Russian ballerinas with world fame (11 photos). No worse than Matilda: Ballerinas of the past, about which you can make a scandalous film The highest ballerinas in the world
Alonso Alicia(b. 1921), Cuban prima ballerina The dancer of a romantic warehouse, was especially magnificent in "Giselle". In 1948, she founded the Alicia Alonso Ballet in Cuba, later called the National Ballet of Cuba. The stage life of Alonso herself was very long, she stopped performing at the age of more than sixty years.
Andreyanova Elena Ivanovna(1819-1857), Russian ballerina, the largest representative of the romantic ballet. The first performer of the title roles in the ballets "Giselle" and "Paquita". Many choreographers created roles in their ballets especially for Andreyanova.
Ashton Frederick(1904-1988), English choreographer and director of the Royal Ballet of Great Britain in 1963-1970. On the performances that he staged, several generations of English ballet dancers grew up. Ashton's style determined the features of the English ballet school.
Balanchine George(Georgy Melitonovich Balanchivadze, 1904-1983), an outstanding Russian-American choreographer of the 20th century, an innovator. He was convinced that the dance does not need the help of a literary plot, scenery and costumes, and most importantly, the interaction of music and dance. Balanchine's influence on world ballet is hard to overestimate. His legacy includes more than 400 works.
Baryshnikov Mikhail Nikolaevich(b. 1948), dancer of the Russian school. His virtuoso classical technique and purity of style made Baryshnikov one of the most famous representatives of male dance in the 20th century. After graduating from the Leningrad Choreographic School, Baryshnikov was accepted into the ballet troupe of the Opera and Ballet Theater named after S.M. Kirov and soon performed the leading classical parts. In June 1974, while on tour with the Bolshoi Theater Company in Toronto, Baryshnikov refused to return to the USSR. In 1978 he joined the troupe of J. Balanchine "New York City Balle", and in 1980 he became the artistic director of "American Ballet Theater" and remained in this position until 1989. In 1990, Baryshnikov and choreographer Mark Morris founded the White Oak Dance Project, which eventually developed into a large traveling troupe with a modern repertoire. Baryshnikov's awards include gold medals at international ballet competitions.
Bejart Maurice(b. 1927), French choreographer, born in Marseille. He founded the troupe "Ballet of the XX century" and became one of the most popular and influential choreographers in Europe. In 1987 he moved his troupe to Lausanne (Switzerland) and changed its name to "Béjart Ballet in Lausanne".
Blasis Carlo(1797-1878), Italian dancer, choreographer and teacher. Directed the dance school at the La Scala theater in Milan. Author of two well-known works on classical dance: "Treatise on Dance" and "Code of Terpsichore". In the 1860s he worked in Moscow, at the Bolshoi Theater and the ballet school.
Bournonville August(1805-1879), Danish teacher and choreographer, was born in Copenhagen, where his father worked as a choreographer. In 1830 he headed the ballet of the Royal Theater and staged many performances. They are carefully preserved by many generations of Danish artists.
Vasiliev Vladimir Viktorovich(b. 1940), Russian dancer and choreographer. After graduating from the Moscow Choreographic School, he worked in the troupe of the Bolshoi Theater. Possessing a rare gift of plastic transformation, he had an unusually wide range of creativity. His performing style is noble and courageous. Winner of many international awards and prizes. He was repeatedly named the best dancer of the era. The highest achievements in the field of male dance are associated with his name. Permanent partner of E.Maximova.
Vestris Auguste(1760-1842), French dancer. His creative life was extremely successful at the Paris Opera until the revolution of 1789. He then emigrated to London. He is also famous as a teacher: among his students are J. Perrot, A. Bournonville, Maria Taglioni. Vestris, the greatest dancer of his era, who owned a virtuoso technique and a big jump, had the title of "god of dance".
Geltser Ekaterina Vasilievna(1876-1962), Russian dancer. The first of the ballet dancers was awarded the title of "People's Artist of the RSFSR". A bright representative of the Russian school of classical dance. In her performance, she combined lightness and swiftness with breadth and softness of movements.
Goleizovsky Kasyan Yaroslavovich(1892-1970), Russian choreographer. Participant of the innovative experiments of Fokine and Gorsky. Musicality and rich imagination determined the originality of his art. In his work, he sought the modern sound of classical dance.
Gorsky Alexander Alekseevich(1871-1924), Russian choreographer and teacher, ballet reformer. He strove to overcome the conventions of academic ballet, replaced pantomime with dance, and achieved historical authenticity in the design of the performance. A significant phenomenon was the ballet "Don Quixote" in his production, which to this day is in the repertoire of ballet theaters around the world.
Grigorovich Yuri Nikolaevich(b. 1927), Russian choreographer. For many years he was the chief choreographer of the Bolshoi Theatre, where he staged the ballets Spartacus, Ivan the Terrible and The Golden Age, as well as his own versions of ballets from the classical heritage. His wife, Natalia Bessmertnova, performed in many of them. He made a great contribution to the development of Russian ballet.
Grisi Carlotta(1819-1899), Italian ballerina, the first performer of the role of Giselle. She performed in all the capitals of Europe and at the St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theatre. Distinguished by her extraordinary beauty, she possessed in equal measure the passion of Fanny Elsler and the lightness of Maria Taglioni.
Danilova Alexandra Dionisievna(1904-1997), Russian-American ballerina. In 1924 she left Russia with J. Balanchine. She was a ballerina with Diaghilev's troupe until his death, then she danced with the Russian Ballet of Monte Carlo. She did a lot for the development of classical ballet in the West.
De Valois Ninet(b. 1898), English dancer, choreographer. In 1931 she founded the Vic Wells ballet company, which later became known as the Royal Ballet.
