Ballerinas of the 20th century. Famous and beautiful ballerinas

The word "ballet" sounds magical. Closing your eyes, you immediately imagine burning lights, chilling music, the rustle of tutus and the light click of pointe shoes on the parquet. This spectacle is inimitably beautiful, it can be safely called a great achievement of man in the pursuit of beauty.

The audience freezes, staring at the stage. The ballet divas amaze with their ease and flexibility, apparently performing complex steps with ease.

The history of this art form is quite deep. The prerequisites for the emergence of ballet appeared in the 16th century. And already from the 19th century, people saw real masterpieces of this art. But what would ballet be without famous ballerinas who made him famous? About these same famous dancers and there will be our story.

Marie Ramberg (1888-1982). Future star born in Poland, into a Jewish family. Her real name is Sivia Rambam, but it was later changed for political reasons. girl with early age I fell in love with dancing, giving myself over to my passion. Marie takes lessons from dancers from the Parisian opera, and soon Diaghilev himself notices her talent. In 1912-1913, the girl danced with the Russian Ballet, taking part in the main productions. Since 1914, Marie moved to England, where she continued to study dance. In 1918, Marie got married. She herself wrote that it was more for fun. However, the marriage turned out to be happy and lasted 41 years. Ramberg was only 22 years old when she opened her own ballet school, the first in the city. The success was so stunning that Maria first organized own company(1926), and then the first permanent ballet company in Great Britain (1930). Her performances become a real sensation, because Ramberg attracts the most talented composers, artists, and dancers to her work. The ballerina took the most Active participation in the creation of the national ballet in England. And the name Marie Ramberg forever entered the history of art.

Anna Pavlova (1881-1931). Anna was born in St. Petersburg, her father was a railway contractor, and her mother worked as a simple laundress. However, the girl was able to enroll in drama school. After graduating, she entered the Mariinsky Theater in 1899. There she received roles in classical productions - “La Bayadère”, “Giselle”, “The Nutcracker”. Pavlova had excellent natural abilities, and she constantly honed her skills. In 1906, she was already the leading ballerina of the theater, but real glory came to Anna in 1907, when she shines in the miniature “The Dying Swan”. Pavlova was supposed to perform at a charity concert, but her partner fell ill. Literally overnight, choreographer Mikhail Fokin staged a new miniature for the ballerina to the music of San-Saens. Since 1910, Pavlova began to tour. Ballerina acquires world fame after participating in the Russian Seasons in Paris. In 1913, she performed within the walls for the last time Mariinsky Theater. Pavlova gathers her own troupe and moves to London. Together with her charges, Anna tours the world with classical ballets by Glazunov and Tchaikovsky. The dancer became a legend during her lifetime, having died on tour in The Hague.

Matilda Kshesinskaya (1872-1971). Despite his Polish name, was born a ballerina near St. Petersburg and has always been considered a Russian dancer. About Us early childhood declared her desire to dance, no one in her family even thought of stopping her from this desire. Matilda brilliantly graduated from the Imperial Theater School, joining the ballet troupe of the Mariinsky Theater. There she became famous for her brilliant performances of the parts of “The Nutcracker”, “Mlada”, and other performances. Kshesinskaya was distinguished by her signature Russian plastic art, into which notes of the Italian school were wedged. It was Matilda who became the favorite of the choreographer Fokine, who used her in his works “Butterflies”, “Eros”, “Eunice”. The role of Esmeralda in the ballet of the same name in 1899 sparked new star on the stage. Since 1904, Kshesinskaya has been touring Europe. she is called the first ballerina of Russia and is honored as the “Generalissimo of Russian ballet.” They say that Kshesinskaya was the favorite of Emperor Nicholas II himself. Historians claim that in addition to talent, the ballerina had an iron character and a strong position. It is she who is credited with the dismissal of the director of the Imperial Theaters, Prince Volkonsky. The revolution had a hard impact on the ballerina; in 1920 she left the exhausted country. Kshesinskaya moved to Venice, but continued to do what she loved. At 64, she was still performing in London's Covent Garden. And the legendary ballerina was buried in Paris.

