Ruth Page (ballerina)
Ruth Page (March 22, 1899 – April 7, 1991) was an American ballerina and choreographer who created many groundbreaking works with American themes.
She was born in Indianapolis and trained with famous teachers. Page made her professional debut on Broadway in 1917, danced with Anna Pavlova’s company on a South American tour in 1918, and performed in Chicago in 1919. Over the next several decades she danced with many major companies and choreographed for most of them, including her own Chicago-based groups.
In 1937 she created An American Pattern, often considered the first feminist ballet in the United States. From 1943 to 1946 she experimented with “danced poems,” combining poetry and movement to express ideas in new ways.
Page was known for turning operas into ballets, blending different art forms so the body could “sing” the music without literal storytelling. She choreographed pieces set to music by composers such as Berlioz, Bizet, Borodin, Donizetti, Falla, Ravel, Strauss, Tchaikovsky and Verdi, and worked with prominent designers and artists of the time. In 1965 she choreographed a large-scale production of The Nutcracker, which was performed annually in Chicago through 1997.
Her influence reached beyond the stage. Rudolf Nureyev chose Page’s Chicago Opera Ballet for his New York City debut in 1962. Her work and ideas helped shape American ballet for generations.
After retiring from active choreography, Page founded the Ruth Page Foundation, which established the Ruth Page Center for the Arts in Chicago. The Ruth Page Civic Ballet, a youth company tied to the Ruth Page School of Dance, continues to perform. The Ruth Page Award, created in 1986, honors outstanding achievements in dance.
Page was married twice, first to attorney Thomas Hart Fisher (1925–1969) and then to artist Andre Delfau (1983–1991). She died in Chicago and is buried in Graceland Cemetery. Her legacy is preserved in major archives, including the Lincoln Center Dance Division and the Newberry Library.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 07:58 (CET).