Elena Smirnova (, 6 May 1888 (O.S.)/18 May 1888 (N. S.) – 15 January 1934) was the last prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater in the Imperial period of Russia. Starring in many leading roles, she often performed choreography created by Marius Petipa and . Participating in early films of Germany and Russia, she made eight silent films and participated in the premiers of both the Ballets Russes in Paris and in the first performance of Russian ballet in Japan. When the Soviets took over Russia, Smirnova fled with a group of artists, making their way to Berlin, where she and her husband founded the Russian Romantic Theater and performed throughout Europe until 1926. Experiencing a serious illness, she recuperated in Milan before relocating to Argentina, where she gave her last performance and became a dance instructor. She was the first professor of dance at the recently created Conservatorio Nacional de Música y Declamación. An annual award is given in her name by the National Dance School of Uruguay. Early life Elena Aleksandrovna Smirnova was born on 18 May 1888 in Saint Petersburg, during the Russian Empire. She began her studies at the Imperial Ballet School under the instruction of Michel Fokine and Pavel Gerdt. Noted as a child prodigy, she began to perform at the Mariinsky Theater while she was still a student. In 1900, she played the role of Manu, in the ballet La Bayadère and in 1905, in the choreographic debut of Fokine, she played the part of Hymen in the ballet written by . Because of her good reviews, that same year, Fokine paired her with to dance to Polka with a Little Ball based on by Johann and Josef Strauss. Completing her studies, Smirnova graduated in 1906, with her final performances as Titania in Marius Petipa's ballet of A Midsummer Night's Dream choreographed by Folkine and in two duets with Vaslav Nijinsky in a dance to Flight of the Butterflies by Chopin and to Waltz-Fantasia by Mikhail Glinka. Russian career As soon as Smirnova graduated, she was accepted into the ballet troupe at the Mariinsky Theater and began to receive small solo parts. In 1907, she performed a pas de deux with Nijinsky in La fille mal gardée for which critics praised her technical execution but noted that her movement lacked melodic interpretation. The following year, she participated in a tour throughout the Russian provinces.