Oleg Tupine.

Oleg Tupine, teacher and former star of Sergei Denham's Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, passed away on June 15, 2003, at his home in northern Virginia at the age of 82. Born stateless aboard a Russian ship, Tupine grew up in Franco, and received his dance training under Lubov Egorova in Paris.

Tall and considered extremely handsome, Tupine was known as a gracious cavalier. He danced internationally with the Original Ballet Russe, the Markova-Dolin Company, Ballet Theatre, and the de Cuevas Company. From 1949 to 1953 he performed with Denham's Ballet Russe, in classical repertoire such as Paquita, Swan Lake, and Grand Pas Classique with ballerinas Alexandra Danilova, Tamara Toumanova, Maria Tallchief, and Mary Ellen Moylan, among others. Tupine and George Zoritch also appeared in the 1949 musical film Look for the Silver Lining.

In 1965, after retiring from the stage, Tupine became co-director of the Virginia Ballet Company and School with Tatiana (Tania) Rousseau, whom he later married. Tupine is survived by his wife and his son, Alexis.