Olga Sapphire

Olga Sapphire (28 June 1907 – 20 June 1981) was the stage name of Russian and Japanese ballerina and choreographer Olga Ivanovna Pavlova, whose married name was Midori Shimizu. She was classically trained at both the Leningrad State Choreographic Institute and the Moscow Choreographic School. She performed in Russia until her marriage in the early 1930s to a Japanese diplomat, Takehisa Shimizu. After agreeing to move to Japan in 1936, she developed classical ballet there, bringing with her theoretical and pedagogical materials to underpin her dance lessons and establish the field.

From 1936 until her retirement in 1957, Sapphire was employed by the Nihon Gekijō variety theater, in Tokyo, serving as its prima ballerina, choreographer and ballet instructor. She performed classic Russian ballets, managing all aspects of the productions, as well as choreographing Japanese dances for stage and film. She retired from the stage in 1953, but continued to be involved in ballet production until 1957. In her later years, Sapphire wrote three books about ballet, which remain influential in Japan.