Didlo Charles Louis(1767-1837), French choreographer and teacher. For a long time he worked in St. Petersburg, where he staged more than 40 ballets. His activities in Russia helped to promote Russian ballet to one of the first places in Europe.
Joffrey Robert(1930-1988), American dancer and choreographer. In 1956 he founded the troupe "Joffrey balle".
Duncan Isadora(1877-1927), American dancer One of the founders of modern dance. Duncan put forward the slogan: "Freedom of body and spirit gives rise to creative thought." She sharply opposed the school of classical dance and advocated the development of mass schools, where children in dance would learn the beauty of the natural movements of the human body. Ancient Greek frescoes and sculpture served as an ideal for Duncan. She replaced the traditional ballet costume with a light Greek tunic and danced without shoes. Hence the name "sandal dance". Duncan improvised with talent, her plasticity consisted of walking, running on half-fingered feet, light jumps and expressive gestures. At the beginning of the 20th century, the dancer was very popular. In 1922 she married poet S. Yesenin and took Soviet citizenship. However, in 1924 she left the USSR. Duncan's art has undoubtedly influenced contemporary choreography.
Diaghilev Sergei Pavlovich(1872-1929), Russian theatrical figure, ballet impresario, head of the famous Russian Ballet. In an effort to acquaint Western Europe with Russian art, Diaghilev organized in Paris in 1907 an exhibition of Russian painting and a series of concerts, and in the next season a staging of a number of Russian operas. In 1909, he assembled a troupe consisting of dancers from the Imperial Theaters, and during his summer vacation he took them to Paris, where he spent the first "Russian Season", in which such dancers as A.P. Pavlova, T.P. Karsavina, M.M. Fokin, V.F. Nijinsky. The "Season", which was a huge success and stunned the audience with its novelty, became a real triumph of Russian ballet and, of course, had a huge impact on the subsequent development of world choreography. In 1911, Diaghilev created a permanent troupe, the Russian Ballet of Diaghilev, which existed until 1929. He chose ballet as a conductor of new ideas in art and saw in it a synthesis of modern music, painting and choreography. Diaghilev was the inspiration for the creation of new masterpieces and a skillful discoverer of talents.
Ermolaev Alexey Nikolaevich(1910-1975), dancer, choreographer, teacher. One of the brightest representatives of the Russian ballet school of the 20-40s of the twentieth century. Ermolaev destroyed the stereotype of a courteous and gallant cavalier dancer, changed the idea of the possibilities of male dance and brought it to a new level of virtuosity. His performance of the parts of the classical repertoire was unexpected and deep, and the very manner of dancing was unusually expressive. As a teacher, he trained many outstanding dancers.
Ivanov Lev Ivanovich(1834-1901), Russian choreographer, choreographer of the Mariinsky Theatre. Together with M. Petipa he staged the ballet "Swan Lake", the author of the "swan" acts - the second and fourth. The genius of his production has stood the test of time: almost all choreographers who turn to "Swan Lake" leave the "swan acts" intact.
Istomina Avdotya Ilyinichna(1799-1848), leading dancer of the Petersburg Ballet. She had a rare stage charm, grace, and virtuoso dance technique. In 1830, due to illness in her legs, she switched to mime parts, and in 1836 she left the stage. Pushkin in "Eugene Onegin" has lines dedicated to her:
Brilliant, half-air,
obedient to the magic bow,
Surrounded by a crowd of nymphs
Worth Istomin; she,
One foot touching the floor
Another slowly circles
And suddenly a jump, and suddenly it flies,
It flies like fluff from the mouth of Eol;
Now the camp will soviet, then it will develop
And he beats his leg with a quick leg.
Camargo Marie(1710-1770), French ballerina. She became famous for her virtuoso dance, performing at the Paris Opera. The first of the women began to perform cabrioles and entrecha, previously considered an exclusively male dance technique. She also shortened her skirts so she could move more freely.
Karsavina Tamara Platonovna(1885-1978), leading ballerina of the St. Petersburg Imperial Ballet. She performed in the Diaghilev troupe from the first performances and was often a partner of Vaslav Nijinsky. The first performer in many of Fokine's ballets.
Kirkland Gelsey(b. 1952), American ballet dancer Extremely gifted, she received leading roles from J. Balanchine as a teenager. In 1975, at the invitation of Mikhail Baryshnikov, she joined the American Ballet Theater troupe. She was considered the best performer of the role of Giselle in the United States.
Kilian Jiri(b. 1947), Czech dancer and choreographer. Since 1970 he has danced with the Stuttgart Ballet, where he performed his first productions, since 1978 he has been the head of the Dutch Dance Theatre, which, thanks to him, has won world fame. His ballets are staged in all countries of the world, they are distinguished by a special style, based mainly on adagio and emotionally rich sculptural constructions. The influence of his work on modern ballet is very great.
Kolpakova Irina Alexandrovna(b. 1933), Russian ballerina. Danced at the Opera and Ballet Theatre. CM. Kirov. Classical style ballerina, one of the best performers of the role of Aurora in Sleeping Beauty. In 1989, at the invitation of Baryshnikov, she became a teacher at the American Ballet Theater.
Cranko John(1927-1973), South African-born English choreographer. His productions of multi-act narrative ballets gained great fame. From 1961 until the end of his life he directed the Stuttgart Ballet.
Kshesinskaya Matilda Feliksovna(1872-1971), Russian artist, teacher. She had a bright artistic personality. Her dance was distinguished by bravura, cheerfulness, coquettishness and at the same time classical completeness. In 1929 she opened her studio in Paris. Prominent foreign dancers took lessons from Kshesinskaya, including I. Shovire and M. Fontaine.
Lepeshinskaya Olga Vasilievna(b.1916), Russian dancer. In 1933-1963 she worked at the Bolshoi Theatre. She had brilliant technique. Her performance was distinguished by temperament, emotional richness, precise movements.
