Nicholas Polajenko

Principal Dancer, Ballet Master, Teacher

1930 (New York City) – August 4, 2015 (Delray Beach, FL)

Part I: Early Life and Training

New York City Childhood

Nicholas Polajenko was a native of New York City.

He grew up on 140th Street, corner building of Hamilton Place.

Training with Russian Masters

Nicholas was trained by the famed Russian teachers Anatole Vilzak & Ludmilla Schollar.

"A native of New York City, Nicholas Polajenko was trained by the famed Russian teachers Anatole Vilzak & Ludmilla Schollar."

Languages

In addition to his native English, Nicholas was fluent in French and Russian.

Part II: Broadway Career (Pre-1948)

Before going to Paris in December 1948, Nicholas appeared in two Broadway musicals:

"Music In My Heart"
"Annie Get Your Gun"

"Before going to Paris France in December 1948 he was in two Broadway Musicals. Music In My Heart and Annie Get Your Gun."

Part III: European Dance Career (1948-1973)

Recognition

Nicholas was "soon recognized as a dancer of exceptional technique and acting versatility."

Principal Dancer with Major Companies

Nicholas rapidly rose to the rank of Principal Dancer with:

Metropolitan Ballet
Ballet des Champs Élysées
Ballet Roland Petit
London's Festival Ballet
International Ballet Marquis de Cuevas
Geneva Grand Théâtre Ballet

"rapidly rose to the rank of Principal Dancer with such companies as the Metropolitan Ballet, Ballet des Champs Elysees, Ballet Roland Petit, London's Festival Ballet and the International Ballet Marquis de Cuevas."

1954-55: London's Festival Ballet USA Tour

Nicholas performed on the USA tour with London's Festival Ballet.

Artistic Director: Anton Dolin

Featured dancers: Natalie Krassovska, Violette Verdy, John Gilpin, Oleg Briansky, Anita Landa, and Nicholas Polajenko

1951-1968: Every Major Classical Role

"Between 1951 and 1968 he performed every major classical role"

Partner to Legendary Ballerinas

Nicholas partnered outstanding ballerinas including:

Tamara Toumanova
Marjorie Tallchief
Alexandra Danilova
Toni Lander
Yvette Chauviré
Svetlana Beriosova
Rosella Hightower

Choreographers He Worked With

Nicholas worked with brilliant choreographers:

Anton Dolin
Nicholas Beriosoff
Harald Lander
Roland Petit
Leonid Massine
Serge Lifar
Bronislava Nijinska
Alvin Ailey

White House Performance

As a Guest Artist with the Harkness Ballet of New York, Nicholas was invited to perform at the White House before President Johnson.

Dance Magazine Cover (November 1969)

Nicholas was pictured on the cover of Dance Magazine's November 1969 issue, working on the filming of Leonid Massine's "Blue Danube".

International Who's Who

His biography appears in a number of dance books and in the International Who's Who.

Part IV: Geneva and Meeting Anne

1966: Geneva Appointment

In 1966, Nicholas was appointed Principal Dancer & Ballet Master for the Ballet du Grand Théâtre in Geneva, Switzerland.

Meeting His Wife

While at the Geneva Grand Theatre, Nicholas met his future wife, Anne.

Anne had been watching him partner Toni Lander years earlier in Rome and later wrote that he was "a young man I would marry many years later."

Part V: Teaching Career (1973-2015)

1973: Move to U.S.

In 1973, Nicholas and Anne moved to the United States to pursue teaching careers.

Teaching Positions

1973-1974: Point Park College, Pittsburgh

1974-1976: Houston Ballet (Ballet Master)

1976-1988: Houston Dance Center (co-Artistic Director with Anne)

1988-1989: Harid Conservatory, Boca Raton

Master Classes

Nicholas conducted master classes throughout his teaching career.

Students' Success

Polajenko-trained dancers joined major companies:

San Francisco Ballet
Ballet West
Dallas Ballet
Joffrey II
New York City Ballet
Berlin Ballet
Frankfurt Ballet

Part VI: Later Roles and Character Work

Character Performances

Nicholas's character interpretations drew rave reviews:

Drosselmeyer in The Nutcracker
The grumpy Grandfather in Peter & the Wolf

"his character interpretations of such roles as Drosselmeyer in the Nutcracker and the grumpy Grandfather in Peter & the Wolf are drawing rave reviews."

Website Newsletters

Nicholas wrote newsletters for the ballet-feetfirst.com website starting July 2011.

Part VII: Civic Activities

Nicholas served on:

Dance Panel of the Cultural Arts Council of Houston
Board of the American Guild of Musical Artists
Sister Cities International Program

Death and Legacy

August 4, 2015

Nicholas Polajenko passed away on August 4, 2015 in Delray Beach, FL.

He was survived by wife Anne, son, and two grandchildren.

Nicholas Polajenko Memorial Scholarship

The Polajenko family established a scholarship in Nicholas's memory at Southern Dance Theatre for the 2017-18 school year.

"The Polajenko family is pleased to announce the creation of a scholarship in memory of Nicholas Polajenko... This scholarship is meant to assist one dancer with tuition costs at Southern Dance Theatre for the school year 2017-18."

First recipient: Savanna Bourque ($1,000 scholarship + $750 So Dança gift certificate)