In the twentieth century, Russian ballet gifted the world many outstanding productions, and among the most famous ballerinas was Alexander Danilova, an orphan from Peterhof who became a non-returnee from the USSR. Alexander Dionisievna Danilova was born on November 20, 1903. After the early death of her parents, she came under the guardianship of General Mikhail Ivanovich Batyanov and his wife Lydia Mstislavovna, a relative on her mother's side. They treated Alexander well and supported her artistic aspirations, agreeing to her enrollment in the Imperial Theatre School. Alexander studied successfully and early on showed talent, learning from the best specialists of the time. However, soon World War I began, and then the Russian Empire collapsed, making life in Petrograd extremely difficult. The young ballerina endured all hardships with resilience and continued to optimistically attend the former Mariinsky Theatre, where she had been a member of the troupe since 1920. Through hard work, she became one of the best ballerinas and had the opportunity to tour in Paris, after which she did not return to the USSR. The entire troupe of the former Mariinsky Theatre decided to stay in France, and many of them were taken in by Sergei Diaghilev.

In exile, Alexander Danilova initially performed with Diaghilev's Russian Ballet, where she gained worldwide fame, and later with the Russian Ballet of Monte Carlo. She became one of the leading ballerinas of her time and worked with George Balanchine, who was her common-law husband. In the late 1930s, Danilova moved to the USA, where she performed with Frederick Franklin. Their duet was recognized as one of the best of the past century. For her contribution to the development of ballet, Alexander Dionisievna received the prestigious Kennedy Center Award and continued to perform until the age of 54. She lived to be 93 years old, taught, and worked as a choreographer. Alexander wrote memoirs about her life and even managed to visit the new Russia.