Mia Arbatova

Mia Arbatova (née Hirshwald) (1911 - 1990) was an Israeli ballet dancer and teacher. In Israel, she was one of the leading pioneers of classical ballet.

Arbatova was born in Belorussia in 1911. She was one of three daughters of chemist Ze’ev Hirshwald and Zila Schmulian-Hirshwald. Her father died when she was five.

Arbatova danced as the soloist in the Riga Opera Ballet for several years before she relocated to Palestine in 1938. Arbatova opened her own first ballet studio in a laundryin 1943 in Tel Aviv. Arbatova was honored by the Municipality of Tel Aviv-Jaffa in 1985 with awarding her the title of Honorary Citizen of Tel Aviv for her contributions and continued efforts to the art of dance.

In 1989 Nira Paaz founded a ballet school in Arbatova's name. Arbatova died the

following year, donating her body to science.