Liepa Maris Eduardovich(1936-1989), Russian dancer. Liepa's dance was distinguished by a courageous, confident manner, breadth and strength of movements, clarity, sculptural drawing. The thoughtfulness of all the details of the role and the bright theatricality made him one of the most interesting "dancing actors" of the ballet theater. The best role of Liepa was the role of Crassus in the ballet "Spartacus" by A. Khachaturian, for which he received the Lenin Prize.
Makarova Natalia Romanovna(b.1940), dancer. In 1959-1970 she was an artist of the Opera and Ballet Theatre. CM. Kirov. Unique plastic data, perfect craftsmanship, external grace and inner passion - all this is characteristic of her dance. Since 1970, the ballerina has been living and working abroad. The work of Makarova multiplied the glory of the Russian school and influenced the development of foreign choreography.
Macmillan Kenneth(1929-1992), English dancer and choreographer. After the death of F. Ashton, he was recognized as the most influential choreographer in England. Macmillan's style is a combination of the classical school with a more freestyle, flexible and acrobatic style developed in Europe.
Maksimova Ekaterina Sergeevna(b. 1939), Russian ballerina. She joined the troupe of the Bolshoi Theater in 1958, where Galina Ulanova rehearsed with her, and soon began to play leading roles. He has great stage charm, filigree sharpness and purity of dance, grace, elegance of plasticity. Comedy colors, subtle lyricism and drama are equally accessible to her.
Markova Alicia(b. 1910), English ballerina As a teenager, she danced in the Diaghilev troupe. One of the most famous performers of the role of Giselle, she was distinguished by the exceptional lightness of her dance.
Messerer Asaf Mikhailovich(1903-1992), Russian dancer, choreographer, teacher. He began to study at the ballet school at the age of sixteen. Very soon he became a classical virtuoso dancer of an unusual style. Constantly increasing the complexity of movements, he brought energy, athletic strength and passion into them. On stage, he seemed like a flying athlete. At the same time, he had a bright comedic gift and a kind of artistic humor. He became especially famous as a teacher, since 1946 he taught a class for leading dancers and ballerinas at the Bolshoi Theater.
Messerer Shulamith Mikhailovna(b.1908), Russian dancer, teacher. Sister of A. M. Messerer. In 1926-1950 she was an actress at the Bolshoi Theatre. A dancer with an unusually wide repertoire, she performed parts from lyrical to dramatic and tragic ones. Since 1980 he has been living abroad, teaching in different countries.
Moiseev Igor Alexandrovich(b.1906), Russian choreographer. In 1937 he created the USSR Folk Dance Ensemble, which became an outstanding phenomenon in the history of world dance culture. The choreographic suites staged by him are real examples of folk dance. Moiseev is an honorary member of the Academy of Dance in Paris.
Myasin Leonid Fedorovich(1895-1979), Russian choreographer and dancer. Studied at the Moscow Imperial Ballet School. In 1914 he joined the ballet troupe of S.P. Diaghilev and made his debut in the Russian Seasons. Myasin's talent - a choreographer and a characteristic dancer - developed rapidly, and soon the dancer gained worldwide fame. After the death of Diaghilev, Myasin headed the troupe "Russian Ballet of Monte Carlo".
Nijinsky Vaclav Fomich(1889-1950), an outstanding Russian dancer and choreographer. At the age of 18 he played the main roles at the Mariinsky Theatre. In 1908, Nijinsky met S. P. Diaghilev, who invited him as a leading dancer to participate in the "Russian Ballet Season" in 1909. The Parisian audience enthusiastically greeted the brilliant dancer with his exotic appearance and amazing technique. Then Nijinsky returned to the Mariinsky Theatre, but was soon dismissed (he came out in a too revealing costume in the play Giselle, which the Empress Dowager visited) and became a permanent member of the Diaghilev troupe. Soon he tried his hand as a choreographer and replaced Fokine in this post. Nijinsky was the idol of all Europe. His dance combined strength and lightness, he amazed the audience with his breathtaking jumps. It seemed to many that the dancer freezes in the air. He had a wonderful gift of reincarnation and extraordinary mimic abilities. On the stage, Nijinsky radiated a powerful magnetism, although in everyday life he was timid and silent. The full disclosure of his talent was prevented by mental illness (beginning in 1917, he was under the supervision of doctors).
Nijinska Bronislava Fominichna(1891-1972), Russian dancer and choreographer, sister of Vaslav Nijinsky. She was an artist of the Diaghilev troupe, and since 1921 - a choreographer. Her productions, modern in theme and choreography, are now considered classics of ballet art.
Nover Jean Georges(1727-1810), French choreographer and dance theorist. In the famous "Letters on Dance and Ballets" he outlined his views on ballet as an independent performance with a plot and developed action. Nover introduced a serious dramatic content into the ballet and established new laws of stage action. Behind the scenes is considered the "father" of modern ballet.
Nureyev Rudolf Khametovich(also Nuriev, 1938-1993), dancer. After graduating from the Leningrad Choreographic School, he became the leading soloist of the ballet troupe of the Opera and Ballet Theatre. CM. Kirov. In 1961, while on tour with the theater in Paris, Nureyev asked for political asylum. In 1962, he performed in the London Royal Ballet's Giselle in a duet with Margot Fontaine. Nureyev and Fontaine are the most famous ballet couple of the 1960s. In the late 1970s, Nureyev turned to modern dance and acted in films. From 1983 to 1989 he was director of the Paris Opera Ballet Company.