Agrippina Vaganova (1879-1951). Agrippina's father was a theater conductor at the Mariinsky Theater. However, he was only able to enroll the youngest of his three daughters in ballet school. Soon Yakov Vaganov died, the family had only hope for a future dancer. At school, Agrippina showed herself to be mischievous, constantly receiving bad grades for her behavior. After completing her studies, Vaganova began her career as a ballerina. She was given many third-rate roles in the theater, but they did not satisfy her. The ballerina was spared solo parts, and her appearance was not particularly attractive. Critics wrote that they simply did not see her in the roles of fragile beauties. The makeup didn't help either. The ballerina herself suffered greatly about this. But through hard work, Vaganova achieved supporting roles, and newspapers began to occasionally write about her. Agrippina then took a sharp turn in her fortunes. She got married and gave birth. Returning to ballet, she seemed to rise in the eyes of her superiors. Although Vaganova continued to perform second roles, she achieved mastery in these variations. The ballerina managed to rediscover images that seemed to have been erased by generations of previous dancers. Only in 1911 did Vaganova receive her first solo part. At the age of 36, the ballerina was sent into retirement. She never became famous, but she achieved a lot given her data. In 1921, a choreography school was opened in Leningrad, where Vaganova was invited as one of the teachers. The profession of a choreographer became her main one until the end of her life. In 1934, Vaganova published the book “Fundamentals classical dance"The ballerina devoted the second half of her life to the choreographic school. Nowadays it is the Academy of Dance, named in her honor. Agrippina Vaganova did not become a great ballerina, but her name will forever go down in the history of this art.

Yvette Chauvire (born 1917). This ballerina is a truly sophisticated Parisian. At the age of 10 she began to seriously study dancing at the Grand Opera. Yvette's talent and performance were noted by directors. In 1941, she already became prima of the Opera Garnier. Her debut performances brought her truly worldwide fame. After this, Chauvire began to receive invitations to perform in various theaters, including the Italian La Scala. The ballerina became famous for her role as the Shadow in Henri Sauguet's allegory; she performed many roles choreographed by Serge Lifar. Among the classical performances, the role in “Giselle” stands out, which is considered the main one for Chauvire. Yvette demonstrated true drama on stage, without losing all her girlish tenderness. The ballerina literally lived the life of each of her characters, expressing all emotions on stage. At the same time, Shovireh was very attentive to every little detail, rehearsing and rehearsing again. In the 1960s, the ballerina headed the school where she once studied. A last exit Yvette took the stage in 1972. At the same time, a prize named after her was established. The ballerina repeatedly went on tour to the USSR, where she was loved by the audience. her partner was repeatedly Rudolf Nureyev himself after his flight from our country. The ballerina's services to the country were rewarded with the Order of the Legion of Honor.

Galina Ulanova (1910-1998). This ballerina was also born in St. Petersburg. At the age of 9 she became a student at the choreographic school, which she graduated in 1928. Immediately after the graduation performance, Ulanova joined the troupe of the Opera and Ballet Theater in Leningrad. The young ballerina’s very first performances attracted the attention of connoisseurs of this art. Already at the age of 19, Ulanova danced the leading role in Swan Lake. Until 1944, the ballerina danced at the Kirov Theater. Here she became famous for her roles in "Giselle", "The Nutcracker", " Bakhchisarai fountain"But her role in Romeo and Juliet became the most famous. From 1944 to 1960, Ulanova was the leading ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater. It is believed that the pinnacle of her work was the scene of madness in Giselle. Ulanova toured the Bolshoi in 1956 London. They said that such success had not been seen since the days of Anna Pavlova. Ulanova's stage activity officially ended in 1962. But for the rest of her life, Galina worked as a choreographer in Bolshoi Theater. She received many awards for her work - she became the People's Artist of the USSR, received the Lenin and Stalin Prizes, became a twice Hero of Socialist Labor and a laureate of numerous awards. The great ballerina died in Moscow and was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery. her apartment became a museum, and in native St. Petersburg A monument was erected to Ulanova.

