Zeinat Olwi (1930–1988), belly dancer, film actress
• Dina Talaat (born 1965), belly dancer, film actress
• Hanan Tork (born 1975), ballerina, Cairo Ballet Group, later film actress

South Africa

• Juliet Prowse (1936–1996), Indian-born, stage dancer, starred in Can-Can
• Phyllis Spira (1943–2008), prima ballerina, teacher, performed with Cape Town's CAPAB

Asia

Armenia

• Armen Ohanian (1887–1976), oriental dancer

Bangladesh

• Benazir Salam (born 1979), Indian classical dancer, modern dancer, Odissi teacher

China

• Dai Ailian (born 1916 in Trinidad), modern dancer, choreographer, teacher, first principal of Beijing Dance Academy
• Jin Xing (born 1967 to Korean parents), ballerina, modern dancer, choreographer, actress
• Faye Leung (born 1979), principal dancer, Hong Kong Ballet
• Yuanyuan Tan (born 1974), principal dancer, San Francisco Ballet
• Xue Jinghua (born 1946), prima ballerina, National Ballet of China
• Zhu Yan, prima ballerina, since 1995 with the National Ballet of China

Georgia

• Nina Ananiashvili (born 1963), ballerina, artistic director, State Ballet of Georgia
• Maia Makhateli (born c. 1986), principal dancer, Dutch National Ballet
• Lila Zali (1918–2003), ballet dancer, film actress, American Ballet Theatre, Ballets Russes

India

• Protima Bedi (1948–1998), classical Indian dancer, specializing in Odissi
• Ahana Deol (born 1985), Odissi dancer
• Rukmini Devi Arundale (1904–1986), Bharata Natyam classical dancer, choreographer
• Madhuri Dixit (born 1967), film actress, dance sequences in Bollywood films
• Methil Devika (born 1977), dancer, choreographer, teacher
• Geeta Kapoor (born 1973), Bollywood choreographer
• Hema Malini (born 1948), Bharata Natyam dancer, choreographer, actress
• Vaibhavi Merchant (born 1975), Bollywood dancer, choreographer
• Sujata Mohapatra (born 1968), Indian classical dancer, Odissi teacher
• Anita Ratnam (born 1954), Indian classical dancer, modern dancer, choreographer
• Mallika Sarabhai (born 1954), classical Indian dancer, choreographer
• Savitha Sastry (born 1969), Indian dancer, choreographer, specializing in Bharata Natyam
• Zohra Sehgal (born 1912), film actress, modern dancer, choreographer
• Isha Sharvani (born 1984), modern dancer, actress
• Shobana (born 1970), actress, Bharata Natyam dancer
• Divya Unni (born 1979), actress, classical Indian dancer
• Vyjayanthimala (born 1936), classical Indian dancer, choreographer, actress
• Rekha Raju – Mohiniyattam exponent
• Rina Jana – Odissi exponent

Iran

• Farzaneh Kaboli (born 1949), Iranian folk dancer, ballet dancer, choreographer

Israel

• Rina Schenfeld (born 1938), prima ballerina, choreographer, Batsheva Dance Company

Japan

• Motofuji Akiko (1928–2003), ballerina, modern dancer
• Tae-ji Choi (born 1959), ballerina, director, teacher, Korea National Ballet
• Shizuka Gozen (1165–1211) court dancer
• Yuriko Kajiya (born 1984), ballerina, American Ballet Theatre
• Maki Kawamura (born 1979), ballerina, New National Theatre Tokyo
• Misa Kuranaga (born c. 1982), ballerina, Boston Ballet
• Tamiyo Kusakari (born 1965), ballerina, film actress, Maki Asami Ballet Company
• Masako Ono, Odissi dancer since 1996
• Shino Mori (born 1989), ballerina, National Ballet of Canada
• Yoko Morishita (born 1948), prima ballerina, director, Matsuyama Ballet Company
• Ayako Nakano (born 1977), ballerina, soloist Theater Basel
• Erina Takahashi, ballet dancer, joined the English National Ballet in 1996
• Miyako Yoshida (born 1965), prima ballerina, K-ballet

Kazakhstan

• Nadezhda Gracheva (born 1969), prima ballerina, Bolshoi Ballet

Pakistan

• Suhaee Abro (dancer since 2001), Indian classical dancer, modern dancer, choreographer
• Nargis (born 1974), film actress, stage dancer

South Korea

• Yuhui Choe, ballet dancer, played Aurora with The Royal Ballet in 2014
• Ji-Young Kim (born 1978), prima ballerina, Korean National Ballet
• Kang Sue-jin (born 1967), ballerina, Stuttgart Ballet
• Kim Joo-won (born 1976), prima ballerina, Korean National Ballet
• Young Soon Hue (born 1963), ballerina, choreographer, Deutsche Oper am Rhein

Australasia

Australia

• Lucette Aldous (born 1938), ballerina, teacher with the Australian Ballet
• Roma Egan (born 1948), senior soloist, Australian Ballet
• Jean Garling (1907–1998), ballet dancer
• Amy Harris (born 1983), ballet dancer, Australian Ballet
• Margaret Illmann (born 1965), ballerina, National Ballet of Canada
• Marilyn Jones (born 1940), ballerina, director, Australian Ballet
• Dena Kaplan (born 1989), dancer, actress, film roles
• Kirsty Martin (born 1976), principal dancer, Australian Ballet
• Laurel Martyn (1916–2013), ballerina, Australian Ballet, Vic-Wells Ballet
• Danielle Rowe (born 1982), ballet dancer, Houston Ballet
• Margaret Scott, (born 1922 in South Africa), ballerina, Ballet Rambert, Australian Ballet, director of the Australian Ballet School
• Dana Stephensen (born c. 1984), ballerina, Australian Ballet
• Meryl Tankard (born 1955), ballet dancer, choreographer, director Australian Dance Theatre
• Tamara Tchinarova (born 1919 in Romania), ballet dancer Ballets Russes, Borovansky Ballet

New Zealand

• Yvonne Cartier (born c. 1930), ballet dancer, choreographer, teacher of mime and movement, based in Paris
• Rowena Jackson (born 1926), prima ballerina, Sadler's Wells Ballet, Royal Ballet

