Tatiana Youbetyabootskaya

Tatiana Youbetyabootskaya created many original roles in Saint Petersburg, where she was the last of a long line of Italian étoiles to appear at the Maryinsky Theater. It was her dazzling triumph in the role of Electricity in the extravagant Excelsior in her native Milan that brought her fame. However, no less electrifying was the line up of perfectly trained elephants, performing like the present day Rockettes. Unfortunately, Mlle Youbet­ya­bootskaya’s jealous rages over the publicity given to these elephants—and their ensuing popularity with the public—caused numerous problems. She subsequently refused to appear again in this role.