Leon Danielian

Leon Danielian (31 October 1920, New York City — 8 March 1997, Canaan, Connecticut), also known as "Leo Danieloff," was an American ballet dancer, choreographer, and pedagogue cited as one of the first Armenian male dancers to gain international recognition. He studied with Michel Fokine, Mikhail Mordkin (1880—1944), Igor Schwezoff (1904—1982), and Vecheslav Swoboda (1892—1948), debuting in Mordkin Ballet in 1937. Danielian became a member of the [url=https://discogs.com/artist/837626]Ballet Theatre[/url] company in 1939, briefly appearing with Colonel Wassily de Basil's Original Ballet Russe in 1941 and performing in various Broadway musicals. In 1943, Leon Danielian joined Ballet Russe De Monte Carlo company, serving as prima dancer until 1961. Danielian retired from his stage career due to debilitating arthritis and focused on teaching; he served as the director of the [url=https://discogs.com/artist/13241649]American Ballet Theatre School[/url] (1968 to 1980) and later led the dance program at the University Of Texas, Austin.