Born near Tomsk, she trained at Petrograd's Akim Volynsky's School of Russian Ballet with Maria Romanova (the mother of Galina Ulanova).
She danced professionally with various ensembles such as the GATOB (1925–1929)[2] and the Flying Russian Ballet before defecting in 1929.
[3] She defected in Shanghai as she was hopeful she could join Diaghilev's Ballets Russes.
[2] As she heard of his death, she decided to stay there[2] and danced with George Goncharov.
She also taught at the Ballet School of the La Scala Theatre in Milan.