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. She remained in Paris for 11 years. During the Paris years Allard was contracted at several locales: Theatre du Chatelet as soloist, music and ballet festivals with John Taras as choreographer at Aix en Provence and Geneva, Switzerland; opera season in Genoa, Italy; Danse et Culture as a soloist touring France; and the company "Le Rendezvous Manqué" with John Taras, touring Paris, Monte Carlo, Germany, Holland, Italy, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Boston, and New York. In 1960, Allard was contracted at the Malmö City Theatre in Sweden as soloist for one year, followed by a summer touring operetta company as soloist. She danced in My Fair Lady in Gothenburg, Sweden, then was contracted at the Stora Teatern in Gothenburg. She remained in Gothenburg until 1971, and also worked as a soloist during this period. Allard took a year-long leave of absence from 1963 to 1964 to dance with the Jazz Ballet in Stockholm, and then as Premiere danseuse at the National Opera in Tel Aviv, where she also taught company classes. Returning to Gothenburg after her leave, she remained at the Stora Teatern until she retired at age 44, the age of retirement for Swedish dancers. Retirement and teaching career (1971–2012) Immediately following her retirement as a dancer, Allard's teaching career began. From the fall of 1971 until 1974 she was