Madame Corneli
Russian immigrant married to an Italian citizen. Immigrated to Iran in the early 1920s, escaping the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, like many other immigrants from Russia. Her arrival marked the dawn of formal dance education in Iran.
Founding the First Dance School
Madame Cornelli founded the first and only dance school in Tehran in 1928. She nurtured and trained the first generation of Iranian ballet dancers, including Aida Akhundzadeh (Haideh Ahmadzadeh), who later co-founded the National Ballet School of Iran and the Iranian National Ballet Company with her husband. Madame Cornelli’s school recitals, held at the end of each term, were the only locally produced ballet performances in Tehran, providing a rare glimpse into the nascent art of ballet in the country.
Later Years and Tragic End
Madame Cornelli’s later years were marked by poverty and neglect. Her health deteriorated, and her eyesight became severely impaired. Recognizing her significant contributions, Nejad Ahmadzadeh, the husband of her former student and then the head of Roudaki Hall Opera, appealed to the Ministry of Culture and Arts to grant her a pension for her invaluable service to Persian ballet and for paving the way for Iran’s pioneering ballet artists. Madame Cornelli was divorced and had a son residing in Italy, whom she never saw again. Her life ended tragically. Lonely in her apartment, one night her nightdress caught fire on the stove in her bedroom, and she succumbed to severe burn injuries. The Russian émigré who brought ballet to Iran died abandoned and forgotten. Her full name, date of birth, and precise date of death remain unknown.