Volkoff, birth name Boris Vladimirovich Baskakoff, was born on April 24, 1900, in Schepotievo, Russia.
[1] When he was nine Volkoff joined his brother Igor in Warsaw to dance and perform for the Russian Army.
[1] He joined the Shanghai Variety Ballet[2] and toured with Russian expatriates to various Asian countries and the United States.
He became ballet master at Jack Arthur's Uptown Theatre in Toronto and choreographed short dances that were performed between films.
[3] In 1932 he created ice ballet versions of Swan Lake and Prince Igor with the Toronto Skating Club.
[4] His company performed two new ballets called Mon-Ka-Ta and Mala, both based on Inuit and Native American legends.
Volkoff and Gweneth Lloyd both wanted to run the new company but they reached a compromise by bringing Celia Franca to be its new artistic director.
[1] In 1952 Volkoff and David Adams created Toronto Theatre Ballet and became co-artistic directors.