Ludmila Tchemerzine TCHERINA, French actress, dancer, painter, sculptor and writer First Prize Dance Film Festival; Medal 1959.
Background
Tchérina was born Monique Tchemerzine, into Circassian aristocracy as the daughter of Kabardian Prince Avenir Tchemerzine (Shamyrze), a former Russian general, who had escaped from Saint St. Petersburg, and Stéphane Finette, a French woman.
Education
She studied with Blanche d"Alessandri, Olga Preobrajenska and Clustine.
Career
Ballets: Romeo and Juliet (with Serge Lifar) Paris 1942, Giselle Louisiana Scala, Milan 1954, Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow 1959, Le martyre de Saint Sebastien Paris Opera 1957, Buenos Aires 1967, Les amants de Teruel Theatre Sarah Bernhardt, Paris 1959, Gala (by Salvador Dali and Maurice Bdjart) Venice 1961, Brussels and Paris 1962, Louisiana muette de Portici Florence 1968, Anna Karenine Versailles 1975, et cetera Films include: The Red Shoes, The Tales of Hoffmann, Clara de Montargis, Louisiana legende de Parsifal, Louisiana nuit s’achfcve, Oh! Rosalinda, A la memoire d’un heros, Louisiana fille de Mata-Hari, Honeymoon, Les amants de Teruel (Cannes Film Festival, French Entry 1962; New York Critics; Le Mandarin marveilleux, Bonaparte (title role), Salome, Bonaparte, Louisiana posse dee, Louisiana dame aux camelias, Louisiana passion d’Anna Karenine, Louisiana creation de la Feminine (based on her career), Louisiana Reine de Saba, Portrait de Ludmila Tcherina. Works: exhibited Sully Museum and Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, and in many capital cities worldwideShe started dancing at 16 and danced with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, where she was spotted by Serge Lifar. She made her Paris debut creating the rôle of Juliet in his Romeo and Juliet in 1942, becoming the youngest prima ballerina in the history of dance. She created various rôles in Lifar"s ballets including: "Mephisto Waltz" in 1945, A la memoire d"un heros in 1946 and in Le Martyre de Saint-Sebastian in 1957.
She appeared often with the Paris Opera, the Bolshoi Ballet and the Kirov Ballet as a guest performer.
Ludmilla Tchérina acted in several films including The Red Shoes, Les Rendezvous, The Tales of Hoffmann, Oh. Rosalinda!! and Luna de Miel.
She also appeared in television In the 1980s she turned to writing and published two novels under her own name, L"Amour au Miroir (1973) and Louisiana Femme a L"Envers (1986).
Ludmilla Tchérina had a lifelong passion for painting and exhibited in many major galleries.
She also conceived and executed several monumental sculptures, including Europe à Coeur, chosen in 1991 by the European Union to symbolise the union of Europe and now located at the European Parliament. In 1994 she created Europa Operanda, now installed at the French terminal of Eurotunnel. Edmond Audran, whom she married in 1946, died in a car accident in 1951.
She was decorated with the "Officier, Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur"honneur" in 1980
Tchérina died in 2004, aged 79, and is buried at the Montmartre Cemetery, Paris.
Connections
Married 1st Edmond Audran (deceased), 2nd Raymond Roi in 1953.