Born of a Syrian family in Odessa, Tatiana Chamié left Russia for France at the outbreak of the revolution and grew up in Paris. She studied ballet as a child and joined the Ballets Russes of Serge Diaghilev in the early 1920's. At Diaghilev's death, she joined the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo of Col. W. de Basil and René Blum. In 1938, When Leonide Massine left the company to form the new Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo with Sergei Denham, Ms. Chamié followed and danced with the company until 1943 when she resigned to establish her own school in New York. For the Denham company she created two works, The Birthday (1949) and Prima Ballerina (1950). A well-known and well-liked teacher, she also maintaned for many years a Wednesday evening open house at her studio where Russian dancers, teachers, and choreographers came to exchange news and opinions. She died, age 48, of spinal meningitis on November 18, 1953.
In addition to the Tatiana Chamié Papers, the Dance Division also has the Chamié Collection (call no. *MGZEB), a large assemblage of materials from her career as performer in the companies of Diaghilev, Col. De Basil, and Denham.
From the guide to the Tatiana Chamié papers, 1926-1950, (The New York Public Library. Jerome Robbins Dance Division.)
