Edith Allard

Edith Allard (March 16, 1927 – September 26, 2012) was an American ballerina.

Early life and career (1927–1949) Allard was born on March 16, 1927, to Russian parents in Chicago, Illinois. She had an older sister, Jean (1922 - 2022). Her family lived in Hoopeston, Illinois for several years where she began grammar school and her dance education. Later, they moved to Chicago and Allard studied with Mary Vandas. In 1945, she was awarded a scholarship to study at the School of American Ballet in New York for one year. While at the School of American Ballet she studied with Oboukoff, Pierre Vladimiroff, Ann Barzel, and Muriel Stuart. By 1949 she had danced with Ruth Page's Chicago Opera Ballet, the Radio City Music Hall corps de ballet, and touring companies, including the Markova-Dolin company as soloist.

Career in Europe (1949–1971) In 1949, Allard left New York for Paris, motivated to study with the famous Russian ballerinas Lubov Egorova, Olga Preobrajenska, and Nicholai Zveroff from the Diaghilev ballet. Allard later credited dancer Jerome Andrews with inspiring her to go to Paris.