Lila Zali

Lila Zali Levienne (July 22, 1918 – January 4, 2003) was an American ballerina and ballet director. She founded the Ballet Pacifica in Orange County, California, serving as its choreographer and artistic director from 1962 to 1988.

Early life Zali was born Elisaveta Borisova Zalipskaya in Tbilisi, Georgia, the daughter of an operatic tenor. In 1922, while a young child, Zali and her family emigrated from Russia to Washington, DC in the USA following the 1917 Russian Revolution. Her father had a contract to join the Metropolitan Opera, but contracted typhus on the way to America and died. Her mother, also an opera singer, supported Lila by teaching music, and Lila began to study ballet at age 7. When she was 11 she began with Theodore Bekefi formerly of the Imperial Russian Ballet. (NOTE: Previous versions have erroneously stated that she studied at the School of American Ballet). At age 13, she was paid to perform in a Russian nightclub. She appeared in what may be the first ever American presentation of the full-length Nutcracker as choreographed by Bekefi in 1935.

Career In 1936 Zali joined and eventually became a minor soloist for Mikhail Mordkin's ballet company (now the American Ballet Theatre). After Mordkin's company was taken over by Ballet Theatre in 1940, she left and formed a small company called "Le Petite Ballets Russes." She also appeared on the Colgate Comedy Hour. Zali also continued stage performances, dancing prima ballerina for the Los Angeles City Ballet and Ballet Musicale, which she co-directed with Michel Panaieff.

Teaching After moving to Southern California, Zali became an instructor at the Los Angeles dance studios of Adolph Bolm, and then Michel Panaieff, where one of her students was young Cynthia Gregory.

Ballet Pacifica In 1962 Zali formed the Laguna Beach Civic Ballet (later renamed Ballet Pacifica). The company established two ongoing subscription series, performing throughout Southern California, and often presented 70-80 performances a year.

Personal life In 1945, Zali married the cellist, Nicholas "Kolia" Levienne. He had toured with Anna Pavlova, playing for her famous performances of The Dying Swan. Kolia later founded the Laguna Beach Chamber Music Society. Zali died of natural causes in Laguna Beach, California in 2003. She had no children. She is buried at Pacific View Memorial Park in Corona del Mar, CA.

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