# Mia Čorak Slavenska — life, ballet and legacy https://miacorakslavenska.com/en/ Mia Čorak Slavenska was a Croatian-American ballerina, choreographer and teacher. She united classical virtuosity with dramatic expression and an independent creative spirit. Her story belongs both to Croatia’s cultural heritage and to the history of American ballet. - Born: 20 February 1916 · Brod na Savi - Died: 5 October 2002 · Los Angeles - Stage name: Mia Slavenska - Calling: Ballerina · choreographer · teacher ## 1916 — Beginnings on the Sava Mia Čorak was born on 20 February 1916 in Brod na Savi, now Slavonski Brod. From this town, her life would take her to the ballet centres of Europe and America. Source: https://enciklopedija.hr/clanak/corak-slavenska-mia ## 1924 — A childhood on stage In 1924 she appeared as the Heart in the Zagreb premiere of Krešimir Baranović’s ballet Licitarsko srce, choreographed by Margarita Froman. Her Zagreb teachers included Josefina Weiss and Margarita Froman. Source: https://enciklopedija.hr/clanak/corak-slavenska-mia ## 1934–1935 — Prima ballerina in Zagreb The Croatian Biographical Lexicon records her as prima ballerina at the Croatian National Theatre in 1934–1935. Her Zagreb roles included Swanilda in Coppélia and the Firebird. Source: https://hbl.lzmk.hr/clanak/corak-mia ## 1936 — International recognition At the 1936 Berlin dance competition she received a top award. The competition took place during the Olympic Games; this was a dance honour, not an Olympic sporting medal. Slavenska became her international stage name. Source: https://hbl.lzmk.hr/clanak/corak-mia ## 1937 — Ballet meets cinema She played ballerina Nathalie Karine in Jean Benoît-Lévy’s French film La Mort du cygne. Released in the United States as Ballerina, the film brought her art to cinema audiences. Source: https://www.miasfilm.com/about-mia ## 1938 — Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo She joined the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. Touring expanded her international career, with a repertoire spanning classical ballets and works by choreographers including Fokine and Massine. Source: https://www.miasfilm.com/about-mia ## 1944 — An independent artistic path She formed Slavenska Tihmar and Company. Her own companies and concert programmes offered artistic independence and brought ballet to audiences beyond major theatre centres. Source: https://www.miasfilm.com/about-mia ## 1952 — A Streetcar Named Desire With Frederic Franklin she founded the Slavenska–Franklin Ballet. She danced Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire, choreographed by Valerie Bettis after the play by Tennessee Williams. Source: https://hbl.lzmk.hr/clanak/corak-mia ## 1954–1956 — At the Metropolitan Opera In the mid-1950s she was a prima ballerina at New York’s Metropolitan Opera. Sources date the engagement differently: the Croatian Encyclopedia gives 1954–1955, while the Croatian Biographical Lexicon gives 1955–1956. Source: https://enciklopedija.hr/clanak/corak-slavenska-mia ## 1960–1980 — Knowledge that endures After her stage career, she devoted herself to teaching in New York and Los Angeles. At UCLA, the California Institute of the Arts and in private classes, she worked with new generations of ballet and contemporary dancers. Source: https://hbl.lzmk.hr/clanak/corak-mia ## 2002 — A life remembered She died on 5 October 2002 in Los Angeles. Her artistic legacy continues through her students, archival records and renewed interest in her life. Source: https://enciklopedija.hr/clanak/corak-slavenska-mia ## 2006 — Her name, new generations The Croatian Society of Professional Ballet Artists launched Slavenska Prix in 2006. The competition became international in 2010, connecting the great ballerina’s name with ballet’s future. Source: https://hdpbu.hr/en/the-international-ballet-competition-slavenska-prix/ ## Giselle Classical repertoire. The Romantic ballet was among the leading roles of her international career. ## Coppélia The Zagreb chapter. Swanilda brought together youthful stage assurance, character and comedy. ## Ghost Town Created for her. Marc Platt’s ballet, set to music by Richard Rodgers, was created expressly for Slavenska. ## A Streetcar Named Desire Dramatic ballet · 1952. Blanche DuBois in Valerie Bettis’s choreography: a literary character expressed through movement. ## The dance ends. The influence remains. Her legacy lives on in dance studios, documentary film and a competition bearing her name. Maria Ramas and Kate Johnson bring Mia Slavenska’s life back into focus. A daughter’s personal search becomes a story of art, memory and belonging. Organised by the Croatian Society of Professional Ballet Artists, this international competition carries her name into the work of new generations. Teaching at UCLA and CalArts, alongside private classes, makes her educational legacy an equally important part of her story. ## Who was Mia Čorak Slavenska? A Croatian-American prima ballerina, choreographer and teacher, born in Brod na Savi in 1916. She died in Los Angeles in 2002. ## What is she particularly known for? Her international career with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, her company with Frederic Franklin and her portrayal of Blanche DuBois in the ballet A Streetcar Named Desire. ## Where can I explore her life? Start with the Croatian Encyclopedia, the Croatian Biographical Lexicon and the documentary project Mia, a Dancer’s Journey. Links are listed in the sources. - [Hrvatska enciklopedija](https://enciklopedija.hr/clanak/corak-slavenska-mia) - [Hrvatski biografski leksikon](https://hbl.lzmk.hr/clanak/corak-mia) - [Slavenska Dance Preservation — About Mia](https://www.miasfilm.com/about-mia) - [Mia, a Dancer’s Journey](https://www.miasfilm.com/about-the-film) - [PBS — Mia, a Dancer’s Journey](https://www.pbs.org/show/mia-dancers-journey/) - [HDPBU — Slavenska Prix](https://hdpbu.hr/en/the-international-ballet-competition-slavenska-prix/) Editorial review: 9 October 2026.