Europe

Austria

• Fanny Elssler (1810–1884), ballerina, Ballet du Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique (now the Paris Opera), toured widely
• Saskia Hölbling (born 1971), modern dancer, choreographer
• Hilde Holger (1905–2001), expressionist dancer, choreographer, teacher
• Katti Lanner (1829–1908), ballet dancer, choreographer, Viennese Ballet Company, Drury Lane
• Tilly Losch (1903–1975), ballet dancer, show dancer, choreographer, trained at the Vienna Opera, later turned to musicals including The Band Wagon
• Kathrin Menzinger (born 1988), competitive ballroom dancer
• Albertina Rasch (1891–1967), ballerina, show dancer, choreographer, remembered for her extensive work in American musicals
• Eva Marie Veigel (1724–1822), early dancer in London
• Grete Wiesenthal (1891–1967), ballet dancer, worked with Max Reinhardt

Belgium

• Akarova (1904–1999), ballet dancer, choreographer, performed in various venues in Brussels
• Veerle Casteleyn (born 1978), ballerina, show dancer, performing in Belgian musicals
• Bernice Coppieters (born 1970), ballerina, star of the Ballets de Monte-Carlo
• Julie Alix de la Fay (c. 1746–1826), ballet dancer, teacher, helped develop the Royal Swedish Ballet
• Andrée Marlière (1934–2008), ballet dancer, teacher, danced mainly in Belgian and German companies including the Flemish Opera

Bulgaria

• Mila Iskrenova (born 1960), modern dancer, choreographer

Czech Republic

• Jarmila Jeřábková (1912–1989), modern dancer, choreographer, teaching Isadora Duncan's method
• Daria Klimentová (born 1971), prima ballerina, National Theatre Ballet, English National Ballet

Denmark

• Dinna Bjørn (born 1947), prima ballerina, choreographer, ballet mistress, Royal Danish Ballet
• Marie Christine Bjørn (1763–1837), outstanding ballerina, trained and danced at the Royal Danish Theatre
• Gudrun Bojesen (born 1976), principal dancer, Royal Danish Ballet.
• Ida Brun (1792–1857), singer, dancer, mine artist
• Vivi Flindt (born 1943), soloist with the Royal Danish Ballet, now a choreographer
• Anine Frølich (1762–1784), ballerina, first native Dane in the Royal Danish Ballet
• Adeline Genée (1878–1970), ballerina, Royal Danish Ballet, later classical ballet and music hall roles at Empire, Leicester Square, in New York and Sydney
• Lucile Grahn (1819–1907), ballerina, Royal Danish Ballet, performed widely across Europe
• Susanne Grinder (born 1981), principal dancer, Royal Danish Ballet
• Eline Heger (1774–1842), ballet dancer, Royal Danish Ballet
• Else Højgaard (1906–1979), ballerina, stage and film actress, Royal Danish Theatre
• Andrea Krætzmer (1811–1889), soloist in August Bournonville's early ballets
• Margot Lander (1910–1961), Born in Oslo, Denmark's first prima ballerina, Royal Danish Ballet
• Anna Lærkesen (born 1942), soloist at the Royal Danish Ballet
• Elna Lassen (1901–1930), ballerina, Royal Danish Ballet
• Gitte Lindstrøm (born 1975), principal dancer, teacher, Royal Danish Ballet
• Augusta Nielsen (1822–1902), ballerina, performed as a soloist in Bournonville's ballets
• Ellen Price (1878–1968), prima ballerina, Royal Danish Ballet
• Juliette Price (1831–1906), prima ballerina, Royal Danish Ballet, worked closely with August Bournonville
• Kirsten Ralov (1922–1999), ballerina, ballet mistress, associate director, Royal Danish Ballet
• Louise Rasmussen (1815–1874), ballet dancer and stage actor, Royal Danish Ballet
• Margrethe Schall (1775–1852), ballerina, Royal Danish Ballet
• Kirsten Simone (born 1934), first soloist Royal Danish Ballet
• Nini Theilade (born 1915), ballet dancer, choreographer, starred in the film A Midsummer Night's Dream
• Valda Valkyrien (1895–1956), Iceland-born prima ballerina, Royal Danish Ballet, later silent film actress in the United States

Finland

• Sorella Englund (born 1945), soloist, character dancer, teacher, Royal Danish Ballet
• Alina Frasa (1834–1899) – Finnish ballet dancer and choreographer
• Anu Viheriäranta (born 1982), principal dancer, Dutch National Ballet

