Evening star., 1939-03-05
By Mary Elizabeth Pinmmer,
Associated Press stan Writer.

with her ballet dancing and acting.
Not since the night Harriet Hoctor
first appeared in the old "Ziegfeld
Follies" a dozen years ago had a
ballerina received such a reception
off the ballet stage.
Playing the romantic lead-her
first appearance as an actress
Toumanova won a place with stars
who exemplify new trend in musi-
cal comedy because they do every
thing:
Vera Zorina. who plays the ro-
mantle lead. sings and dances in
II Married an Angel; Tamara, who
plays the romantic lead, sings and
dances in Leave 1t to Me-: Bea-
trice Lille, who can put on vir-
tually an entire show alone, and
Tamara Geva. ballerina, singer and
comedienne, who played the lead in
Idiots Delight in London last sea-
son.
1t doesn't mean that Toumanova
(accent on the second syllable>, who
danced as a child with the great
Anna Pavlowa at the Trocadero and
who later became one of the four
star ballerinas of the Ballet Russo,
is giving up her dancing career
II want to have a career as an
actress as well as a dancer" she
said. Il want to do very difficult,
fine plays later on and not be one
style of an actress.
Somehow l feel that whatever I
set out to do 1 can always make it..
1t is SO strong in my mind, what I
want to do.
IT have much will power, and
there is a great deal to do I am
young, but I must not waste any
time.
Il want to become better and bet
ter, and I'll never reach what I
want. but that is life
With Danilova. Baronova and
Riabouchinska, Toumanova. who
was born in a box car in Siberia
during the Russian revolution,
helped uphold the traditions of the
Russian ballet after the death of
Diaghileff.
She danced "Giselle' and The
Three -Cornered Hat with Massine,
and the ballets "Choreartium." by
Brahms, and the Berlioz Symphonic
Fantastique" were created for her.
But she, and also her mother,
always had an urge to act. When
her mother was young girl in
Tific Gonr.nio
sidered respectable. Toumanova is
the realization of her mother S
youthful dreams.
Toumanova-5 feet 4. weight 119-
with an oval face, delicate features,
black hair and big dark eyes-eats
two pounds of meat a day, never
drinks or smokes, reads Shakespeare,
plays Mozart on the piano, loves to
ride on buses and walk through
the streets alone or sit in cafes alone
watching people-"all kinds of new
ideas come in my head"
Il love to see a great number of
people, but at home like it quiet"
Her bedroom is simple-all white
except for a blue bedspread and
plue rug.
Sometimes she is so taut after a
show that she can't sleep. One
night her mother told her Russian
fairy stories to make her drowsy
and rocked the bed gently.
The chorus boys and girls in the
show adore her. She is friendly,
never says an lnkind word and is
very religious. She goes regularly to
the Russian Orthodox Church.
She calls her parents mamma
and papa They never have missed
one of her shows.
Papa is former Russian COL
onel. He fought with Baron Wran-
gels army in the Crimea and his
real name is Vladimir Baretskaia.
"Toumanova' was mammals former
name. Tamara took it when she be-
came a dancer. Now the whole fam
lily is Toumanova.
They've taken out their first Amer