DANILOVA MEMENTOS GO TO LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.

Deemed by democratic consensus America's prima ballerina assoluta from the 1930s to the 1950s, and a reigning ballet teacher and coach after that, Alexandra Danilova earned the admiration of the public, the critics and her students. During the course of her career, Danilova also accumulated a variety of mementos rich in dance history. When she died at the age of 93 in 1997, her will stipulated a number of bequests to individuals and institutions. Now, one of the principal heirs, dance critic Kim Kokich, has given a trove of Danilova's treasures to the Library of Congress. Kokich, Danilova's goddaughter (the daughter of Danilova's former husband, dancer Kasimir Kokich) has donated Danilova's class notebooks, her personal correspondence (except for some very private items), snapshots and her file of reviews and clippings. Danilova's costumes and designer gowns are going to Kent State University's Costume Museum, and other items to Ohio's Ursuline College. Danilova's collection of paintings was bequeathed directly to the New York Public Library.

There is a wealth of material for scholars to examine and fans to view at the Library of Congress, although Kokich did say that some of the Danilova memorabilia disappeared during the two years the estate was in probate, and that some letters were destroyed by a flood in Danilova's apartment. And besides the private letters, Kokich couldn't part with a pair of the Glove Seller's gloves from Massine's ballet Gaite Parisienne (the way Danilova tried them on for customers implied so much!) and the chic hat that she wore as the legendary teacher Madame Dahkarova in the movie The Turning Point.