France

• Émilienne d’Alençon (1869–1946), dancer, actress, courtesan
• Marie Allard (1738–1802), ballerina, Comédie-Française, Paris Opera Ballet
• Mademoiselle Ambroisine (born 1811, death unknown), prima ballerina, leading lady of romantic ballet in Brussels
• Madame Anatole (born 1793, death unknown), prima ballerina, Paris Opera Ballet
• Jane Avril (1868–1943), can-can dancer, Moulin Rouge
• Josephine Baker (1906–1975), American-born erotic dancer, singer, entertainer, Folies Bergère, also in films
• Claude Bessy, (born 1932) ballerina, teacher, Paris Opera Ballet
• Émilie Bigottini (1784–1858), ballerina, Paris Opera Ballet
• Hélène Bouchet (born 1980), ballet dancer, principal at Hamburg Ballet
• Rita Cadillac (1936–1995), exotic dancer, singer, actress, Crazy Horse, Folies Bergère
• Leslie Caron (born 1931), ballerina, film actress, starred in Gigi
• Céline Céleste (1815–1882), ballerina, highly successful in New York
• Cha-U-Kao, dancer and clown
• Yvette Chauviré (born 1917), prima ballerina, director, Paris Opera Ballet
• Isabelle Ciaravola (born 1972), ballet dancer, étoile of the Paris Opera Ballet
• Polly Cuninghame (1785–1837), ballerina, active in Amsterdam, Stadsschouwburg
• Marie Anne de Cupis de Camargo (1710–1770), prima ballerina, Paris Opera Ballet, the first to execute the entrechat quatre and to wear ballet slippers
• Sophie Daguin (1801–1881), ballerina, choreographer, Royal Swedish Opera
• Gaby Deslys (1881–1920), show dancer, singer, actress, performed on Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre
• Suzanne Douvillier (1778–1826), ballerina, choreographer, perhaps the first trained ballerina to perform in the United States
• Adèle Dumilâtre (1821–1909), prima ballerina, Paris Opera Ballet, Drury Lane, La Scala
• Aurélie Dupont (born 1973), ballerina, Paris Opera Ballet
• Pauline Duvernay (1812–1894), ballerina, Paris Opera Ballet, also London
• Émilie Cozette (born 1981), ballerina, étoile of the Paris Opera Ballet
• Eugénie Fiocre (1845–1908), ballerina, Paris Opera Ballet, often in male roles
• Dorothée Gilbert (born 1983), ballerina, Paris Opera Ballet
• Marie-Agnès Gillot (born c. 1974), ballerina, choreographer, Paris Opera Ballet
• Geneviève Gosselin (1791–1818), ballerina, Paris Opera Ballet
• La Goulue (1866–1929), can-can dancer, Moulin Rouge
• Isabelle Guérin (born 1961), ballet dancer, principal dancer with Paris Opera Ballet
• Sylvie Guillem (born 1965), ballerina, choreographer, contemporary dancer, Paris Opera Ballet, Sadler's Wells Theatre
• Marie-Madeleine Guimard (1743—1816), ballerina, star of the Paris Opera under Louis XVI
• Dominique Khalfouni (born 1951), ballerina, teacher, Paris Opera Ballet, Ballet National de Marseille
• Zizi Jeanmaire (born 1924), ballet dancer, film actress, appeared in Hans Christian Andersen
• Katherine Kath (1920–2012), prima ballerina, Théâtre du Châtelet, film and television actress
• De Lafontaine (1655–1738), ballerina, considered to be the first professional female dancer, Paris Opera
• Brigitte Lefèvre (born 1944), dancer, choreographer, director of the Paris Opera Ballet
• Marcelle Lender (1862–1926), stage dancer, signer, Théâtre des Variétés, painted by Toulouse-Lautrec
• Marie Lesueur (1799–1890), ballet dancer, Théâtre de Marseille, Théâtre de la Monnaie
• Agnès Letestu (born 1971), ballerina, Paris Opera Ballet
• Emma Livry (1842–1863), ballerina, romantic ballet, Paris Opera, died after her clothes caught fire on stage
• Monique Loudières (born 1956), ballet dancer, teacher, étoile with the Paris Opera Ballet
• Mariquita (1830–1922), see Algeria
• Genia Melikova (1924–2004), ballerina, choreographer, teacher, Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas, also performed on Broadway
• Madame Montessu (1803–1877), prima ballerina, Paris Opera Ballet
• Marguerite Morel (1737–1804), ballerina, opera singer, active in Sweden at Bollhuset
• Stacia Napierkowska (1891–1945), dancer, film actress, appeared in many silent films
• Lise Noblet (1801—1852), ballerina, Paris Opera Ballet
• Myriam Ould-Braham (born 1982), ballerina, étoile of the Paris Opera Ballet
• Ludmila Pagliero (born 1983), see Argentina
• Mademoiselle Parisot (c. 1775 – after 1837), opera singer, ballet dancer, King's Theatre
• Sonia Petrovna (born 1952), ballerina, actress
• Élisabeth Platel (born 1959), prima ballerina, Paris Opera Ballet
• Françoise Prévost (c. 1680–1741), ballerina, remembered for her solo Les Caractères de la Danse, Paris Opera
• Liane de Pougy (1869–1950), courtesan, cabaret dancer, Folies Bergère
• Laetitia Pujol (born 1975), ballet dancer, étoile with the Paris Opera Ballet
• Alice Renavand (born 1980), ballet dancer, étoile with the Paris Opera Ballet
• Rigolboche (1842–1920), stage dancer, possibly invented the can-can
• Marie Sallé (1707–1756), prima ballerina, first female choreographer, Paris Opera Ballet, Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre, London
• Marie Sanlaville (1847–1930), prima ballerina, Paris Opera Ballet, often in male roles
• Élisabeth Soligny (born 1749, death unknown), prima ballerina, ballet mistress, Royal Swedish Ballet
• Agnès Souret (1902–1928), show dancer, actress, winner of first Miss France contest
• Marie-Thérèse de Subligny (1666–1735), prima ballerina, Paris Opera Ballet, first professional ballet dancer to appear in England (1702)
• Marina Svetlova (1922–2009), ballerina, Original Ballet Russe, Metropolitan Opera Ballet
• Ludmilla Tchérina (1924–2004), prima ballerina, Ballet des Champs-Élysées, also appeared in films and on television
• Ghislaine Thesmar (born 1943), prima ballerina, choreographer, Ballets de Monte-Carlo
• Violette Verdy (born 1933), ballerina, Ballet des Champs-Élysées, New York City Ballet, director of Paris Opera Ballet

