Princess Seraphine Astafieva
(1876-1934)

woman, ballet dancer, and Princess

Died aged c. 58

Serafina Astafieva (Russian: Серафима Александровна Астафьева; 1876 – 13 September 1934) was a Russian dancer and ballet teacher. Astafieva was a pupil at the Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre School and in 1895 graduated from the Mariinsky Ballet School. In 1896 she married a famous character dancer. From 1909-1911 Astafieva performed with Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. After retiring from performing she opened the Russian Dancing Academy at The Pheasantry on King's Road in Chelsea, London. Her pupils included Anton Dolin, Margot Fonteyn, Alicia Markova, Hermione Darnborough, , and Joan Lawson. A blue plaque unveiled in 1968 commemorates Astafieva at 152 King's Road in Chelsea. She is referenced as "Grishkin" in T. S. Eliot's poem Whispers of Immortality.

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Commemorated on 1 plaque

Princess Seraphine Astafieva 1876-1934 ballet dancer lived and taught here

152 King's Road, Kensington and Chelsea, SW3, London, United Kingdom where they lived and taught