(1896–1979), Russian ballet dancer and choreographer. Massine was born Leonid Fedorovich Miassin in Moscow, Russia. At age 17, he joined Sergei Diaghilev's famous Ballets Russes, where he studied with legendary choreographer Michel Fokine. He performed internationally and made his first appearance in New York City in 1916. For many years, Massine was the principal choreographer for the Ballets Russes and the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. His autobiography, My Life in Ballet, was published in 1968. (See also Dance.)