27 Facts About Ida Rubinstein

Ida Rubinstein performed with Diaghilev's Ballets Russes from 1909 to 1911 and later formed her own company.

For many years, it was a mystery whether she was born in Kharkov or Saint Petersburg, complicated by the rumour that "Ida Rubinstein" was short for "Adelaida".

Rubinstein herself would not confirm where she was born, nor if Ida was a nickname, preferring the aura of mystery.

Ida Rubinstein had an older sister, Rachel, born in 1876.

Ida Rubinstein's mother died when Ida was very young, and in 1892, her father died in Frankfurt, leaving her a vast fortune.

In 1893, the 8-year-old Ida Rubinstein was sent to Saint Petersburg to live with her aunt, socialite "Madame" Gorvits.

Ida Rubinstein grew up in her aunt's mansion on the city's famed Promenade des Anglais, where she was given the best education.

Ida Rubinstein became fluent in English, French, German and Italian.

Ida Rubinstein was given the best instruction in music, dance and theatre, including lessons from instructors from the Russian imperial theatres.

Ida Rubinstein lacked natural dance ability, but she worked constantly on her posture, movements and pirouettes.

In Paris, Ida Rubinstein began her career as an actress, appearing on stage in various stages of "indecent" garb.

Ida Rubinstein had, by the standard of Russian ballet, little formal training.

Ida Rubinstein played the leading role in the 1921 silent film La Nave based on D'Annunzio's play of the same name and directed by his son.

Ida Rubinstein commissioned and performed in Maurice Ravel's Bolero in 1928.

Ida Rubinstein was revived in 1931 and 1934, with new works.

Ida Rubinstein closed the company in 1935, and gave her last performance in the play Jeanne d'Arc au bucher in Paris, 1939.

Ida Rubinstein often staged free ballet events and continued to dance until the start of the Second World War.

Ida Rubinstein is not considered to be in the top tier of ballerinas; she began her training too late for that to have been possible.

Ida Rubinstein did have tremendous stage presence and was able to act.

Ida Rubinstein was a significant patron and she tended to commission works that suited her abilities, works that mixed dance with drama and stagecraft.

Ida Rubinstein returned to France after the war, living finally at Les Olivades in Vence.

Ida Rubinstein lived the final 10 years of her life in relative quiet.

Ida Rubinstein died in 1960 in Vence, France, and is buried nearby.

Ida Rubinstein did not like long sittings and earned the reputation of being a difficult subject.

Ida Rubinstein was bisexual, and in 1911 she began a three-year affair with the painter Romaine Brooks, who created several striking portraits, including one of the dancer as a nude model for Venus.

Ida Rubinstein expressed an inner self that had no particular denomination.

Ida Rubinstein's beauty belonged to those mental images that demand manifestation, and whatever period she represented she became its image.