Maria Cumani Quasimodo

Born Maria Cumani in Milan, she studied dance under Jia Ruskaja. In 1936, she became the companion of the poet Salvatore Quasimodo, with whom she had a son, Alessandro. In 1937, she made her professional debut as a dancer, and shortly later she specialized in "poetic dance", a personal style in which dance was combined with poetic verses. She was married to Quasimodo from 1948 to 1960. In the meanwhile, Cumani Quasimodo started a double career as a choreographer and a stage and film character actress. Shortly before her death, she released an autobiography, L'arte del silenzio, which particularly focuses on her years alongside Salvatore Quasimodo. - Wiki