| Shaimaa Saied |
A French ballerina and actress, born to an aristocratic Russian family as Monique Tchemerzine in Paris. She was also a choreographer, sculptor, painter, and author of two novels. She began dancing professionally at the age of 11, and trained in dancing at the Paris Opera School.
In 1940, she joined the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, and among her performances was the role of Juliet in the ballet Romeo and Juliet in 1942, which earned her the distinction of being the youngest primadonna ballerina in the history of dance.
In 1945 she became principal dancer of the Ballet des Champs-Élysées, gave many performances in Paris, and gained an international reputation during the 1940s and 1950s, dancing in New York, Milan, Buenos Aires and Monte Carlo. She formed her own dance company in 1959 and went on to dance at the Bolshoi Theatre the following year.
She started her film career during the 1940s, and her husband, dancer Edmond Audran, participated in her films. He died in a road accident, after which she entered into deep depressive isolation, but she was persuaded to return by her second husband, Raymond Roi, a wealthy businessman. She then devoted herself to writing, drawing, and sculpting, and displayed her work in many exhibitions. Then she appeared in many French television shows. She won the French César Award. She's known for Clara de Montargis (1951), The Tale of Hoffmann (1951) and The Red Shoes (1948). She died in Paris, France, on March 21, 2004.
|
|
|
