Anatol Joukowsky

Anatol Joukowsky (Russian: Анато́лий Миха́йлович Жуко́вский; 18 August 1905 or 5 August 1906, Siedlce, Russian Empire — 5 October 1998, Menlo Park, California, United States ) was a ballet dancer, choreographer, teacher, and chief ballet master of the National Theatre in Belgrade.

Biography

Early years and emigration He was born in the city of Siedlce (now in Poland) into the family of an officer, Mikhail Joukowsky. With the outbreak of World War I, the family moved to Petrograd and later to their family estate Surmachevka in Poltava Governorate.

In 1917, Joukowsky entered the St. Vladimir Kiev Cadet Corps.

Together with his wife, Joukowsky organized the project The Joukowsky Recital. Initially a duet performance, it later became part of the Kolo Week festival program in San Francisco. His work gained recognition: in November 1957, his portrait in a stylized folk costume appeared on the cover of Let's Dance, the official publication of the Folk Dance Federation of California.

From 1953, Joukowsky taught at the Dance Department of San Francisco State University for 25 years, until his retirement in 1978. In 1979, he was inducted into the university's Hall of Fame.

Joukowsky died on 5 October 1998 in Menlo Park, California. He was buried at the Serbian Cemetery near San Francisco.