Today, on the International Dance Day eve, our story features one of the museum Collection small statuary items – "Dancer Tamara Swirskaya" by the sculptor Paolo Troubetzkoy. The history of this sculptural work creation was described in the In the St. Petersburg magazine "Review of Theatres", dated January 25, 1910 – "The young dancer first performed exclusively in foreign high society concerts and studied plastic dances on her own. The famous sculptor Prince Paolo Troubetzkoy, who attended one of her concerts, was so enchanted by her expressive plasticity that he asked her to pose for his sculpture. The statue of m-lle Swirskaya, sculpted by Prince Troubetzkoy, has now been acquired by the City Museum in Chicago".

It is believed that the sculptor's intention was to emphasize the hands. The comprehension of the ballet nature in this work by Paolo Troubetzkoy comes not so much through the image as through the dynamics, technique and style of modelling. Bernard Shaw called Troubetzkoy "one of those few geniuses that should be spoken of only in the superlative degree".

Not much is known about Tamara Swirskaya herself. The dancer was born in St. Petersburg on October 17, 1888 (according to other information in 1883). The girl studied piano in Paris and Munich, and dancing – in St. Petersburg. She mastered the technique of free plastic barefoot dance of the Isadora Duncan school. Duncan's plastics consisted of soft running, light-footed leaps, walking and expressive gestures.

Tamara performed mainly in the United States. In 1911, the American press wrote that she had "the most musical body in the world" and that her costumes were "a triumph of sartorial skill". She also presented a colourful and memorable "bat dance" with fluttering wings of transparent fabric. At the Metropolitan Opera, Swirskaya performed dance parts in the operas “Orpheus and Eurydice” by Christoph Gluck and “Zar und Zimmermann” (Tsar and Carpenter) by Albert Lortzing in 1909. In January 1910, she danced at the Boston Opera House in a production of “Lakmé” by Leo Delibes. In 1912, a short silent film with recording of a concert version of the dancer's performances was released. In 1913, Swirskaya participated in an advertising campaign for the perfume "Seduction". During the First World War she performed solo concert performances in New York, combining dance and "dramatic art".

Tamara Swirskaya confessed her special love for Los Angeles back in 1910: "when I first set foot on your land, I knew that here I would find warmth and radiance that would awaken all the best that is in me". It was in this warm city that she settled at the end of her dancing career.

Tamara Swirskaya confessed her special love for Los Angeles back in 1910, "when I first set foot on your land, I knew that here I would find warmth and radiance, which will awaken all the best that exists in me". It was in this warm city that she settled at the end of her dancing career.

Until her death, the dancer earned her living by teaching and playing the piano. Tamara died in 1961.
Thanks to the magical mastery of Paolo Troubetzkoy, we can still admire Tamara Swirskaya and her art.