Pavlova Anna Pavlovna(Matveevna, 1881-1931), one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century. Immediately after graduating from the St. Petersburg Theater School, she made her debut on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater, where her talent quickly gained recognition. She became a soloist, and in 1906 she was transferred to the highest category - the category of prima ballerina. In the same year, Pavlova connected her life with Baron V.E. Dandre. She participated in performances of Diaghilev's "Russian Ballet" in Paris and London. Pavlova's last performance in Russia took place in 1913, then she settled in England and toured with her own troupe around the world. An outstanding actress, Pavlova was a lyrical ballerina, she was distinguished by musicality and psychological content. Her image is usually associated with the image of a dying swan in a ballet number, which was created especially for Pavlova by Mikhail Fokin, one of her first partners. Glory to Pavlova is legendary. Her selfless service to dance aroused worldwide interest in choreography and gave impetus to the revival of foreign ballet theater.
Perrot Jules(1810-1892), French dancer and choreographer of the Romantic era. Was the partner of Marie Taglioni at the Paris Opera. In the mid-1830s he met Carlotta Grisi, for whom he staged (together with Jean Coralli) the ballet Giselle, the most famous of the romantic ballets.
Petit Roland(b. 1924), French choreographer. He headed several companies, including the Ballet de Paris, the Ballet Roland Petit and the National Ballet of Marseille. His performances - both romantic and comedy - always bear the imprint of the bright personality of the author.
Petipa Marius(1818-1910), French artist and choreographer, worked in Russia. The greatest choreographer of the second half of the 19th century, he headed the St. Petersburg Imperial Ballet Company, where he staged over 50 performances that became examples of the "grand ballet" style that was formed in Russia in this era. It was he who proved that composing ballet music in no way degrades the dignity of a serious musician. Collaboration with Tchaikovsky became a source of inspiration for Petipa, from which brilliant works were born, and above all "Sleeping Beauty", where he reached the heights of perfection.
Plisetskaya Maya Mikhailovna(b.1925), an outstanding dancer of the second half of the 20th century, who went down in the history of ballet with her phenomenal creative longevity. Even before graduating from college, Plisetskaya danced solo parts at the Bolshoi Theater. Very quickly becoming famous, she created a unique style - graphic, distinguished by grace, sharpness and completeness of each gesture and pose, each individual movement and choreographic drawing as a whole. The ballerina has the rare talent of a tragic ballet actress, a phenomenal leap, expressive plastique and a keen sense of rhythm. Her performing style is characterized by technical virtuosity, expressive hands and a strong acting temperament. Plisetskaya is the first performer of many parts in the ballets of the Bolshoi Theater. Since 1942, she has been dancing the miniature of M. Fokine "The Dying Swan", which has become a symbol of her unique art.
How choreographer Plisetskaya staged R.K. Shchedrin "Anna Karenina", "The Seagull" and "Lady with a Dog", playing the main roles in them. She starred in many ballet films, as well as in feature films as a dramatic actress. She was awarded many international prizes, including the Anna Pavlova Prize, the French Orders of the Commander and the Legion of Honor. She was awarded the title of Doctor of the Sorbonne. Since 1990, he has been performing with concert programs abroad, teaching master classes. Since 1994, the international competition "Maya" dedicated to the work of Plisetskaya has been held in St. Petersburg.
Rubinstein Ida Lvovna(1885-1960), Russian dancer. Participated in the "Russian Seasons" abroad, then organized her own troupe. She had expressive external data, plasticity of gesture. Several ballets were specially written for her, including "Bolero" by M. Ravel.
Salle Marie(1707-1756), French ballerina, performed at the Paris Opera. Rival of Marie Camargo. Her dance style, graceful and full of feeling, differed from Camargo's technical virtuosity.
Semenova Marina Timofeevna(1908-1998), dancer, teacher. Semenova's contribution to the history of the Russian ballet theater is extraordinary: it was she who made a breakthrough into the unknown spheres of classical ballet. The almost superhuman energy of her movements gave her dance a new dimension, pushing the limits of virtuoso technique. At the same time, she was feminine in every movement, every gesture. Her roles struck with artistic brilliance, drama and depth.
Spesivtseva Olga Alexandrovna(1895-1991), Russian dancer. Worked at the Mariinsky Theater and Diaghilev's Russian Ballet. Spesivtseva's dance was distinguished by sharp graphic poses, perfection of lines, airy lightness. Her heroines, far from the real world, were marked by exquisite, fragile beauty and spirituality. Her gift was most fully manifested in the role of Giselle. The party was built on contrasts and fundamentally differed from the performance of this image by the largest ballerinas of that time. Spesivtseva was the last ballerina of the traditional romantic style. In 1937 she left the stage due to illness.
Taglioni Maria(1804-1884), representative of the Italian ballet dynasty of the 19th century. Under the guidance of her father, Filippo, she was engaged in dancing, although her physical data did not quite fit the chosen profession: her arms seemed too long, and some claimed that she was stooped. Maria first performed at the Paris Opera in 1827, but achieved success in 1832, when she performed the main role in the ballet La Sylphide staged by her father, which later became the symbol of Taglioni and all romantic ballet. Before Maria Taglioni, pretty ballerinas captivated the audience with their virtuoso dance technique and feminine charm. Taglioni, by no means a beauty, created a new type of ballerina - spiritualized and mysterious. In "La Sylphide" she embodied the image of an unearthly being, personifying an ideal, an unattainable dream of beauty. In a flowing white dress, taking off in light jumps and freezing at her fingertips, Taglioni became the first ballerina to use pointe shoes and make them an integral part of classical ballet. All the capitals of Europe admired her. In her old age, Maria Taglioni, lonely and impoverished, taught dance and good manners to the children of the London nobles.
Tolchif Maria(b. 1925), prominent American ballerina She performed mainly in troupes headed by J. Balanchine. In 1980, she founded the Chicago City Ballet troupe, which she led throughout the years of its existence - until 1987.
