Senia Russakoff

Senia Russakoff was born in Russia in 1893 and grew up in St. Petersburg where, for a short while,- he attended the Imperial School Of Ballet. Leaving Russia during the Revolution he danced in various theaters in Copenhagen, then came to the United States in 1907 where he joined the Keith/Orpheum vaudeville circuits as a member of the Golden Troupe of Russian dancers. He also was a member of Anna Pavlova’s company until 1919.Settling in Boston, he became well known as a teacher of ballet and character dance from 1920-1978. Ray Bolger was among his students, later to become famous with his role as the Scarecrow in “The Wizard Of Oz”. Many dancers on tour in Boston, visited his studio, known as the “school of leaps and bounds”. It was first located in the Gainsborough Building across the street from New England Conservatory of Music and finally at 431 Boylston Street where he taught along with his wife, Regina.In 1926 he formed the Boston Ballet Concerto Company, the first of several ballet groups that he began, usually performing at Jordan Hall in the NE Conservatory. Among other ballets, he produced “Anna Karenina”, based on Tolstoy’s novel with music by Sydney Cahan, who was also Russakoff’s class pianist of many years.During World War II Russakoff worked for the USO. He also taught one day a week in Providence, Rhode Island at the Hope High School. While not teaching he could usually be found hanging out in Walton’s cafeteria, located for many years below the Boylston Street studio.He died in Boston on December 29th 1981 at the age of eighty-eight.