Germany

• Ruth Abramovitsch Sorel (1907–1974), dancer, choreographer, director, active in Canada
• Pina Bausch (1940–2009), dancer and choreographer, company founder, Tanztheater
• Hannelore Bey (born 1941), ballerina, Komische Oper Berlin
• Anita Berber (1899–1928), cabaret dancer in Berlin
• Ursula Cain (1927–2011), modern dancer, ballet dancer, teacher, Leipzig Opera, television appearances
• Marlene Charell (born 1944), modern dancer, Le Lido
• Ursula Deinert (1910–1988), dancer, film actress
• Clotilde von Derp (1892–1974), expressionist dancer, partner and wife of Alexander Sakharoff
• Jutta Deutschland (born 1958), prima ballerina, Komische Oper Berlin
• Hertha Feist (1896–1990), expressionist dancer, combining gymnastics, nudity and dance
• Yvonne Georgi (1903–1975), ballerina, choreographer, ballet mistress
• Valeska Gert (1892–1978), cabaret dancer, film actress, also in the United States
• Tatjana Gsovsky (1901–1993), see Russia
• Anna Heinel (1753–1808), ballerina, Paris Opera
• Heike Hennig (born 1966), modern dancer, choreographer, teacher, active mainly in Leipzig
• Reinhild Hoffmann (born 1966), show dancer
• Hanya Holm (1893–1992), major contributor to modern dance in the United States, especially Broadway musicals
• Dore Hoyer (1911–1967), expressionist dancer, choreographer, teacher, associate of Mary Wigman
• La Jana (1905–1940), Austrian-born cabaret dancer, film actress
• Birgit Keil (born 1944), prima ballerina, teacher, Stuttgart Ballet
• Gertrud Leistikow (1885–1948), show dancer, teacher in Amsterdam
• Rosemarie Lindt (born 1939), ballet dancer, film actress
• Maria Litto (1919–1996), prima ballerina, choreographer, film actress, pioneered dance on German television
• Jo Mihaly (1902–1989), expressionist dancer, writer, fled to Zurich
• Nicole Nau (born 1963), Argentine tango dancer, show director
• Anneliese von Oettingen (1917–2002), ballerina, choreographer, teacher, taught ballet and modern dance in Cincinnati
• Gret Palucca (1902–1993), dancer, teacher in Berlin and post-war East Germany
• Laya Raki (born 1927), dancer, film actress
• Edel von Rothe (1925–2008), prima ballerina, ballet mistress, Deutsche Oper am Rhein
• Sonia Santiago (born 1966), ballet dancer and teacher
• Steffi Scherzer (born 1957), prima ballerina, Berlin State Opera, instructor in Zurich
• Bessie Schonberg (1906–1997), modern dancer, choreographer, teacher, active mainly in New York
• Natascha Trofimowa (1923–1979), prima ballerina, German State Opera, Bavarian State Opera
• Carmen Vincelj (born 1972), ballroom dancer
• Konstanze Vernon (1939–2013), prima ballerina, teacher, Bavarian State Opera
• Sasha Waltz (born 1963), modern dancer, choreographer, director, active in Berlin
• Sybil Werden (1924–2007), dancer, film actress
• Mary Wigman (1886–1973), expressionist dancer, choreographer, teacher, important figure in modern dance, taught in Dresden and post-war Berlin

Greece

• Toula Limnaios (born 1963), dancer, choreographer, based in Germany
• Tatiana Mamaki (1921–2007), ballerina, choreographer, teacher, ballet of the Greek National Opera
• Evelina Papoulia (born 1971), modern dancer, actress
• Dora Stratou (1903–1988), Greek folk dancer

Hungary

• Steffi Duna (1910–1992), dancer, film actress in the United States
• Nora Kovach (1931–2009), ballerina, Budapest State Opera, Festival Ballet, London

Ireland

• Jean Butler (born 1971), Irish step dancer
• Marguerite Donlon (born 1966), ballerina, choreographer, director, working mainly in Germany
• Bernadette Flynn (born 1979), Irish dancer, show dancer, performed in Lord of the Dance (musical)
• Margaret Kelly Leibovici (1910–2004), show dancer in Paris
• Monica Loughman (born c. 1978), ballerina, joined the Russian Perm Opera and Ballet Theatre in 1992, founder and director of Ireland's Monica Loughman Ballet^[1]
• Lola Montez (1821–1861), dancer, courtesan
• Joan Denise Moriarty (c. 1912–1992), ballerina, choreographer, traditional Irish dancer, founder of professional ballet in Ireland
• Gillian Norris (born 1978), show dancer
• Ninette de Valois (1898–2001), ballerina, choreographer, director, founded Vic-Wells Ballet which became the Royal Ballet

Italy

• Eleonora Abbagnato (born 1978), étoile at the Paris Opera
• Barbara Campanini (1721–1799), ballerina, actress, Paris Opera
• Sabrina Brazzo (born 1968), prima ballerina, La Scala Ballet
• Carlotta Brianza (1867–1930), prima ballerina, La Scala, Mariinsky Theatre
• Giuseppina Bozzacchi (1853–1870), ballerina, Paris Opera
• Teresa Bandettini (1763–1837), dancer, poet
• Fanny Cerrito (1817–1909), ballerina, early female choreographer, Paris Opera, La Scala
• Viviana Durante (born 1967), prima ballerina, Royal Ballet, La Scala
• Amalia Ferraris (1828–1904), ballerina, Theatre Royal, Paris Opera
• Alessandra Ferri (born 1963), ballerina, active with the Royal Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and La Scala Theatre Ballet
• Carla Fracci (born 1936), prima ballerina, choreographer, ballat mistress, La Scala, Teatro dell'Opera di Roma
• Rosina Galli (dancer) (1892–1940) prima ballerina at La Scala Theatre Ballet, Chicago Ballet, as well as the première danseuse of the Metropolitan Opera House
• Gilda Gelati (born 1967), prima ballerina, La Scala Theatre Ballet
• Carlotta Grisi (1819–1899), prima ballerina, famous for her Giselle, Paris Opera, Imperial Ballet
• Pierina Legnani (1863–1930), prima ballerina with La Scala, later with Russia's Imperial Ballet
• Liliana Merlo (1925–2002), pioneer of classical ballet in Abruzzo
• Nicoletta Manni (born 1991), prima ballerina, La Scala Theatre Ballet
• Attilia Radice (1914–1980), prima ballerina, teacher, La Scala, Rome Opera
• Carolina Rosati (1826–1905), prima ballerina, Paris Opera Ballet, Imperial Ballet in St Petersburg
• Rita Sangalli (1849–1909), prima ballerina, Paris Opera Ballet
• Marie Taglioni (1804–1884), see Sweden
• Carlotta Zambelli (1875–1968), prima ballerina, teacher, Paris Opera

Latvia

• Ludmilla Chiriaeff (1924–1996), Latvian-Canadian dancer, choreographer, teacher, and company director
• Elza Leimane (born 1984), ballet dancer whose father, Aivars Leimanis, is Artistic Director of Latvia's National Ballet
• Simona Orinska (born 1978), butoh artist, choreographer, dance movement therapy

