Note 2
Olga Sapphire was born Olga I. Pavlova in St. Petersburg. She studied dance with Akim Volynsky (1865-1926) at his Russian Choreographic School, and with Konstantin Sergeyev at the St. Petersburg National Ballet Academy, from where she graduated. She danced La Fille Mal Gardée at the school performance, and later danced leading roles in operettas (such as in The Red Poppy, which brought her much success). Sapphire married Japanese diplomat Takehisa Shimizu in Russia, acquired Japanese nationality in 1935, and settled in Japan the following year. She brought ballet materials, including books, music scores, and her costumes from Russia, all of which enriched the subsequent development of ballet in Japan. After immigrating to Japan, she involved herself in ballet performances, choreography, and education in her role as resident dancer and choreographer at Tokyo’s Nihon Theater (Nichigeki). There, Sapphire danced with such famous artists as Yusaku Azuma (who trained under Elena Pavlova).