Ulanova Galina Sergeevna(1910-1998), Russian ballerina. Her work was characterized by a rare harmony of all expressive means. She gave spirituality even to a simple, everyday movement. Even at the very beginning of Ulanova's career, critics wrote about the complete unity in her performance of dance technique, dramatic acting and plasticity. Galina Sergeevna performed the main roles in the ballets of the traditional repertoire. Her highest achievements were the roles of Mary in the Fountain of Bakhchisarai and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet.
Fokin Mikhail Mikhailovich(1880-1942), Russian choreographer and dancer. Overcoming ballet traditions, Fokine sought to get away from the generally accepted ballet costume, stereotypical gestures and routine construction of ballet numbers. In ballet technique, he saw not an end, but a means of expression. In 1909, Diaghilev invited Fokine to become the choreographer of the "Russian Season" in Paris. The result of this union is world fame that accompanied Fokine until the end of his days. He has staged more than 70 ballets in the best theaters in Europe and America. Fokine's productions are still being revived by the world's leading ballet companies.
Fontaine Margot(1919-1991), English prima ballerina, one of the most celebrated dancers of the 20th century. She started ballet at the age of five. She made her debut in 1934 and quickly attracted attention. Fontaine's performance of the role of Aurora in "Sleeping Beauty" glorified her throughout the world. In 1962, Fonteyn's successful partnership with R.H. Nureyev. The performances of this couple became a real triumph of ballet art. Since 1954 Fontaine has been President of the Royal Academy of Dance. Awarded the Order of the British Empire.
Cecchetti Enrico(1850-1928), Italian dancer and teacher. He developed his own pedagogical method, in which he achieved the maximum development of dance technique. He taught at the St. Petersburg Theater School. Among his students were Anna Pavlova, Tamara Karsavina, Mikhail Fokin, Vatslav Nijinsky. His teaching method is described in the work "Textbook on the theory and practice of classical theatrical dance".
Elsler Fanny(1810-1884), Austrian ballerina of the Romantic era. Taglioni's rival, she was distinguished by drama, passionate temperament and was a great actress.
In conclusion, I would like to quote the words of our outstanding ballerina Maya Plisetskaya, said by her in an interview: “I think that ballet is an art with a great and exciting future. It will certainly live, seek, develop. It will certainly change. But exactly how, in which direction it will go, is difficult to predict with all accuracy. into art, their devotion to the theater can make miracles. And what these "miracles" of the ballet of the future will turn out to be, life itself will decide."
Ballet is called an integral part of the art of our country. Russian ballet is considered the most authoritative in the world, the standard. This review contains the success stories of five great Russian ballerinas, whom they still look up to.
Anna Pavlova
Outstanding Ballerina Anna Pavlova was born in a family far from art. The desire to dance appeared in her at the age of 8 after the girl saw the ballet performance of Sleeping Beauty. At the age of 10, Anna Pavlova was accepted into the Imperial Theater School, and after graduation, into the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater.
Curiously, the aspiring ballerina was not put into the corps de ballet, but immediately began to give her responsible roles in productions. Anna Pavlova danced under the guidance of several choreographers, but the most successful and fruitful tandem, which had a fundamental influence on her style of performance, turned out with Mikhail Fokin.
Anna Pavlova supported the bold ideas of the choreographer and readily agreed to experiments. The miniature "The Dying Swan", which later became the hallmark of the Russian ballet, was almost impromptu. In this production, Fokine gave the ballerina more freedom, allowed her to feel the mood of The Swan on her own, to improvise. In one of the first reviews, the critic admired what he saw: “If it is possible for a ballerina on stage to imitate the movements of the noblest of birds, then this has been achieved:”.
Galina Ulanova
The fate of Galina Ulanova was predetermined from the very beginning. The girl's mother worked as a ballet teacher, so Galina, even if she really wanted to, she could not bypass the ballet barre. Years of grueling training led to the fact that Galina Ulanova became the most titled artist in the Soviet Union.
After graduating from the choreographic college in 1928, Ulanova was accepted into the ballet troupe of the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theatre. From the very first performances, the young ballerina attracted the attention of viewers and critics. A year later, Ulanova was entrusted to perform the leading part of Odette-Odile in Swan Lake. Giselle is considered one of the triumphant roles of the ballerina. Performing the scene of the heroine's madness, Galina Ulanova did it so soulfully and selflessly that even the men in the hall could not hold back their tears.
Galina Ulanova reached . She was imitated, the teachers of the leading ballet schools of the world demanded that the students do steps “like Ulanova”. The famous ballerina is the only one in the world to whom monuments were erected during her lifetime.
Galina Ulanova danced on stage until the age of 50. She has always been strict and demanding of herself. Even in old age, the ballerina started every morning with classes and weighed 49 kg.
Olga Lepeshinskaya
For passionate temperament, sparkling technique and precision of movements Olga Lepeshinskaya nicknamed "Dragonfly Jumper". The ballerina was born into a family of engineers. From early childhood, the girl literally raved about dancing, so her parents had no choice but to send her to the ballet school at the Bolshoi Theater.
Olga Lepeshinskaya easily coped with both the classics of ballet ("Swan Lake", "Sleeping Beauty"), and with modern productions ("Red Poppy", "Flame of Paris".) During the Great Patriotic War, Lepeshinskaya fearlessly performed at the front, raising the morale of the soldiers.
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Olga Lepeshinskaya -
ballerina with passionate temperament. | Photo: www.etoretro.ru.
Despite the fact that the ballerina was Stalin's favorite and had many awards, she was very demanding of herself. Already at an advanced age, Olga Lepeshinskaya said that her choreography could not be called outstanding, but "natural technique and fiery temperament" made her inimitable.
