April 14
Born Today:
Carina Ari
Ballerina Carina Ari (1897-1970) trained with and then danced for the Royal Swedish Ballet. She also trained with Michel Fokine (1880-1942), who had been appointed the Artistic Director in 1913, and followed him to Denmark in 1919 to learn the art and craft of choreography. In 1920 she choreographed for the Swedish film Erotikon and relocated to Paris to perform with Jean Börlin (1893-1930) and she also choreographed for the Paris Opera. Ari retired from dancing in the 1940s and became a sculptor, making busts of dancer Serge Lifar (1905-1986) and Swedish diplomat Dag Hammerskjöld. In the 1960s, she created scholarships for dancers and a dance library in her native country.
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Broadway Premiere: Babes in Arms in 1937 and Bye Bye Birdie in 1960.