Vera Zorina

Vera Zorina was a famous dancer. She grew up in a small town. Her parents were both singers.

Vera was a very good dancer. She moved from stage to film. She acted in many movies. She even worked in big plays.

She used a new name for work. She picked a name that was easy to say. This helped her join a dance group.

Vera danced with her husband. He made the dance moves for her. They worked on many shows together.

She was a leader for many years. She also wrote a book about her life. She was a star of the stage.

Vera Zorina was a famous dancer and actress. She was born in Germany. Her parents were both singers. Vera grew up in a small town in Norway. She started dancing at a local theatre there.

Vera was a very talented ballerina. She joined a group called the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. The group wanted only Russian names. Vera chose the name Vera Zorina from a list of twenty names. She picked it because it was easy to say. Later, she moved to Hollywood. She acted in seven movies between 1938 and 1946.

Vera also worked on big stage plays. She played an angel in a musical called "I Married an Angel." She also played Ariel in a play called "The Tempest."

Vera married a man named George Balanchine. He was a choreographer. A choreographer makes the dance moves for a show. They worked on many films and stage shows together. Vera was also a leader for dance groups. She even wrote a book about her life in 1986.

Vera Zorina was a talented ballerina and actress. She was famous for her work on stage and in movies. Many people remember her for the dances she did in films. Her husband, George Balanchine, was a choreographer who made the dance moves. They worked together on many famous projects. One of their most known works was a dance in the film On Your Toes. She also danced in The Goldwyn Follies. Her skill as a dancer helped her become a star in Hollywood.

Zorina had a very busy life in the arts. She learned how to dance from teachers named Olga Preobrajenska and Nicholas Legat. When she joined the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in 1933, she needed a new name. The company wanted names that sounded Russian. They gave her a list of 20 different names. She picked Vera Zorina because it was easy for her to say. Later, she signed a seven-year contract to act in movies. She appeared in seven Hollywood films between 1938 and 1946.

Her early years were spent in different places. She was born in Berlin, Germany, in 1917. Her father was Fritz Hartwig and her mother was Billie Hartwig. Both of her parents were professional singers. She grew up in a small coastal town in Norway called Kristiansund. She first performed as a dancer at a local theatre named Festiviteten. At age 12, she met a man named Max Reinhardt. He cast her in plays like A Midsummer Night's Dream in 1929.

Zorina played many important roles throughout her career. In 1938, she played an angel in the musical I Married an Angel. This role was on a Broadway stage. In 1945, she played Ariel in the play The Tempest. She also performed in Joan of Arc at the Stake starting in 1948. This was the first American performance of that show. She even recorded music with the London Symphony Orchestra in 1966. She worked with many great groups like the New York Philharmonic.

Beyond dancing, she was a leader in the arts. She was the director of the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet. She also helped lead the Santa Fe Opera in New Mexico. In 1986, she wrote a book about her life called Zorina. She was married three times during her life. Her second husband was Goddard Lieberson, who was the president of Columbia Records. She had two sons named Peter and Jonathan. She lived to be 86 years old.

Vera Zorina was a highly accomplished ballerina, actress, and choreographer. She was a versatile performer who worked across many different stages. Her career spanned theater, film, and ballet. She is especially remembered for her film performances. In these movies, she danced in sequences choreographed by her first husband, George Balanchine. These collaborations included the "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" sequence in the film On Your Toes. She also performed in The Goldwyn Follies and Star Spangled Rhythm. Her ability to blend dance with acting made her a significant figure in 20th-century entertainment.

Zorina's journey into the arts began with a strong family foundation. She was born Eva Brigitta Hartwig on January 2, 1917, in Berlin, Germany. Her parents, Fritz and Abigail Johanne Wimpelmann, were both professional singers. While she was born in Germany, she was raised in Kristiansund, Norway. This is a small coastal town located between Trondheim and Molde. She made her debut as a dancer at a local theater called Festiviteten. To prepare for a professional career, she trained under experts Olga Preobrajenska and Nicholas Legat.

Her professional rise involved several key transitions and name changes. At age 12, she was presented to the theater figure Max Reinhardt. He cast her in productions like A Midsummer Night's Dream in 1929. In 1933, she joined the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. Because the company preferred Russian names, she had to choose a new stage name. They provided a list of 20 options. She chose Vera Zorina because it was the easiest for her to pronounce. This new identity helped her move toward major roles in London and eventually Hollywood.

Zorina's career included several distinct phases of performance. First, she became a star of the Broadway stage. In 1938, she played the title character in the musical I Married an Angel. In this role, she portrayed an angel who descends from heaven to marry a Hungarian banker. Later, she moved into classical theater roles. In 1945, she played Ariel in William Shakespeare's The Tempest at the Alvin Theatre. She also performed the title role in Arthur Honegger's Joan of Arc at the Stake. This was the first American performance of that work, featuring the New York Philharmonic.

In Hollywood, Zorina transitioned into a film actress. After being seen in a London production of On Your Toes, producer Samuel Goldwyn signed her to a seven-year contract. She appeared in seven different movies between 1938 and 1946. Some of these included Louisiana Purchase with Bob Hope and I Was an Adventuress. However, her film career also faced challenges. In 1943, she lost the role of Maria in the film For Whom the Bell Tolls. She had only filmed for two weeks before being replaced by Ingrid Bergman. The producers decided her appearance did not fit the specific requirements of the role.

Beyond performing, Zorina held significant leadership positions in the arts. In the 1970s, she was appointed the director of the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet. She later served as an adviser with Lincoln Center. She also spent several seasons directing operas at the Santa Fe Opera in New Mexico. Her leadership helped guide major cultural institutions in both Europe and the United States. She also shared her life story by writing her autobiography, titled Zorina, which was completed in 1986.

Zorina's personal life was closely connected to the world of music and dance. She married choreographer George Balanchine in 1938, and they divorced in 1946. Her second marriage was to Goddard Lieberson, the president of Columbia Records. They had two sons, Peter and Jonathan Lieberson. Peter became a composer himself. Her final marriage was to harpsichordist Paul Wolfe in 1991. She remained a devout Catholic and an Oblate of the Benedictine Order throughout her life. She passed away in 2003 at the age of 86.