Serge Lifar, whose real name was Sergey Mikhailovich Lifar, was born on April 2, 1904, in Kyiv, Russian Empire, and died on December 15, 1986, in Lausanne, Switzerland. He was a French ballet dancer, choreographer, dance theorist, collector, and bibliophile. Emigrating in 1923, Lifar performed in Diaghilev's 'Russian Seasons' until 1929, and after Diaghilev's death, he became a premier at the Paris Opera. In 1930, 1945, 1947, and 1958, he led the ballet company of the theater. Lifar was a significant figure in French choreography, lectured on the history and theory of ballet, and founded the Paris University of Choreography and the University of Dance.

Lifar's creative legacy includes the creation of over 200 ballets and the writing of 25 books on dance theory. He trained 11 ballet stars. In 1947, Lifar founded the Institute of Choreography at the Grand Opera in Paris, and from 1955, he taught the history and theory of dance at the Sorbonne. He was the rector of the University of Dance, a professor at the Conservatoire de Musique, and an honorary president of the National Dance Council at UNESCO.

Sergey Lifar was likely born in the suburb of Kyiv, Pyrohiv, to civil servant Mikhail Yakovlevich Lifar and his wife Sofia Vasilievna Marchenko. An important milestone in his life was meeting Bronislava Nijinska, after which he began studying at her Kyiv 'School of Movement' at the age of 17. In 1922, Nijinska moved to Paris, collaborating with Serge Diaghilev's 'Russian Ballet.' A year later, a group of her students, including Lifar, went to Paris. Becoming a premier of the 'Russian Ballet,' he performed leading roles in ballets by Miassin and Balanchine. Lifar was Diaghilev's last favorite, who spoke of him as a future legend of ballet. After Diaghilev's death and the collapse of his company, Lifar joined the ballet company of the Paris Opera, where he served as choreographer and director at different times.

Lifar died in Lausanne and was buried at the cemetery of Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois.