This article introduces a Russian ballet teacher’s personal history through the examination of
unpublished materials from the Bureau for Russian emigrants in the Manchurian Empire archive.
The woman was a ballet teacher of Masahide Komaki - one of the greatest Japanese dancers and
choreographers since World War 2. He had often changed his words when he wrote or spoke about his
ballet teacher. Until recently we have not known much about him despite the significance of his work
in Japanese ballet history.
He wrote his own ballet teacher’s name as “Kyatkovskaya” in his books, but her real name was
“Kvyatkovskaya Elizaveta Vasilevna.” She was born in a Russian province in 1887, worked as a prima
ballet dancer in opera theaters, and toured Russia with opera troupes.
After the Russian revolution, she escaped from Russian communists and arrived in Harbin in 1920,
where she started to teach ballet in her own studio. However, the life of emigrants was very unstable.
The Soviet government often disturbed her work.
At that time some emigrants’ organizations cooperated with the Manchurian government and
helped her by providing a venue for her studio work. Thanks to her Japanese relationship she could
continue her work.
After World War II, the memory about the great purge held by Soviet government was fresh.
A relationship with foreign countries could become a reason for punishment. Maybe for this reason
Masahide Komaki could not explain the true history about his teacher.
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