Alicia Alonso (born 1920). This ballerina was born in Havana, Cuba. She began studying the art of dance at the age of 10. At that time there was only one on the island private school ballet, directed by Russian specialist Nikolai Yavorsky. Alicia then continued her studies in the USA. His debut on the big stage took place on Broadway in 1938. musical comedies. Alonso then works at the Ballet Theater in New York. There she gets acquainted with the choreography of the world's leading directors. Alicia and her partner Igor Yushkevich decided to develop ballet in Cuba. In 1947 she danced there in Swan Lake and Apollo Musagete. However, at that time in Cuba there were no traditions of ballet or stage. And the people did not understand such art. Therefore, the task of creating the National Ballet in the country was very difficult. In 1948, the first performance of "Ballet of Alicia Alonso" took place. It was ruled by enthusiasts who staged their own numbers. Two years later, the ballerina opened her own ballet school. After the 1959 revolution, the authorities turned their attention to ballet. Alicia's company evolved into the coveted National Ballet of Cuba. The ballerina performed a lot in theaters and even squares, went on tour, and was shown on television. One of the most bright way Alonso - the role of Carmen in the ballet of the same name in 1967. The ballerina was so jealous of this role that she even forbade staging this ballet with other performers. Alonso has traveled all over the world, receiving many awards. And in 1999, she received the Pablo Picasso Medal from UNESCO for her outstanding contribution to the art of dance.

Maya Plisetskaya (born 1925). It is difficult to dispute the fact that she is the most famous Russian ballerina. And her career turned out to be record long. Maya absorbed her love for ballet as a child, because her uncle and aunt were also famous dancers. At the age of 9, the talented girl entered the Moscow Choreographic School, and in 1943, the young graduate entered the Bolshoi Theater. There the famous Agrippina Vaganova became her teacher. In just a couple of years, Plisetskaya went from corps de ballet to soloist. A landmark for her was the production of “Cinderella” and the role of the Autumn Fairy in 1945. Then there were the classic productions of “Raymonda”, “The Sleeping Beauty”, “Don Quixote”, “Giselle”, “The Little Humpbacked Horse”. Plisetskaya shone in “The Fountain of Bakhchisaray”, where she was able to demonstrate her rare gift - literally hanging in a jump for some moments. The ballerina took part in three productions of Khachaturian's Spartacus, performing the roles of Aegina and Phrygia. In 1959, Plisetskaya became People's Artist of the USSR. In the 60s, it was believed that Maya was the first dancer of the Bolshoi Theater. The ballerina had enough roles, but creative dissatisfaction accumulated. The solution was “Carmen Suite”, one of the main milestones in the dancer’s biography. In 1971, Plisetskaya also established herself as a dramatic actress, playing in Anna Karenina. A ballet was written based on this novel, which premiered in 1972. Here Maya tries herself in a new role - a choreographer, which becomes her new profession. Since 1983, Plisetskaya has worked at the Rome Opera, and since 1987 in Spain. There she leads troupes and stages her ballets. Plisetskaya's last performance took place in 1990. The great ballerina was showered with many awards not only in her homeland, but also in Spain, France, and Lithuania. In 1994 she organized international competition, giving him his name. Now “Maya” gives young talents the opportunity to break through.

Ulyana Lopatkina (born 1973). The world-famous ballerina was born in Kerch. As a child, she did a lot of not only dancing, but also gymnastics. At the age of 10, on the advice of her mother, Ulyana entered the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in Leningrad. There Natalia Dudinskaya became her teacher. At the age of 17, Lopatkina won the All-Russian competition named after Vaganova. In 1991, the ballerina graduated from the academy and was accepted into the Mariinsky Theater. Ulyana quickly achieved solo parts for herself. She danced in Don Quixote, The Sleeping Beauty, The Bakhchisarai Fountain, and Swan Lake. The talent was so obvious that in 1995 Lopatkina became the prima of her theater. Each of her new role delights both viewers and critics. At the same time, the ballerina herself is interested not only in classical roles, but also in the modern repertoire. Thus, one of Ulyana’s favorite roles is the part of Banu in “The Legend of Love” directed by Yuri Grigorovich. The ballerina works best in the roles of mysterious heroines. Its distinctive feature is its refined movements, its inherent drama and high jump. The audience believes the dancer, because she is absolutely sincere on stage. Lopatkina is a laureate of numerous domestic and international awards. She - People's Artist Russia.

