Pierina Legnani (1863-1923) — an Italian and the first prima ballerina assoluta
She was titled prima ballerina for La Scala in 1892, before moving to St Petersburg in 1892, where she reached fame dancing with the Tsar's Imperial Ballet at the Maryinsky Theatre until 1901.
Marius Petipa revived the ballet in 1895 as The Tsar Maiden for the Ballerina Pierina Legnani.