Maya Plisetskaya
Maya Plisetskaya- Another outstanding ballerina, whose name is inscribed in golden letters in the history of Russian ballet. When the future artist was 12 years old, she was adopted by her aunt Shulamith Messerer. Plisetskaya's father was shot, and her mother and little brother were sent to Kazakhstan to a camp for the wives of traitors to the Motherland.
Aunt Plisetskaya was a Bolshoi ballerina, so Maya also began attending choreography classes. The girl achieved great success in this field and after graduating from college she was accepted into the troupe of the Bolshoi Theater.
Inborn artistry, expressive plasticity, Plisetskaya's phenomenal jumps made her a prima ballerina. Maya Plisetskaya performed leading roles in all classical productions. She especially succeeded in tragic images. Also, the ballerina was not afraid of experiments in modern choreography.
After the ballerina was fired from the Bolshoi Theater in 1990, she did not despair and continued to give solo performances. Overflowing energy, and allowed Plisetskaya to make her debut in the production of "Ave Maya" on the day of her 70th birthday.
Ludmila Semenyaka
beautiful ballerina Ludmila Semenyaka performed on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater when she was only 12 years old. A talented talent could not go unnoticed, so after some time Lyudmila Semenyaka was invited to the Bolshoi Theater. Galina Ulanova, who became her mentor, had a significant influence on the ballerina's work.
Semenyaka coped with any part so naturally and naturally that from the outside it seemed as if she was not making any effort, but simply enjoying the dance. In 1976, Lyudmila Ivanovna was awarded the Anna Pavlova Prize from the Paris Academy of Dance.
In the late 1990s, Lyudmila Semenyaka announced her retirement as a ballerina, but continued her activities as a teacher. Since 2002, Lyudmila Ivanovna has been a teacher-repetiteur at the Bolshoi Theater.
But he mastered the art of ballet in Russia, and performed in the USA for most of his life.
Stage of the Bolshoi Theatre. Photo - Vladimir Vyatkin
March 28 marked the anniversary of the Bolshoi Theatre. We are talking about the prima ballerinas who are shining on the famous stage today.
Maria Alexandrova
The name of the People's Artist of the Russian Federation Maria Alexandrova in the poster is an undoubted guarantee of a full house.
The ballerina came to the Bolshoi Theater back in 1997, becoming the laureate of the first prize in an international competition. And almost immediately she moved from the corps de ballet artists to the rank of leading soloists.
For 20 years now, not a single theater season has been complete without her participation.
All the heroines of the prima are the owners of a difficult character, strong-willed and strong women. Today at the Bolshoi Theater you can see Alexandrova in the image of Ondine from A Hero of Our Time and in the title role of Giselle, edited by Grigorovich.
Svetlana Zakharova
Svetlana Zakharova first performed on the stage of the St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theatre, but on the rise of her career, she was not afraid to start all over again and move to the Bolshoi.
Since 2003, the artist has been performing in Moscow, and in 2008 she even became the prima ballerina of the famous La Scala theater in Milan. We can say that Zakharova managed to dance all the solo parts of cult ballets, including Giselle, Swan Lake, La Bayadere, Carmen Suite.
But, despite the world fame, the prima remains devoted to the Bolshoi Theater, and her last work is Mary in the ballet "Hero of Our Time".
Evgenia Obraztsova
Another former prima of the Mariinsky, and since 2011 the star of the Bolshoi Theater is Evgenia Obraztsova.
An elegant, fragile girl is the ideal heroine of all romantic fairy tales, so behind her shoulders are such gentle images as Sylphide, Giselle, La Bayadère, Princess Aurora, Cinderella, Juliet.
However, the ballerina does not seek to limit herself to a narrow role: the main thing for her is to dance in such a way that the audience believes what they see on stage. Obraztsova tours a lot and even starred in foreign films.
Ekaterina Shipulina
Ekaterina Shipulina is one of the most sought-after ballerinas in Russia today. After graduating from the Moscow State Academy of Choreography, she was accepted into the troupe of the Bolshoi Theater, where she managed to work with absolutely all the choreographers.
Critics note Shipulina's desire for absolute precision in performance. The star's repertoire includes dozens of leading roles: Odette-Odile in Swan Lake, Esmeralda in Notre Dame Cathedral, Giselle in Giselle.
Today, I can be seen on the stage of the Bolshoi in the image of Ondine in the ballet "Hero of Our Time".
Ekaterina Krysanova
The biography of this prima may surprise many, because the first education of Ekaterina Krysanova was not choreographic.
First, the famous ballerina studied at the Moscow Center for Opera Singing. Vishnevskaya and only after that she entered the Moscow Academy of Choreography. She did not receive the status of prima immediately, but after participating in the ballet Sleeping Beauty, she once and for all became the favorite of the audience and theater critics.
The last work of Krysanova at the Bolshoi Theater was the Russian Seasons and the role of the Parisian ballerina Koralie in Lost Illusions.
Nina Kaptsova
Nina Kaptsova in 1996, immediately after graduating from the Moscow State Academy of Choreography, was accepted into the troupe of the Bolshoi Theater. She was an excellent student from childhood and was not used to working at full speed.
The result of hard training is obvious: in 2011, Kaptsova received the title of prima of the Bolshoi. After that, she consolidated her success with leading roles in ballets: Emeralds, Ivan the Terrible, Onegin. Today, the prima ballerina can be seen on the stage of the Bolshoi in the image of Marguerite Gauthier in The Lady of the Camellias, as well as in the Classical Symphony.
Is ballet the secret to longevity?Photo: State Library of Queensland (1938)
Girls at the exam at the Royal Academy of Dance (London)
Maya Plisetskaya, born in 1925 89 years old, alive and well 
I was reading a magazine here and was surprised to find that Maya Plisetskaya is already under 90! And she still looks pretty good. In the same magazine, the years of life of several more famous ballerinas were indicated, and so many of them managed to "pass" the 80-year milestone!
