Background
Rasch, Albertina was born in 1896 in Vienna, Austria. Daughter of Richard and Albertine Rasch.
Rasch, Albertina was born in 1896 in Vienna, Austria. Daughter of Richard and Albertine Rasch.
Student Imperial Opera Ballet School, Vienna.
Professional debut as dancer, Vienna, at age of 13 years. American debut as premier ballerina, New York Hippodrome, 1911. Premier ballerina, Century Opera Company.
New York City, 1913-1914, Chicago Opera, 1914-1915. Ballerina and ballet master American Opera Company, Los Angeles, 1916. Then with Ellis Grand Opera Company and toured United States.
Formed own group of dancers and made vaudeville tour of 18 months. Then with Sarah Bernhardt on concert tour in Cuba. Toured in Austria, Germany and Holland with her own company, 1921-1923.
Opened school New York City to develop American ballet, 1923. Sent out her first dancers under name of Albertina Rasch Girls, 1924. Produced Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.
Staged dances for Rio Rita, Moonlight, Black and White, etc., for Ziegfeld. Took her company to Hollywood and staged dances for motion pictures. Also opened a Hollywood studio.
Produced Three’s a Crowd as an independent dance producer, 1930. Staged ballet in Hollywood Bowl to music by her husband and played by Los Angeles Symphony, 1930. Has also staged dances for Show Girl, Three Musketeers, Wonder Bar, The Band Wagon, The Laugh Parade, Everybody’s Welcome, Smiling Faces, The Cat and the Fiddle, Flying Colors, Ballyhoo of 1932, Walk a Little Faster, Wild Violets, Very Warm in May, Jubilee, Boys and Girls Together (with Ed Wynn), The Lady in the Dark (with Gertrude Lawrence).
Dances for motion pictures include Rosalie, Broadway Melody, Fire-fly, Sweethearts, Great Waltz, Modernized Ringling Brothers Circus, 1941. Office: 113 W. 57th St., New York City.
Married Dimitri Tiomkin, 1927.