Tamara Geva was born to a Swedish mother, Tamara Urtahl, and a wealthy St. Petersburg manufacturer of Muslim heritage and patron of the arts, Levko Zheverzheiev, who later became a free-thinker. Her upbringing was marked by a vast 18th century mansion, which housed a private museum, where she spent her childhood.
Geva's mother was described as beautiful but selfish, often unfaithful to her husband. Her parents' inability to marry until Geva was six years old added to the complexities of her childhood. Despite these challenges, Geva's passion for ballet was evident from a young age.
Geva's path to becoming a professional ballet dancer was not without obstacles. She met George Balanchine at the Maryinsky Ballet School and married him in 1923 when she was just 16 years old. However, their marriage was short-lived and dissolved in 1926.
The couple joined Diaghilev's Ballet Russes, where Balanchine began to establish himself as a renowned choreographer in Europe. Geva, however, grew dissatisfied with the limited opportunities within the company and joined Balieff's touring 'Chauve-Souris' troupe, which performed in New York in 1927.
Geva and Balanchine divorced, but they remained on friendly terms. She went on to have several huge successes on Broadway, most notably dancing in Richard Rodgers' "Slaughter on 10th Avenue" ballet from 'On Your Toes' (1936),with George Balanchine providing the legendary choreography.
