They met in Venice in the Summer of 1931 and were one of the most famous couples of the season. They shared an emotional relationship for two years before Natalie began her affair with Jean Cocteau.
With her husband's affection going to another woman, Natalie searched for consolation. Spending the summer of 1930 in Venice, she embarked on an affair with charismatic dancer Serge Lifar, whose talent was applauded around the world. A former lover of ballet master Serge de Diaghileff, he was the ideal companion for Natalie. Sexually abused as a child, she never considered love other than platonic, a poetic coalescing of two souls instead of two bodies. Their relationship lasted almost two incredible years, until Natalie met another man whose sensibilty and creativity could match Lifar's talent. Again, her choice was strange.
Natalie and Serge met in Venice, in the Summer of 1930. Natalie had been married to Lelong for little over three years and Serge had just seen his career flourish with the ballet "Les Créatures de Prométhée", which he had idealized. It's said that their attraction was immediate.Natalie was attracted to his strong physical build, his charisma, talent and idealism. Serge was subjugated by her beauty and her mysterious life. Their first conversation happened by the grave of Serge de Diaghileff who had died the year before. Diaghileff had been Serge's protector (as well as his lover) and Natalie's father had been one of Diaghileff's patrons.
Natalie was well aware of Serge's homosexual liaisons, but didn't care. Her view of love was something of a ideological feeling. Something in which two people exchanged declarations of love, but never touched. So their relationship was much more of a sentimental than physical one. Lifar himself never spoke of his attachment to Natalie as a liaison,but rather as connection where two people shared a deep understanding of each other.
Serge introduced Natalie into the world of the arts and helped her finding more sides to her personality. They shared an innocent love, mostly during the summers they spent in Venice. It lasted for two years. Although Serge started to feel more dependent of his love for Natalie, she felt unable to to show or feel more emotion than that with which she felt safe. She refused to fall deeper in love with him and made no promises. Eventually Serge had to choose between Natalie and his career and decided that the latter would be more faithful. Yet, they would remain close friends for the rest of their lives.
Latter in his life, Serge would always recall Natalie as one of the three women whom he loved during his entire life. "She had the most beautiful arms in the world", he said.