List of female dancers

The following is a list of female dancers by nationality – notable women who are well known for their work in the field of dance.

Africa

Algeria Mariquita (1830–1922), early choreographer, director and teacher in Paris, Folies Bergère, Opéra Comique

Egypt Naima Akef (1929–1966), belly dancer, film actress Zouba El-Klobatiyya (1917–1972), belly dancer, film actress Nagwa Fouad (born 1939), belly dancer Nadia Gamal (1937–1990), belly dancer, toured widely including North America Samia Gamal (1924–1994), belly dancer, film actress Taheyya Kariokka (1919–1999), belly dancer, film actress Kuchuk Hanem (1850–1870), erotic dancer Nelly Mazloum (1929–2003), belly dancer, show dancer, folklorist, own dance company Hanan Tork (born 1975), ballerina, Cairo Ballet Group, later film actress Mona El Said (1954-2024), Belly dancer, actress, Internationally acclaimed and dance teacher.

South Africa Kamo Mphela (born 1999), dancer known for dancing Amapiano Nadia Nerina (1927–2008), prima ballerina who made her glittering career with The Royal Ballet in London Juliet Prowse (1936–1996), Indian-born, stage dancer, starred in Can-Can Robyn Hendricks, ballet dancer, principal dancer, The Australian Ballet Phyllis Spira (1943–2008), prima ballerina, teacher, performed with Cape Town's CAPAB

Asia

Armenia Armen Ohanian (1887–1976), Oriental dancer

Bangladesh Benazir Salam (born 1979), Indian classical dancer, modern dancer, Odissi teacher

China Dai Ailian (1916 (Trinidad)–2006), modern dancer, choreographer, teacher, first principal of Beijing Dance Academy Jin Xing (born 1967 to Korean parents), ballerina, modern dancer, choreographer, actress Faye Leung (born 1979), former principal dancer, Hong Kong Ballet Yuanyuan Tan (born 1974), principal dancer, San Francisco Ballet Xue Jinghua (born 1946), prima ballerina, National Ballet of China Nellie Yu Roung Ling (1889–1973), dancer and choreographer, considered the first modern dancer of China. Zhu Yan, prima ballerina with the National Ballet of China since 1995

Georgia Maia Makhateli (born c. 1986), ballet dancer, principal dancer, Dutch National Ballet Lila Zali (1918–2003), ballet dancer, film actress, American Ballet Theatre, Ballets Russes

India

Olive Katherine Craddock (1894–1926), Anglo-Indian dancer who danced under the name of Roshanara Rukmini Devi Arundale (1904–1986), Bharata Natyam classical dancer, choreographer Methil Devika (born 1977), dancer, choreographer, teacher Madhuri Dixit (born 1967), film actress, dance sequences in Bollywood films Usha Jey, French-Tamilian dancer Geeta Kapoor (born 1973), Bollywood choreographer Saroj Khan (born 1948), Bollywood choreographer Hema Malini (born 1948), Bharata Natyam dancer, choreographer, actress Vaibhavi Merchant (born 1975), Bollywood dancer, choreographer Sujata Mohapatra (born 1968), Indian classical dancer, Odissi teacher Baisali Mohanty (born 1994), Indian classical dancer and choreographer of Odissi Rekha Raju, Mohiniyattam exponent Anita Ratnam (born 1954), Indian classical dancer, modern dancer, choreographer Mallika Sarabhai (born 1954), classical Indian dancer, choreographer Savitha Sastry (born 1969), Indian dancer, choreographer, specializing in Bharata Natyam Zohra Sehgal (1912–2014), film actress, modern dancer, choreographer Vyjayanthimala (born 1936), classical Indian dancer, choreographer, actress Shobana (born 1970), Indian dancer, film actress, choreographer Nora Fatehi (born 1992), Indian dancer, film actress, singer

Indonesia Gusmiati Suid (1942–2001), dancer and choreographer

Iran Farzaneh Kaboli (born 1949), Iranian folk dancer, ballet dancer, choreographer

Israel Rina Schenfeld (born 1938), prima ballerina, choreographer, Batsheva Dance Company