Lithuania

• Svetlana Beriosova (1932–1998), prima ballerina, Royal Ballet
• Sonia Gaskell (1904–1974), dancer, choreographer, teacher, artistic director of the Dutch National Ballet
• Aušra Gineitytė (born 1962), ballet dancer and pedagogue
• Tamara Kalibataitė (1926–2010), dancer and choreographer
• Elena Kepalaitė (born 1920), sculptor, painter and dancer
• Aira Naginevičiutė (born 1965), dancer, choreographer and teacher
• Eglė Špokaitė (born 1971), ballet dancer, prima ballerina of the Lithuanian National Opera and ballet theater (1989–2011)

Luxembourg

• Germaine Damar (born 1929), stage dancer, film actress

Netherlands

• Maria Francisca Bia (1809–1889), ballerina, opera singer
• Polly Cuninghame (1785–1837), see France
• Sonia Gaskell (1904–1974), see Lithuania
• Mata Hari (1876–1917), exotic modern dancer in Paris, executed for spying
• Igone de Jongh (born 1979), principal with the Dutch National Ballet
• Susanna van Lee (c. 1630–1700), actress, ballet dancer, also performed in Sweden
• Alexandra Radius (born 1942), ballerina, Dutch National Ballet, American Ballet Theatre
• Marie Bovet (born 1948), Prima Ballerina, Dutch National Ballet, 1968 (under Director Sonia Gaskell): Expert Leaper

Norway

• Kjersti Alveberg (born 1948), ballet dancer, show dancer, choreographer, director
• Gyda Christensen (1872–1964), actress, dancer, choreographer, headed the National Theatre's ballet school
• Henriette Hansen (1814–1892), actress, opera singer, considered to be Norway's first native professional ballet dancer
• Lillebil Ibsen (1899–1989), ballet dancer, film actress, danced in Max Reinhardt's pantomime productions
• Ellen Kjellberg (born 1948), ballet dancer, Norwegian National Opera and Ballet
• Indra Lorentzen (born 1956), ballet dancer, choreographer
• Ingrid Lorentzen (born 1972), ballerina, director, Norwegian National Ballet
• Henny Mürer (1925–1997), ballet dancer, choreographer, Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, headed National Ballet School
• Edith Roger (born 1922), ballet dancer, modern dancer, choreographer, theatre director, Ny Norsk Ballett
• Klara Semb (1884–1970), Norwegian folk dancer, choreographer, teacher
• Marguerite Thoresen (1908–1967), international ballet dancer performing as Rita Tori

Poland

• Anna Grabka (born 1961), ballerina, choreographer, ballet mistress, teacher, Hamburg Ballet, Royal Swedish Ballet
• Gilda Gray (1901–1959), show dancer, known for the shimmy
• Loda Halama (1911–1996), prima ballerina, Grand Theatre, Warsaw, several Polish films
• Edyta Herbuś (born 1981), competition dancer
• Marie Rambert (1888–1982), ballerina, teacher, Ballet Rambert
• Edyta Śliwińska (born 1981), ballroom dancer
• Natasza Urbańska (born 1977), actress, singer, ballroom dancer

Romania

• Mijaela Tesleoanu (1942–2011), ballerina and ballet mistress

Russia

• Altynai Asylmuratova (born 1961), prima ballerina, Mariinsky Ballet, worldwide guest appearances, director of Vaganova Academy
• Alexandra Danilova (1903–1997), ballerina, teacher, Ballets Russes, emigrated to the United States
• Jurgita Dronina (born 1986), principal dancer, Dutch National Ballet
• Sofia Golovkina (1915–2004), ballerina, teacher, head of Bolshoi Ballet School
• Nadezhda Gracheva (born 1969), see Kazakhstan
• Tatjana Gsovsky (1901–1993), German-Russian ballet dancer and choreographer
• Vera Karalli (1889–1972), ballerina, Bolshoi Theatre, also film actress, ballet mistress Romanian Opera
• Tamara Karsavina (1885–1978), prima ballerina, teacher, Imperial Russian Ballet, Royal Ballet
• Maria Kochetkova (born 1984), prima ballerina, Royal Ballet, San Francisco Ballet
• Mathilde Kschessinska (1872–1971), ballerina of Polish extraction, danced with Saint Petersburg's Mariinsky Ballet, later teacher in France
• Lydia Lopokova, (1892–1981), prima ballerina, Ballets Russes
• Yulia Makhalina (born 1968), principal dancer, Mariinsky Ballet
• Natalia Makarova (born 1940), prima ballerina, choreographer, Kirov Ballet
• Sulamith Messerer (1908–2004), ballerina, choreographer, ballet mistress, Bolshoi Theatre, helped establish Tokyo Ballet
• Bronislava Nijinska (1891–1972), prima ballerina, choreographer, teacher, Imperial Ballet, Ballets Russes
• Daria Pavlenko (born 1978), prima ballerina, Mariinsky Ballet
• Anna Pavlova (1881–1931), prima ballerina, danced with the Imperial Russian Ballet and the Ballets Russes
• Maya Plisetskaya (born 1925), prima ballerina, choreographer, teacher, danced with the Bolshoi
• Olga Preobrajenska (1871–1962), ballerina of the Russian Imperial Ballet
• Jia Ruskaja (1902–1970), Russian dancer and choreographer who established a national dance school in Italy
• Marina Semyonova (1908–2010), prima ballerina, teacher, danced with the Bolshoi
• Alina Somova (born 1985), prima ballerina, Mariinsky Ballet
• Olga Smirnova (born 1991), recent leading roles with the Bolshoi
• Viktoria Tereshkina (born 1983), prima ballerina, Mariinsky Ballet
• Anna Tsygankova (born 1979), principal dancer, Hungarian National Ballet, Dutch National Ballet
• Galina Ulanova (1910–1998), prima ballerina, danced with the Mariinsky Ballet and the Bolshoi
• Agrippina Vaganova (1879–1951), ballerina, ballet teacher, developed the Vaganova method

Slovenia

• Stanislava Brezovar (1937–2003), ballerina, starred in the film Ples čarovnic (Dance Of The Witches)
• Meta Vidmar (1899–1975), modern dancer, expressionist dancer, teacher

Spain

• Antonia Santiago Amador (born 1946; La Chana), flamenco dancer
• La Argentinita (1898–1945), ballet dancer, costume designer
• Sara Baras (born 1971), flamenco dancer
• Carmencita (1868–1910), Spanish show dancer, American music-hall ballet dancer
• La Chunga (born 1938), flamenco dancer
• Lola Flores (1923–1995), flamenco dancer, actress
• Cristina Hoyos (born 1946), flamenco dancer, choreographer, film actress
• Lucia Lacarra (born 1975), ballet dancer, principal with Bayerisches Staatsballett
• Blanca Li, (born 1964) ballet dancer, flamenco dancer, choreographer
• Pilar López Júlvez (1912–2008), show dancer, choreographer, also performed in Latin America and United States
• Sara Luzita (born 1922), ballerina, Spanish dancer, Ballet Rambert
• Juana la Macarrona (1860–1947), flamenco dancer, danced in Paris and elsewhere in Europe
• Rosita Mauri (1850–1923), prima ballerina, Paris Opera Ballet
• Laura Morera (born c. 1981), principal dancer, The Royal Ballet
• Arantxa Ochoa (born 1974), principal dancer, Pennsylvania Ballet
• La Belle Otero (1868–1965), show dancer, star of the Folies Bergère
• María Pagés (born 1963), flamenco dancer, choreographer, touring internationally with her Maria Pagès Company
• Tamara Rojo (born 1974), principal dancer, director, English National Ballet
• Laura del Sol (born 1961), flamenco dancer, film actress, starred in the 1983 Carmen film
• Carmen Tórtola Valencia (1882–1955), show dancer, choreographer, costume designer, Folies Bergère
• Angelita Vargas (born 1946), flamenco dancer
• Eva la Yerbabuena (born 1970), flamenco dancer

Sweden

• Ulrika Åberg (1771–1852), one of the first native Swedes in the Royal Swedish Ballet
• Anneli Alhanko (born 1953 in Colombia), ballerina, has danced in several films
• Jenny Hasselquist (1894–1978), prima ballerina, Royal Ballet, acted in many silent films
• Hedda Hjortsberg (1777–1867), prima ballerina, Royal Swedish Ballet
• Sophie Karsten (1783–1862), prima ballerina, Royal Swedish Ballet, mother of Marie Taglioni
• Marie Lindqvist (born 1970), principal dancer, teacher, Royal Swedish Ballet
• Hilda Lund (1840–1911), prima ballerina, teacher, Royal Swedish Ballet
• Jenny Nilson (born 1973), principal dancer, Royal Swedish Ballet
• Charlotta Norberg (1824–1892), prima ballerina, teacher, student of August Bournonville, Royal Swedish Ballet
• Nathalie Nordquist (born 1979), principal, Royal Swedish Ballet
• Gunhild Rosén (1855–1928), prima ballerina, choreographer, ballet master, Royal Swedish Ballet
• Nadja Sellrup (born 1977), principal dancer, Royal Swedish Ballet
• Charlotte Slottsberg (1760–1800), prima ballerina, Royal Swedish Ballet, danced with Antoine Bournonville
• Lisa Steier (1888–1928), prima ballerina, teacher, ballet master, Royal Swedish Ballet
• Marie Taglioni (1804–1884), prima ballerina, Paris Opera, Imperial Ballet, first to dance en pointe
• Anna Valev (born 1969), principal dancer, Royal Swedish Ballet

Switzerland

• Fabienne Liechti, professional ballroom dancer, based in Los Angeles

Ukraine

• Karina Smirnoff (born 1978), ballroom dancer, now in the United States

United Kingdom

• Phyllis Bedells (1893–1985), first British prima ballerina, teacher, London Empire Theatre, Covent Garden, also in musicals
• Immodesty Blaize (born c. 1978), burlesque dancer, show girl
• Deborah Bull (born 1963), ballet dancer, broadcaster
• Darcey Bussell (born 1969), principal dancer, Royal Ballet
• Simone Clarke (born 1970), prima ballerina, English National Ballet
• Lesley Collier (born 1947), principal dancer, teacher, Royal Ballet
• Lauren Cuthbertson (born 1984), principal dancer, Royal Ballet
• Hermione Darnborough (1915–2010), ballerina, Saddler's Wells
• Nancy Dawson (c.1728–1767), actress and dancer, famous for her hornpipe
• Viviana Durante (born 1967), see Italy
• Julia Farron (born 1922), principal dancer, teacher, Royal Ballet
• Margot Fonteyn (1919–1991), outstanding ballerina with The Royal Ballet, frequently performed with Rudolf Nureyev
• Celia Franca (1921–2007), founder, director, National Ballet of Canada
• Maina Gielgud (born 1945), ballerina, artistic director, Australian Ballet
• Beryl Goldwyn (born 1930), prima ballerina, Ballet Rambert
• Beryl Grey (born 1927), outstanding prima ballerina, Saddlers Wells Ballet/Royal Ballet, first western dancer to perform at the Bolshoi
• Ruthie Henshall (born 1967), singer, dancer, actress, in West End musicals
• Lydia Cecilia Hill (1913–1940), cabaret dancer
• Paula Hinton (1924–1996), ballet dancer, wife and partner of Walter Gore
• Seeta Indrani (born 1963), theatre dancer, musicals
• Jillian La Valette (born 1934), ballroom dancer, teacher
• Gillian Lynne (born 1926), ballerina, director, choreographer of West End musicals
• Stephanie Lawrence (1949–2000), singer, dancer, in West End musicals
• Perri Lister (born 1959), dancer, actress, Hot Gossip
• Mabel Love (1874–1953), burlesque dancer, singer, actress
• Alicia Markova (1910–2004), ballerina, choreographer, teacher, performed with the Ballets Russes and the English National Ballet
• Jessie Matthews (1907–1981), dancer, actress, appeared in early musicals
• Caroline O'Connor (born 1962), singer, dancer, actress, in West End musicals
• Betty Oliphant (1918–2004), ballet mistress, teacher, National Ballet of Canada
• Florence Pigott (died 1899), ballerina, Metropolitan Opera Company
• Marguerite Porter (born 1948), principal ballerina, choreographer, teacher, Royal Ballet
• Hollie Robertson (born 1985), ballroom dancer
• Anne Rogers (born 1933), actress, dancer, singer, in West End and Broadway musicals
• Gaynor Rowlands (1883–1906), ballet dancer, show dancer, actress
• Hester Santlow (c. 1690–1773), early stage dancer, actress, Drury Lane
• Valda Setterfield (born 1934), stage dancer, actress
• Antoinette Sibley (born 1939), prima ballerina, teacher, Royal Ballet
• Emma Slater (born 1988), professional dancer, choreographer
• Phyllida Crowley Smith, theatre dancer, choreographer, musicals
• Lydia Sokolova (1896–1974), ballerina, choreographer, Ballets Russes
• Peggy Spencer (born 1920), ballroom dancer, choreographer
• Penelope Spencer (1901–1993), innovative free-style dancer and choreographer
• Arlene Phillips (born 1943), choreographer, West End and Broadway musicals
• Lydia Thompson (1838–1908), stage dancer, burlesque actress, travelled widely across Europe and the United States
• Doreen Wells (born 1937), ballerina, theatre dancer
• Beryl de Zoete (1879–1962), ballet dancer, critic, researcher

