death_date death_place birth_place full_name name birth_date former_groups article_title birth_name occupation
11 march 1974 toronto , canada schepotievo , russia boris vladimirovich volkoff boris volkoff 24 april 1900 volkoff canadian ballet boris volkoff
 boris vladimirovich baskakoff dancer , director , ballet master
boris volkoff

boris vladimirovich volkoff -lrb- born boris vladimirovich baskakoff ; april 24 , 1900 -- march 11 , 1974 -rrb- was a canadian-russian ballet dancer , director , choreographer and ballet master .
after studying dance in warsaw and moscow he defected from russia and eventually settled in toronto .
he created the boris volkoff school of dance which trained ballet dancers , and the boris volkoff ballet company which is arguably considered the first ballet company in canada .
he gave his dancers and studio to the national ballet of canada to raise the profile of canadian ballet .
he regretted this decision and attempted to revive his company which ended in failure .
he was appointed as an officer of the order of canada in 1973 , one year before his death .
