Leda Anchutina Eglevsky, who danced in George Balanchine's first American ballet companies and founded the Eglevsky Ballet with her husband, Andre Eglevsky, was found dead yesterday morning in bed at her home in Massapequa, L.I. The cause of death was not immediately determined. Always reluctant to give her age, Miss Anchutina was thought to be 73.
Born in the Siberian city of Irkutsk, Russia, Miss Anchutina was a child when she was brought to the United States. She studied ballet in New York with Michel Fokine and, on the first day of its classes, was a pupil at the School of American Ballet, founded in 1934 by Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. A dancer known for her daintiness and speed, she was a member of the original cast of ''Serenade,'' a ballet Balanchine created for his students and his first ballet in America. She performed in several of the works he created for his first company, the American Ballet.
Among her leading roles were the Queen of Spades in ''The Card Party'' and the Bride's Friend in ''Le Baiser de la Fee,'' both created by Balanchine for a Stravinsky Festival in 1937 at the Metropolitan Opera House, then the home of the American Ballet. Danced on Broadway
Miss Anchutina also danced in ''Great Lady,'' a 1938 Broadway musical choreographed by Balanchine. She was a member of Mr. Kirstein's Ballet Caravan company, with which she danced in Lew Christensen's ''Pocahontas'' and William Dollar's ''Air and Variations.'' She later danced with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in its 1941-42 season, and with Leonide Massine's Ballet Highlights in the mid-1940's.
Like her husband, whom she married in the late 1930's, Miss Anchutina drew on training with Fokine and Balanchine for her stagings of ballets for the Eglevsky Ballet, which was founded in 1961. She was the director of the Eglevsky School of Ballet in Massapequa until her death.
Miss Anchutina is survived by her mother, Dosi Sorokin; two sons, Dr. Andre Jr., of Fredericksburg, Va., and Paul, of Shirley, L.I.; a daughter, Marina, of Santa Fe, N.M., and eight grandchildren.
Born in the Siberian city of Irkutsk, Russia, Miss Anchutina was a child when she was brought to the United States. She studied ballet in New York with Michel Fokine and, on the first day of its classes, was a pupil at the School of American Ballet, founded in 1934 by Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. A dancer known for her daintiness and speed, she was a member of the original cast of ''Serenade,'' a ballet Balanchine created for his students and his first ballet in America. She performed in several of the works he created for his first company, the American Ballet.
Among her leading roles were the Queen of Spades in ''The Card Party'' and the Bride's Friend in ''Le Baiser de la Fee,'' both created by Balanchine for a Stravinsky Festival in 1937 at the Metropolitan Opera House, then the home of the American Ballet. Danced on Broadway
Miss Anchutina also danced in ''Great Lady,'' a 1938 Broadway musical choreographed by Balanchine. She was a member of Mr. Kirstein's Ballet Caravan company, with which she danced in Lew Christensen's ''Pocahontas'' and William Dollar's ''Air and Variations.'' She later danced with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in its 1941-42 season, and with Leonide Massine's Ballet Highlights in the mid-1940's.
Like her husband, whom she married in the late 1930's, Miss Anchutina drew on training with Fokine and Balanchine for her stagings of ballets for the Eglevsky Ballet, which was founded in 1961. She was the director of the Eglevsky School of Ballet in Massapequa until her death.
Miss Anchutina is survived by her mother, Dosi Sorokin; two sons, Dr. Andre Jr., of Fredericksburg, Va., and Paul, of Shirley, L.I.; a daughter, Marina, of Santa Fe, N.M., and eight grandchildren.
Leda Anchutina Eglevsky, who danced in George Balanchine's first American ballet companies and founded the Eglevsky Ballet with her husband, Andre Eglevsky, was found dead yesterday morning in bed at her home in Massapequa, L.I. The cause of death was not immediately determined. Always reluctant to give her age, Miss Anchutina was thought to be 73.
Born in the Siberian city of Irkutsk, Russia, Miss Anchutina was a child when she was brought to the United States. She studied ballet in New York with Michel Fokine and, on the first day of its classes, was a pupil at the School of American Ballet, founded in 1934 by Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. A dancer known for her daintiness and speed, she was a member of the original cast of ''Serenade,'' a ballet Balanchine created for his students and his first ballet in America. She performed in several of the works he created for his first company, the American Ballet.
Among her leading roles were the Queen of Spades in ''The Card Party'' and the Bride's Friend in ''Le Baiser de la Fee,'' both created by Balanchine for a Stravinsky Festival in 1937 at the Metropolitan Opera House, then the home of the American Ballet. Danced on Broadway
Miss Anchutina also danced in ''Great Lady,'' a 1938 Broadway musical choreographed by Balanchine. She was a member of Mr. Kirstein's Ballet Caravan company, with which she danced in Lew Christensen's ''Pocahontas'' and William Dollar's ''Air and Variations.'' She later danced with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in its 1941-42 season, and with Leonide Massine's Ballet Highlights in the mid-1940's.
Like her husband, whom she married in the late 1930's, Miss Anchutina drew on training with Fokine and Balanchine for her stagings of ballets for the Eglevsky Ballet, which was founded in 1961. She was the director of the Eglevsky School of Ballet in Massapequa until her death.
Miss Anchutina is survived by her mother, Dosi Sorokin; two sons, Dr. Andre Jr., of Fredericksburg, Va., and Paul, of Shirley, L.I.; a daughter, Marina, of Santa Fe, N.M., and eight grandchildren.
Born in the Siberian city of Irkutsk, Russia, Miss Anchutina was a child when she was brought to the United States. She studied ballet in New York with Michel Fokine and, on the first day of its classes, was a pupil at the School of American Ballet, founded in 1934 by Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. A dancer known for her daintiness and speed, she was a member of the original cast of ''Serenade,'' a ballet Balanchine created for his students and his first ballet in America. She performed in several of the works he created for his first company, the American Ballet.
Among her leading roles were the Queen of Spades in ''The Card Party'' and the Bride's Friend in ''Le Baiser de la Fee,'' both created by Balanchine for a Stravinsky Festival in 1937 at the Metropolitan Opera House, then the home of the American Ballet. Danced on Broadway
Miss Anchutina also danced in ''Great Lady,'' a 1938 Broadway musical choreographed by Balanchine. She was a member of Mr. Kirstein's Ballet Caravan company, with which she danced in Lew Christensen's ''Pocahontas'' and William Dollar's ''Air and Variations.'' She later danced with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in its 1941-42 season, and with Leonide Massine's Ballet Highlights in the mid-1940's.
Like her husband, whom she married in the late 1930's, Miss Anchutina drew on training with Fokine and Balanchine for her stagings of ballets for the Eglevsky Ballet, which was founded in 1961. She was the director of the Eglevsky School of Ballet in Massapequa until her death.
Miss Anchutina is survived by her mother, Dosi Sorokin; two sons, Dr. Andre Jr., of Fredericksburg, Va., and Paul, of Shirley, L.I.; a daughter, Marina, of Santa Fe, N.M., and eight grandchildren.
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