Family Influences and Beyond, 1885–1902

Abstract Karsavina’s published and unpublished reflections on her childhood and study at the Imperial Ballet School are key to understanding the development of her artistic credo. Chapter topics include family life in late nineteenth-century Russia, religion, education, and women’s social roles. Karsavina’s mother decided that Tamara should audition for the Imperial Ballet School, believing that ballet would afford her daughter viable employment. Recognizing her talent, Karsavina’s father, Platon Karsavin, accepted her career path despite his initial reservations. Karsavin was a leading dancer at the Maryinsky, but he experienced professional and financial setbacks after running afoul of the Imperial Theatre’s reigning ballet master, Marius Petipa. Karsavina’s deep connections to the culture of her homeland, her love for Russian literature and art, her religion, and her opportunities as a talented student, groomed for roles on the stage of the Imperial Russian Ballet, are primary ingredients contributing to her artistic development.