The School of American Ballet's website has announced the death of Mme. Antonina Tumkovsky ("Tumey"), longtime associate of George Balanchine, and a revered teacher at the school for 50 years. She taught many generations of students (and future NYCB members, from the corps to principal dancers). Nancy Goldner is an alumna of the school, and a student in "Tumey's" classes; her tribute article, originally published in Dance Magazine, is available on the SAB website: http://sab.org/tumey.htm.

Thank you for posting this.

I can't imagine there is any way to fully apprehend "Tumey's" impact on ballet. She helped shape generations of dancers, many of whom brought her influence first to the stage and later back to the classroom, to pass along that which they'd learned from her. By now, she undoubtedly has many "grandstudents" teaching a generations of "great-grandstudents".

I am lucky to be included in the very long list of Mme. Tumkovsky's students.
I was an SAB summer scholarship student in 1970, only for one summer but I will never forget her.
RIP Madame.

Me too... I loved Tumkovsky's classes at SAB with their Russian styled training combined somehow with lots of Balanchine technique. Tumkovsky was always so charming, lovely, warm, and appreciative of her dancers. She knew how to make dancers stronger, more confident, preparing her dancers to be the best any where.

What I recall the most about Tumkovsky was how she would radiate with joy to see our improvements from day to day. And then for us, her dance children, how it was always such a great joy to listen to her comments after she attended performances with NYCB. Tumkovsky was a dearest, wonderful dance parent.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/22/arts/dan...?ref=obituaries

Shouldn't this be on here? I didn't know about her, but many will.

Added later: thanks, I couldn't momentarily find the obituaries sub-forum.

The loss of Tumey is a sad one, but what a tremendously long life. Her longevity in her teaching career is an exemplary one. She certainly just kept going on, brilliantly. Quite an inspiration!

(Sorry, posted this on Links, before finding this location.)