Japan Motofuji Akiko (1928–2003), ballerina, modern dancer Tae-ji Choi (born 1959), ballerina, director, teacher, Korea National Ballet Shizuka Gozen (1165–1211), court dancer Utako Hanazono (1905–1982), modern dancer, geisha Yuriko Kajiya (born 1984), ballet dancer, principal dancer, Houston Ballet Maki Kawamura (born 1979), ballerina, New National Theatre Tokyo Hikaru Kobayashi (born 1976), ballet dancer, former first soloist, The Royal Ballet Ako Kondo (born 1991), ballet dancer, The Australian Ballet Misa Kuranaga (born c. 1982), ballet dancer, principal dancer, San Francisco Ballet, formerly Boston Ballet Tamiyo Kusakari (born 1965), ballerina, film actress, Maki Asami Ballet Company Noriko Ohara (born 1943), ballerina, Scottish Ballet Masako Ono, Odissi dancer since 1996 Shino Mori (born 1989), ballerina, National Ballet of Canada Yoko Morishita (born 1948), prima ballerina, director, Matsuyama Ballet Company Ayako Nakano (born 1977), ballerina, soloist Theater Basel Madoka Sugai, ballet dancer, principal dancer, Hamburg Ballet Akane Takada (born 1990), ballet dancer, principal dancer, Royal Ballet Erina Takahashi, ballet dancer, lead principal, English National Ballet Yumiko Takeshima, designer and former ballet dancer Miyako Yoshida (born 1965), former ballet dancer, The Royal Ballet and K-ballet Yuriko Kimura, modern dancer, lead principal with Martha Graham Dance Company

Kazakhstan Nadezhda Gracheva (born 1969), prima ballerina, Bolshoi Ballet

Lebanon Layal Abboud (born 1982), concert dancer

Nepal Bandana Nepal (born 2001), record-breaking marathon dancer

Pakistan Suhaee Abro, dancer since 2001, Indian classical dancer, modern dancer, choreographer Nargis (born 1974), film actress, stage dancer

South Korea Yuhui Choe, ballet dancer, first soloist, The Royal Ballet Ji-Young Kim (born 1978), prima ballerina, Korean National Ballet Kang Sue-jin (born 1967), ballerina, Stuttgart Ballet Kim Joo-won (born 1976), prima ballerina, Korean National Ballet EunWon Lee, prima ballerina, Korean National Ballet Young Soon Hue (born 1963), ballerina, choreographer, Deutsche Oper am Rhein Sae Eun Park (born 1989), ballet dancer, étoile, Paris Opera Ballet Hee Seo (born 1986), ballet dancer, principal dancer, American Ballet Theatre Ahn Yoo-jin (born 1968), belly dancer

Turkey Sema Yildiz, belly dancer, Romani Dancer, actress and dance teacher. Özel Türkbaş, belly dancer, actress, dance teacher, singer, model. Nesrin Topkapı, belly dancer, dance teacher and singer. Nejla Ateş, belly dancer and actress.

Taiwan PeiJu Chien-Pott, dancer, Martha Graham Dance Company Fang-Yi Sheu, dancer, Martha Graham Dance Company

Oceania

Australia Lucette Aldous (1938–2021), ballerina, teacher with the Australian Ballet Leanne Benjamin (born 1964), former ballet dancer, principal dancer, Royal Ballet Madeleine Eastoe, former ballet dancer, principal artist, Australian Ballet Roma Egan (born 1948), senior soloist, Australian Ballet Jean Garling (1907–1998), ballet dancer Amy Harris (born 1983), ballet dancer, principal artist, Australian Ballet Ella Havelka, ballet dancer, first indigenous dancer at Australian Ballet Margaret Illmann (born 1965), ballerina, National Ballet of Canada Lana Jones, former ballet dancer, Australian Ballet Marilyn Jones (born 1940), ballerina, director, Australian Ballet Dena Kaplan (born 1989), dancer, actress, film roles Stephanie Kurlow, ballet dancer Kirsty Martin (born 1976), principal dancer, Australian Ballet Laurel Martyn (1916–2013), ballerina, Australian Ballet, Vic-Wells Ballet Danielle Rowe (born 1982), ballet dancer and choreographer Amber Scott, ballet dancer, principal dancer, The Australian Ballet Margaret Scott (1922 (South Africa)–2019), ballerina, Ballet Rambert, Australian Ballet, director of the Australian Ballet School Dana Stephensen (born c. 1984), ballerina, Australian Ballet Sharni Spencer, Australian ballet dancer, graduate of New Zealand School of Dance Meryl Tankard (born 1955), ballet dancer, choreographer, director Australian Dance Theatre Tamara Tchinarova (1919 (Romania)–2017), ballet dancer Ballets Russes, Borovansky Ballet Stephanie Williams, ballet dancer, American Ballet Theatre