I started digging further. I chose from Wikipedia only Russian and Soviet ballerinas who lived for more than 80 years, and it turned out that there were enough of them for three posts - 70 percent of ballerinas from the list of prima ballerinas of the Mariinsky Theater! I had to filter out those who are over 85. Now I will show them and tell you a few words.
Alexandra Kemmerer (1842-1931). 89 years old 
She shone in the "Mariinsky" when "Russophile" ballets came into fashion - with kokoshniks and balalaikas. She raised her adopted daughter, even married her to Count Orlov. She didn't seem to have a family.
Ekaterina Vazem (1848-1937), aged 89 
She performed at the Mariinsky Theater simultaneously with Kemmerer
One of the highest paid ballerinas of the time. They said that her manner was a bit cold, but the dance was precise and technical. She was married twice, gave birth to a son - the future critic Nil Nasilov.
Matilda Kshesinskaya, 1872-1971 (aged 99) 
You know this one. A virtuoso ballerina and a well-deserved prima, she went down in history not only because of this: Matilda had a fairly close friendship with the Romanovs. With the male part. Very close. She began, as they suggest, with the brother of the future tsar, George Alexandrovich, then switched to the crown prince himself, and when he married Alice of Hesse, she began to “be friends” with his cousins - first with Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich (she gave birth to a son), and then with Andrei Mikhailovich. True, she stopped there, and Prince Andrei even married her, adopting an actual nephew. Malechka died in exile at a very old age. She was tiny at all - 1.53 m tall. And as for me, it’s an amateur lady.
Olga Preobrazhenskaya (1871-1962), 91 years old 
She shared the stage with Kshesinskaya, almost her age and eternal rival. Even in longevity, they seem to have competed. 30 years on stage, performed at La Scala. 40 years of teaching. She died in exile.
Tamara Karsavina (1885-1978) 93 years old 
Not "Karsavina" she should have a surname, but "Krasavina" - a very beautiful woman! And not as "sociable" as Kshesinskaya. She married an English diplomat and left with him after the revolution in England. She performed with Dyagelev, often her partner was Nijinsky.
Lyubov Chernysheva (1890-1976), 86 years old 
Soloist of the Diaghilev troupe, and then the Monte Carlo Ballet, spent most of her life abroad. She was married to Diaghilev's assistant Grigoriev, but flirted with everyone recklessly, she changed lovers at the speed of sound, for which Diagelev himself called her "burning panties." And what? The lady is very attractive!
Olga Spesivtseva (1895-1991) 96 years old 
Sorrow of the Russian ballet. The unfortunate prima, having ended her career ahead of time, spent 20 years in a psychiatric hospital. Her "Giselle", they say, was inimitable and even frightening. She seems to have driven her crazy. Oddly enough, over time, the ballerina almost recovered, but she remained lonely and broken. A beautiful woman, she was married three times, but, as a result, she was left alone. Look at her good feature film "Giselle's Mania".
Alexandra Danilova (1904-1997), 93 years old 
She also started with Diaghilev, then worked with Balanchine, even at one time she was passionate about him, but George Balanchine preferred another ballerina to her - he married Tamara Zheverzheeva (she is also on the list, below). I taught for a long time. She was described as a very "technical" dancer. She ended her career as a ballerina in 1959, but she appeared on stage more than once in musicals. Her performance in solo pantomime in 1971 (67 years old, if anything!) Made a splash in the press.
Tamara Zheverzheeva (1907-1997), 90 years old 
As already mentioned, the ballerina was married to George Balanchine, but the marriage lasted only three years. Then she got married twice more. She acted in films. Even in her old age she looked very impressive.
Shulamith Messerer (1908 - 2004), 95 years old 
Maya Plisetskaya's aunt and adoptive mother - Maya's father was repressed, and her mother was sent into exile.
Sulamith's parents gave biblical names to all the children in the family (also Rachel and Asaph). She was very optimistic, energetic and cheerful woman. They say that the ballerina is the most talented - technical, artistic and temperamental. In addition to ballet, she went in for swimming and managed to become a two-time champion at the All-Union Spartakiad. Emigrated in the 1980s.
Marina Semyonova (1908-2010), 101 years old (!!!) 
Star of the Leningrad Ballet, performed in Paris at the invitation of Serge Lifar. More famous as a ballet teacher. And also, as a teacher of ballet teachers.
The first marriage with the ballet dancer Viktor Semenov was short-lived, but the second husband was repressed. My daughter was also a ballerina.
Galina Ulanova (1909-1998), 88 years old 
The main ballerina of the Soviet Union. Childfree, claimed that she spent her whole life in blinders, seeing nothing around except ballet. But at the same time she managed to get married three times.
Natalya Dudinskaya (1912-2003), 90 years old 
4 Stalin Prizes! It was hard for her to compete with Ulanova, but the ballet directors considered her special style: she was especially good in heroic roles. Sharp, energetic, with powerful rotations, Natalya performed for a long time - the last time she appeared on stage in “age” roles at 56, and her technique, they say, was impeccable. I taught for a long time.
Sofia Golovkina (1915-2004), 88 years old 
The talented ballerina is memorable not only for her brilliant solo parts, but also for her teaching activities, and most importantly, for her managerial abilities, as they say now. She led the Moscow Choreographic School for a long time, and even “knocked out” a new building for it.
Olga Lepeshinskaya (1916-2008), 92 years old 
Another winner of 4 Stalin Prizes.
An energetic, precise, technical ballerina. I taught for a long time. She was married three times - once to the director, twice to the generals. Childfree.
