Innate in St. Petersburg, Russia, she trained at and danced for the Mariinsky Theatre. In the foremost years of the Ballets Russes she worked briefly for Serge Diaghilev before founding her own company & performing throughout the world.

Her best known collector's item was The Dying Swan choreographed for her by Michel Fokine. A pavlova dessert was named fallowing her, although its origins come ill documented. She died of pleurisy in The Hague, Netherlands while touring. Her remains were recently moved to the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.