New Zealand Claire Ahuriri-Dunning Rona Bailey (1914–2005) – drama and dance practitioner, educationalist and activist Jan Bolwell Yvonne Cartier (c. 1930–2014) – ballet dancer, choreographer, teacher of mime and movement, based in Paris Lisa Densem Lusi Faiva – known for physically integrated dance Sarah-Jayne Howard – dancer and choreographer Bianca Hyslop – dancer and choreographer Rowena Jackson (1926–2024) – prima ballerina, Sadler's Wells Ballet, Royal Ballet Malia Johnston – choreographer Susan Jordan – dancer and choreographer June Kerr – dancer Cathy Livermore – dancer Tupe Lualua – choreographer and director of Le Moana and the Measina Festival Lucy Marinkovich – dancer, choreographer Sara Neil (dancer) Hannah O'Neill (born 1993) – ballet dancer, premier danseur, Paris Opera Ballet Patricia Rianne – ballet dancer and choreographer Turid Revfeim Anne Rowse – dancer Cat Ruka – dancer and choreographer Amanaki Prescott-Faletau – actor, writer, dancer, choreographer, producer and director Louise Potiki Bryant – choreographer, dancer, video artist Gaylene Sciascia Deirdre Tarrant – dancer, choreographer

Europe

Austria Kathrin Beck (born 1966), ice dancer, actress Gertrud Bodenwieser (1890–1959), dancer, choreographer, teacher, pioneer of expressive dance Trudl Dubsky (1913–1976), innovative dancer, choreographer, teacher Poldi Dur (1917–1996), dancer, actress Fanny Elssler (1810–1884), ballerina, Ballet du Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique (now the Paris Opera), toured widely Therese Elssler (1808–1878), ballerina, sister of Fanny Elssler Angelika Führing (born 1976), ice dancer Susi Handschmann (born 1959), ice dancer Lilian Harmel (1908–1982), dancer, choreographer, teacher Barbara Herzog (born 1985), ice dancer Saskia Hölbling (born 1971), modern dancer, choreographer Hilde Holger (1905–2001), expressionist dancer, choreographer, teacher Katti Lanner (1829–1908), ballet dancer, choreographer, Viennese Ballet Company, Drury Lane Maria Ley-Piscator (1898–1999), dancer, choreographer Tilly Losch (1903–1975), ballet dancer, show dancer, choreographer, trained at the Vienna Opera, later turned to musicals including The Band Wagon Natascha Mair, ballet dancer, first soloist, Vienna State Ballet Daria-Larissa Maritczak (born 1970s), ice dancer Kathrin Menzinger (born 1988), competitive ballroom dancer Albertina Rasch (1891–1967), ballerina, show dancer, choreographer, remembered for her extensive work in American musicals Brigitte Scheijbal (fl. 1970s), ice dancer Babsie Steger (born 1968), dancer, actress, television presenter Eva Marie Veigel (1724–1822), early dancer in London Cilli Wang (1909–2005), Austrian-born Dutch dancer, cabaret artist Grete Wiesenthal (1891–1967), ballet dancer, worked with Max Reinhardt

Belgium Akarova (1904–1999), ballet dancer, choreographer, performed in various venues in Brussels Jeanne Brabants (1920–2014), dancer, choreographer, teacher Veerle Casteleyn (born 1978), ballerina, show dancer, performing in Belgian musicals Lydia Chagoll (1931–2020), dancer, choreographer, screenwriter, actress Bernice Coppieters (born 1970), ballet dancer, étoile and principal ballet master of the Ballets de Monte-Carlo Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker (born 1960), contemporary dancer, choreographer Julie Alix de la Fay (c. 1746–1826), ballet dancer, teacher, helped develop the Royal Swedish Ballet Joanna Leunis (born 1981), Latin ballroom dancer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa (born 1973), choreographer Andrée Marlière (1934–2008), ballet dancer, teacher, danced mainly in Belgian and German companies including the Flemish Opera Adeline Plunkett (1824–1910), star of the Paris Opera Ballet Ira Vannut (born 1994), ice dancer

Bulgaria Albena Denkova (born 1974), ice dancer Maria Filippov (born 1973), ice dancer Petya Gavazova (born 1968), ice dancer Mila Iskrenova (born 1960), modern dancer, choreographer

Croatia