Anastasia Volochkova (born 1976). The ballerina remembers that her future profession she identified it already at the age of 5, which she told her mother about. Volochkova also graduated from the Vaganova Academy. Natalia Dudinskaya also became her teacher. Already on last year While studying, Volochkova made her debut at the Mariinsky and Bolshoi theaters. From 1994 to 1998, the ballerina's repertoire included leading roles in "Giselle", "Firebird", "Sleeping Beauty", "The Nutcracker", "Don Quixote", "La Bayadère" and other performances. Volochkova traveled halfway around the world with the Mariinsky troupe. At the same time, the ballerina is not afraid to perform solo, building a career parallel to the theater. In 1998, the ballerina received an invitation to the Bolshoi Theater. There she brilliantly performs the role of the Swan Princess in new production Vladimir Vasiliev " Swan Lake". In the main theater of the country, Anastasia receives the main roles in "La Bayadère", "Don Quixote", "Raymonda", "Giselle". Especially for her, choreographer Dean creates a new part of the fairy Carabosse in "The Sleeping Beauty". At the same time, Volochkova is not afraid to perform and modern repertoire. It is worth noting her role as the Tsar Maiden in "The Little Humpbacked Horse". Since 1998, Volochkova has been actively touring the world. She receives the Golden Lion prize as the most talented ballerina in Europe. Since 2000, Volochkova has left the Bolshoi Theater. She begins performing in London, where she captivated the British. Volochkova returned to the Bolshoi for a short time. Despite the success and popularity, the theater administration refused to renew the contract for the usual year. Since 2005, Volochkova has been performing in her own dance projects. her name is constantly heard, she is the heroine of gossip columns. The talented ballerina recently began to sing, and her popularity grew even more after Volochkova published her nude photos.

1881 in St. Petersburg. The girl was illegitimate, her mother worked as a maid for the famous banker Lazar Polyakov, he is considered the father of the child. The financier himself did not admit his involvement in her birth, but did not object to the girl being recorded as Anna Lazarevna.

Anya’s mother left Polyakov’s house with the child in her arms and settled in the suburbs of St. Petersburg. The girl grew up and developed under the supervision of her mother, who tried in every possible way to instill in her daughter a love of art.

Creative biography of Anna Pavlova

One day my mother took Anya to the Mariinsky Theater. They showed "The Sleeping Beauty" by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. With the first sounds of the orchestra, Anya became silent. Then she watched the ballet without stopping, holding her breath, her heart trembling with delight, as if touching something beautiful.

In the second act, boys and girls danced a waltz on stage.

Would you like to dance like this? - Anya’s mother asked during intermission, referring to the corps de ballet dance.

No... I want to dance the way the sleeping beauty did... - the girl answered.

After visiting fabulous place under the name of the Mariinsky Theater, Anya began to dream of ballet. All conversations in the house from now on were only on the topic choreographic art, the girl danced in front of the mirror from morning to night, went to bed and got up with the thought of ballet. The hobby did not look childish at all; dancing became a part of her life.

The mother, seeing this, took Anya to the ballet school. At that time, the girl was barely eight years old. The teachers advised her to come back in two years, noting Anya’s undoubted abilities. In 1891, the future ballerina was admitted to the St. Petersburg School theatrical arts to the ballet department.

The studies were Spartan in nature, everything was subject to the strictest discipline, classes lasted eight hours a day. But in 1898 Anna graduated from college with honors. The graduation performance was called “Imaginary Dryads”, in which the girl danced the part of the butler’s daughter.

