French dancer and actress Ludmila Tcherina has died in Paris at the age of 79, a family friend has announced. Tcherina, one of the leading ballet dancers of her generation, appeared in several films including The Red Shoes and The Tales Of Hoffmann. In 1960 she became the first western dancer to appear at the Bolshoi theatre in Moscow - where she performed in Adolphe Adams' ballet Giselle. She was also known for her paintings, sculptures and novels. Born Monika Tchemerzine in Paris during October 1924, she was the daughter of an exiled Russian prince and a French mother.