North America

Canada

• Maud Allan (1873–1956), dancer, choreographer, famous for her Salomé dance and her Dance of the Seven Veils
• Melissa Hayden (1923–2006), prima ballerina, New York City Ballet
• Louise Lecavalier (born 1958), modern dancer, several films
• Ruta Lee (born 1936), actress, dancer, appeared in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

Cuba

• Alicia Alonso (born 1921), ballerina, choreographer, active in New York's American Ballet Theatre and in Russia, director of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba
• Loipa Araújo (born 1941), prima ballerina and ballet mistress at the Cuban National Ballet; Associate Artistic Director of the English National Ballet; one of the "Four jewels of Cuban ballet"
• Sadaise Arencibia, star dancer at the Cuban National Ballet since 2009
• Aurora Bosch (born 1942), prima ballerina and ballet mistress at the Cuban National Ballet; one of the "Four jewels of Cuban ballet"
• Josefina Méndez (1941–2007), prima ballerina and ballet mistress at the Cuban National Ballet; one of the "Four jewels of Cuban ballet"; professor of ballet at National Art Schools (Cuba)
• Mirta Plá (1940–2003), prima ballerina of the Cuban National Ballet; one of the "Four jewels of Cuban ballet"
• Mijaela Tesleoanu (1942–2011), see Romania

Mexico

• Gloria Mestre (1928–2012), Prima ballerina assoluta at Teatro di San Carlo in Naples
• Maclovia Ruiz (1910–2005), ballet dancer, show dancer, flamenco dancer, performed with San Francisco Ballet

Puerto Rico

• Lourdes Chacón (born 1950), exotic dancer, singer

United States

• Edith Allard (born 1927), ballerina, soloist in Europe
• Lauren Anderson (born 1965), African American ballerina, Houston Ballet
• Alexandra Ansanelli (born 1980), prima ballerina, New York City Ballet, Royal Ballet
• Melissa Barak (born 1979), ballerina, choreographer, Los Angeles Ballet
• Barbara Bears (born 1971), principal dancer, choreographer, Houston Ballet
• Margery Beddow (1931–2010), dancer, choreographer, Broadway musicals
• Isabella Boylston (born c. 1986), ballet dancer, soloist, American Ballet Theatre
• Bridget Breiner (born 1974), ballet dancer, choreographer, now in Germany
• Danielle Brown (born late 1980s), principal dancer, Sarasota Ballet
• Tener Brown (born 1960), ballet dancer, teacher, New Jersey Ballet
• Leslie Browne (born 1957), dancer, actress, musicals
• Jean Butler (born 1971), show dancer, choreographer, created female role in the Irish Riverdance
• Lucia Chase (1897–1986), dancer, actress, co-founder of American Ballet Theatre
• Yvonne Chouteau (born 1929), dancer, Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, co-founder University of Oklahoma School of Dance
• Bessie Clayton (c. 1875–1948), show dancer, choreographer of the Gay Nineties
• Janet Collins (1917–2003), Broadway ballet dancer, choreographer, teacher
• Misty Copeland (born 1982), ballet dancer, soloist with the American Ballet Theatre
• Lillian Covillo (1921–2010), ballet dancer, co-founder of the Colorado Ballet
• J'aime Crandall (born 1982), principal dancer, Royal Danish Ballet
• Alexandra Danilova (1903–1997), see List of female dancers#Russia
• Gemze de Lappe (born 1922), dancer, choreographer, teacher, musicals
• Carmen De Lavallade (born 1931), dancer, choreographer, actress
• Agnes de Mille (1905–1993), ballet dancer, contemporary dancer, choreographer, musicals
• Marguerite Derricks (born 1961), ballerina, choreographer, musicals
• Isadora Duncan (1877–1927), innovative dancer preferring natural movement to ballet, opened dance school in Grunewald, Germany
• Eva Evdokimova (1948–2009), ballerina, teacher, active in the Royal Danish Ballet and the Berlin State Ballet
• Suzanne Farrell (born 1945), ballet dancer, founder of Suzanne Farrell Ballet
• Katherine Flowers (1896–1982), African-American dancer, choreographer, teacher and researcher
• Amy Fote (born 1972), principal dancer, Houston Ballet
• Loie Fuller (1862–1928), pioneer of modern dance, own natural movement and improvisation techniques, also choreographer, Folies Bergères
• Annabelle Gamson (born 1928), modern dancer, Broadway musicals
• Martha Graham (1894–1991), modern dancer, choreographer, pioneer of modern dance, Folies Bergère
• Cynthia Gregory (born 1946), prima ballerina, American Ballet Theatre
• Mireille Hassenboehler (born c. 1973), principal dancer, Houston Ballet
• Rosella Hightower (1920–2008), ballet dancer, Grand Ballet de Monte Carlo, directed several French ballet companies
• Harriet Hoctor (1905—1977), ballerina, teacher, actress, Hollywood movies
• Doris Humphrey (1895–1958), influential modern dancer, choreographer, teacher
• Janet Jackson (born 1966), singer, show dancer, rock, hip hop
• Drew Jacoby (born 1984), independent ballet dancer, guest with Dutch National Ballet
• Susan Jaffe (born 1962), ballerina, ballet mistress, American Ballet Theatre
• Emily Johnson (born 1976), Native American modern dancer, choreographer, artistic director
• Allegra Kent (born 1937), ballet dancer, actress, New York City Ballet
• Julie Kent (born 1969), principal dancer, American Ballet Theatre
• Gelsey Kirkland (born 1952), principal dancer, New York City Ballet
• Darci Kistler (born 1964), principal dancer, New York City Ballet
• Maria Kowroski (born 1976), principal dancer, New York City Ballet
• Sarah Lamb (born 1980), principal dancer, The Royal Ballet
• Katherine LaNasa (born 1966), film actress, ballet dancer, choreographer
• Jennifer Lopez (born 1969), film actress, show dancer, choreographer, Latin dance
• Moscelyne Larkin (1925–2012), ballet dancer, founder of the Tulsa Ballet
• Annabelle Lyon (1916–2011), ballet dancer, American Ballet
• Kathi Martuza (born c. 1979), principal dancer, Oregon Ballet Theatre
• Patricia McBride (born 1942), principal dancer, New York City Ballet
• Joan McCracken (1917–1961), actress, dancer, comedian in Broadway shows
• Melody Mennite (born c. 1983), principal dancer, Houston Ballet
• Gillian Murphy (born 1979), principal dancer, American Ballet Theatre, Royal New Zealand Ballet
• Patricia Neary (born 1942), international prima ballerina, choreographer, ballet director, specializing in the ballets of George Balanchine
• Noelani Pantastico (born 1980), ballet dancer, Les Ballets de Monte Carlo
• Alison Roper (born 1974), principal dancer, Oregon Ballet Theatre
• Amanda Schull (born 1978), ballet dancer, actress, San Francisco Ballet
• Karina Smirnoff (born 1978), see Ukraine
• Molly Smolen, principal dancer with Birmingham Royal Ballet since 1999
• Ruth St. Denis (1879–1968), pioneer of modern dance, Oriental dance as an expression of spiritualism
• Maria Tallchief (1925–2013), Native American prima ballerina with George Balanchine at New York City Ballet
• Marjorie Tallchief (born 1926), first American to be "première danseuse étoile" at the Paris Opera Ballet
• Helen Tamiris (1905–1966), pioneer of modern dance, contributing to the choreography of early musicals
• Sarah Van Patten (born 1984), principal dancer, San Francisco Ballet
• Jocelyn Vollmar (born 1925), ballet dancer, San Francisco Ballet, principal with New York City Ballet
• Amy Watson (born 1981), principal dancer, Royal Danish Ballet
• Heather Watts (born 1953), principal dancer, New York City Ballet
• Sara Webb (born 1979), principal dancer, Houston Ballet
• Wendy Whelan (born 1967), principal dancer, New York City Ballet
• Michele Wiles (born c. 1980), principal dancer, American Ballet Theatre
• Sallie Wilson (1932–2008), ballet dancer, American Ballet Theatre, ballet mistress New York Theatre Ballet
• Serena Wilson (1933–2007), belly dancer, teacher
• Lila Zali (1918–2003), see Georgia
• Bridgett Zehr (born c. 1985), principal dancer, National Ballet of Canada, English National Ballet

