Ballets Russes Dancer Miguel Terekhov Has Died. Source: wikipedia.org
Due to complications from lung fibrosis, Ballets Russes dancer, Miguel Terekhov has died at 83 on January 3, while visiting with daughter Christina in Richmond, TX. He is survived by his wife Yvonne Chouteau, their two daughters Elizabeth A. Impallomeni and Christina Conway, and two grandsons.
The news that Ballets Russes dancer, Miguel Terekhov has died has sent a shockwave around the ballet community.
Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, on Aug. 22, 1928, to Mikhail Terekhov, an immigrant from Ukraine, and Antonia Rodriguez, a Charraúa Indian, Mr. Terekhov became enamored of ballet at 7 when an aunt took him to a performance. He soon entered ballet school.
Mr. Terekhov danced with Col. W. de Basil’s Ballets Russes from 1942 to 1947, and with the rival Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo from 1954 to 1958. Although he performed classical roles, he was best known as a character dancer, winning praise as the imperious Shah in “Schéhérazade,” the crusty old General in “Graduation Ball” and Dr. Coppélius, the eccentric inventor, in “Coppélia.”
While with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, he met and married Yvonne Chouteau, one of the five “American Indian ballerinas” of Oklahoma, the others being Rosella Hightower, Moscelyne Larkin and Maria and Marjorie Tallchief.
The original news break by Jack Anderson is found here.
The video below briefly shows Terekhov sharing what it meant to belong to the Ballets Russes (minute 0:22):
“Once you put your right foot on stage, you could never take it off.”
Terekhov joined Col. de Basil’s Original Ballet Russe in 1943 at the age of 14 while the company was on tour in his native Uruguay. He remained with the company until 1947. Terekhov later joined the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and danced with that company until 1958. In 1956, he married Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo ballerina Yvonne Chouteau. Together they founded the first fully-accredited dance department in the United States at the University of Oklahoma, Norman (1962). They also founded the Oklahoma City Civic Ballet.
The fact that Ballet Russes dancer, Miguel Terekhov has died represents a great loss not only to the dance world but to all the arts. As you saw in the video above, he belonged to a class of dancers that revolutionized ballet in the early 20th century. Our sincere condolences to Mr. Terekhov’s wife, children and grandchildren.
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