Irina Baronova (1919-2008), 89 years old 
Her parents took her away from Russia when she was 2 years old. She performed from the age of 11, and from the age of 13 Balanchine took her to his troupe, she became one of the three famous "baby ballerinas". Having started her career early, she stopped it early - this became a prerequisite for her second husband. She lived in the USA, acted in films a little, then returned to ballet as a teacher. One of her daughters is actress Victoria Tannat.
Marianna Bogolyubskaya (1919-2013), 94 years old 
Universal ballerina - she was able to play a variety of roles. In addition to ballet, she was fond of modeling, made sculptural portraits of her fellow ballerinas. She was married to a ballet dancer.
Marina Svetlova (1922-2009), aged 87 
Actually, her name was Yvette von Hartman. Her parents were Russian emigrants, but Yvetta Marina herself never lived in Russia. But Russian ballerinas taught her. She began her career in the troupe of Ida Rubinstein, then performed at Balanchine. She taught for a long time, was a professor at Indiana University in the ballet department. There was no family.
Rimma Karelskaya (1927) Lives and is well, 87 years old 
A wonderful virtuoso ballerina who once performed at the Bolshoi Theater. Then there she worked as a teacher and choreographer-repetiteur. Five years ago, she broke her femoral neck, but, it seems, they had an operation and everything worked out.
Olga Moiseeva, (1928) Lives and is well, 85 years old 
One of Vaganova's favorite students. She danced on stage for 26 years and had a special dramatic talent. Then she taught. Still giving lessons, it seems. And always well-groomed and effective.
Alicia Alonso (1920, Cuba). Lives and is well, 93 years old 
And this is a foreigner, a Cuban, but she studied with Russian ballet masters. In fact, the creator of the National Ballet of Cuba. One of the most talented ballerinas living today, despite the fact that she has been almost blind since the age of 19.
Cleo de Merode (1875-1966), 91 
Another "foreign" exception, but it's too good. In addition, being a Parisian, Cleo (or Cleopatra) performed in St. Petersburg during the tour. Oddly enough, Cleo was the offspring of a very noble family. Whether she was a great ballerina, I don’t know, but her extraordinary beauty amazed her contemporaries, the king of Belgium went crazy over her, Degas painted her and sculpted Folgier.
Alicia Markova (1910-2004), 94 
In fact, the ballerina's name was Lillian Alicia Marks and she was an Englishwoman of Jewish origin. She began to dance at the age of 10, at the age of 14 she was accepted into the Diaghilev troupe. He suggested changing his stage name. She shone in the swarms of "Giselle", "Sylphs" and others. She performed until the age of 52. She stood at the foundations of British classical ballet, her merits in the national ballet are comparable to the merits of Margot Fontaine. She was not married.
Now think about what kind of phenomenon this is: crazy loads, the strictest diet, nervous work - envy, theatrical intrigues, ups and downs - and come on, they live almost to 100.
And what's more interesting, male ballerinas barely make it to 60! Well, with rare exceptions: Balanchine lived for 79 years, Marius Petipa - 92, Lifar - 82, Bejart - 80, Asaf Messerer - 88. And the rest - nothing ....
Why is that?
Usually ballerinas are more like “fluffs”, but Ulyana is a large ballerina. Her height is 178 centimeters, her foot size is 41. But with her talent she turned all the shortcomings into virtues - when you see her work on stage, she seems completely weightless. Thin, incredibly elegant and graceful, she usually embodies gentle and lyrical images, such as Giselle.
Prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theatre, winner of the Benois de la Danse award, known worldwide as the Ballet Oscar. In 2008, she received the title of "etoile" (star) from Milan's "La Scala". She performs at the best ballet venues in the world and is distinguished by a wide range of roles - she succeeds in both lyrical and characteristic heroines.
Prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theatre, a very characteristic ballerina with a bright appearance and very beautiful hair. She gained fame thanks to the solo number "Carmen", brilliantly coped with the role of Giselle, and with the most difficult part of Odette-Odile in the production of the American Ballet Theater. She performed the main roles on the stage of La Scala, the Berlin State Ballet and other theaters. Has several solo projects.
Another ballerina with rather atypical physical data - Polina has a fourth breast size, so the costumes for her performances are sewn taking into account her magnificent forms. Costume designers have to suffer before they figure out how to make sure that the chest does not interfere with dancing. But the audience from Polina Simeonova is delighted. Now she mainly dances in the USA and, by agreement, at the Mikhailovsky Theater.
The legendary French ballerina was retired in May, but we couldn't help mentioning her in our selection. The ballerina is 42 years old, but she is still very good. Aurélie joined the Grand Opera company under Rudolf Nureyev, at the age of 16, and stayed in it longer than all the ballerinas of her generation. The turning point in her career was working with the legendary German choreographer Pinou Bausch, who told her: “I chose you for your weakness, not your strength. It's your beauty." In the future, it was on this beautiful weakness that Aurélie emphasized.
Ekaterina Kondaurova
Prima of the Mariinsky Theatre. A ballerina with character, for which she was even compared with Maya Plisetskaya. Ekaterina seems to be created for a bright, passionate, dramatic dance. Incredibly flexible and graceful ballerina. Often performs works by contemporary choreographers. Just like Svetlana Zakharova, she is the owner of the ballet Oscar.
Prima ballerina of the Royal Ballet of Great Britain. Born in Bucharest, she studied ballet in Kyiv. After winning an international ballet competition, she received a scholarship to study at the Royal Ballet School, and later became its soloist. He loves to sing the part from Giselle. One of the interesting roles is in the ballet "Eugene Onegin", where she plays the roles of both Tatyana and Olga.
Young prima of the Mariinsky. At the age of 18, she danced the part of Odette-Odile on the stage of the Vienna Opera. After 6 years, she danced in the same role on the stage of La Scala. A very technical, fast, flexible ballerina, she mainly devotes herself to classical ballet.
