Gerd Larsen

Gerd Larsen born Gerd Elly (19 February 1921 – 4 October 2001) was a Norwegian ballerina who performed frequently with England's Royal Ballet, in a career lasting over fifty years up until her seventy-fifth birthday. In her later years, she was known for her mime roles.

Early life Gerd Elly was born in Oslo, Norway on 19 February 1921. Her father, Leonard, was a civil servant.

Career In the late 1930s, Elly came to London to study with Margaret Craske, and Antony Tudor,

In 1965, Larsen created the role of Nurse in Kenneth MacMillan's Royal Ballet production of Romeo and Juliet to the music of Sergei Prokofiev. The ballerina Deborah Bull remembers Larsen as one of the "resident teachers" at the Royal Ballet. The others being Brian Shaw, Alexander Agadzhanov, and Elizabeth Anderton. Bull particularly admired Larsen's ability to introduce mime into the ballet.

Larsen was a widow with one child when she met the successful writer Rebecca West and her husband Henry Maxwell Andrews one evening, on a night Larsen had performed in Swan Lake. Henry became obsessed with Larsen and would refuse to travel with his wife; instead he stayed in London to be with Larsen. Rebecca West initially considered this to be purely her husband's infatuation, but came to think that Larsen was also driven by money. Henry was in his seventies; his life and marriage were ending (he died in 1968). Larsen and Henry's wife were amongst the mourners at the funeral, even though Larsen had only known him for eighteen months. Henry's will left £5,000 for Larsen.

In a Royal Ballet career lasting over fifty years, Larsen made her final appearance at Covent Garden in arguably her best-known role, that of Berthe, mother of the eponymous heroine in Giselle, on her seventy-fifth birthday.