South America

Argentina

• Susana Agüero (1944–2012), ballerina, Teatro Colón, Lyon Opera Ballet
• Valeria Archimó (born 1972), show dancer, choreographer, director
• La Argentina (1890–1936), show dancer, gypsy-style dancer, Moulin Rouge
• Esmeralda Agoglia (born 1923), prima ballerina, choreographer, director, Teatro Colón
• Carmencita Calderón (1905–2005), tango dancer
• Eleonora Cassano (born 1965), ballerina, modern dancer, Teatro Colón, musicals
• Olga Ferri (1928–2012), ballerina, Teatro Colón
• Norma Fontenla (1930–1971), prima ballerina, Teatro Colón, died in plane crash
• Adabel Guerrero (born 1978), ballet dancer, show dancer, actress
• Paloma Herrera (born 1975), principal dancer, American Ballet Theatre
• Natalia Magnicaballi (birth unknown), principal dancer since 1999, Suzanne Farrell Ballet
• Lida Martinoli (1914–1991), ballet dancer, choreographer, actress, Teatro Colón
• Tita Merello (1904–2002), tango dancer, film actress
• Mariana Montes (born 1979), Argentine tango dancer, teacher
• María Nieves (born 1938), Argentine tango dancer
• Marianela Núñez (born 1982), principal dancer, The Royal Ballet
• Ludmila Pagliero (born 1983), prima ballerina, étoile with the Paris Opera Ballet
• María Ruanova (1912–1976), prima ballerina, choreographer, teacher, Teatro Colón, first Argentine ballet dancer to gain international recognition

Brazil

• Adriana Bombom (born 1974), show dancer, actress
• Sonia Destre Lie ( dancer, choreographer, founder and director of the hip hop group Companhia Urbana de Dança
• Marcia Haydée (born 1937), prima ballerina, director, Stuttgart Ballet, Santiago Ballet
• Carla Körbes (born c. 1981), principal dancer, Pacific Northwest Ballet
• Julia Goldani Telles (born 1995), ballerina, actress, now in the United States

Chile

• Yamna Lobos (born 1983), Chilean folk dancer, actress

Colombia

• Sonia Osorio (1928–2011), ballerina and choreographer

Peru

• Tati Alcántara (birth unknown), actress, dancer, choreographer, musicals

Uruguay

• Nadia Mara Atlanta Ballet
• Giovanna Martinatto Ballet Nacional del Sodre
• Eunice Castro (born 1976), model and theatre dancer
• Virginia Dobrich (born 1983), dancer, actress and model
• Tina Ferreira (birth unknown), Afro-Uruguayan, dancer, journalist and vedette of both theater and carnival
• Graciela Figueroa (birth unknown), dancer and choreographer
• Laura Martínez (born 1964), actress, dancer and television star
• Berta Pereira (born 1958), percussionist and dancer
• Maria Riccetto (born c. 1980), ballerina, American Ballet Theatre, Ballet Nacional del Sodre
• Flor de María Rodríguez (1913–2001), ballerina, choreographer and folklorist

See also

• Women in dance
• List of prima ballerinas

References