Anna was immediately accepted into the Mariinsky Theater. Her debut took place in the ballet "Vain Precaution" in pas de trois (dance of three). Two years later, Anna Pavlova danced the main role in the production of “The Pharaoh’s Daughter” to the music of Caesar Pugni. Then the aspiring ballerina performed as Nikia in La Bayadère, which was choreographed by Marius Petipa himself, the patriarch of Russian ballet. In 1903, Pavlova already performed in the title role in the ballet Giselle.

Development

In 1906, Anna was appointed leading dancer of the Mariinsky Theater ballet troupe. It's begun in earnest creative work to search for new forms. Russian ballet required updating, and Pavlova managed to create several images in the spirit of modernity, collaborating with the innovative choreographer Alexander Gorsky, who sought to dramatize the plot and was a staunch supporter of some tragedy in dance.

Anna Pavlova and Mikhail Fokin

At the beginning of the 20th century, Russian ballet was influenced by reform movements. One of the most ardent supporters of radical changes in ballet art was choreographer Mikhail Fokin. He abandoned the traditional separation of dance from pantomime. The next goal of the reformer Fokine was to abolish the use of ready-made forms, movements and combinations in ballet. He proposed improvisation in dance as the basis of all ballet art.

Anna Pavlova was the first performer of the main roles in the productions. These were "Egyptian Nights", "Berenice", "Chopiniana", " Vine", "Eunice", "Pavilion of Armida". But the main result of the collaboration was the ballet "The Dying Swan" to the music of Saint-Saëns, which was destined to become one of the symbols of Russian ballet of the 20th century. The history of the ballerina Pavlova is inextricably linked with this masterpiece of choreography. Ballet The scene of the dying swan shocked the whole world.

In December 1907, at one of the charity concerts Anna Pavlova performed "The Dying Swan". Composer Camille Saint-Saëns, who was present, was shocked by the interpretation of his music and expressed deep admiration for the talented performance of the miniature. He personally thanked the ballerina for the pleasure she had given, kneeling down and saying: “Thanks to you, I realized that I managed to write wonderful music.”

The best ballerinas on all continents tried to perform the famous ballet miniature. After Anna Pavlova, Maya Plisetskaya succeeded in doing this to the fullest.

Foreign tours

In 1907 the Imperial Mariinsky Theater went abroad. The performances took place in Stockholm. Soon after returning to Russia, Anna Pavlova, a world-famous ballerina, left her native theater, suffering significantly financially, since she had to pay a huge penalty for breaking the contract. However, this did not stop the dancer.

Personal life

Anna Pavlova, ballerina with extensive creative plans, went to Paris, where she began participating in “Russian Seasons” and soon became the star of the project. Then she met Victor Dandre, a great connoisseur of ballet art, who immediately took Anna under his patronage, rented her an apartment in a Parisian suburb, and equipped her with a dance class. However, all this was quite expensive, and Dandre squandered government money, for which he was arrested and put on trial.

Then Pavlova Anna Pavlovna entered into a very expensive but enslaving contract with the London agency "Braff", under the terms of which she had to perform daily, twice a day. The money received helped rescue Victor Dandre from prison, as his debts were paid off. The lovers got married in one of the Parisian Orthodox churches.

Swans in the life of a ballerina

After Pavlova partially worked under a contract with the Braff agency, she created her own ballet troupe and began performing triumphantly in France and Great Britain. Having fully settled with the agency, Anna Pavlova, whose personal life had already been established, settled with Dandre in London. Their home was the Ivy House mansion with a pond nearby where beautiful white swans lived. From now on, Anna Pavlova’s life was inextricably linked with this wonderful house and with noble birds. The ballerina found peace by communicating with the swans.

Further creativity

Pavlova Anna Pavlovna, an active nature, hatched plans in her own way creative development. Her husband, fortunately, suddenly discovered an ability to produce and began promoting his wife’s career. He became the official impresario of Anna Pavlova, and the great ballerina no longer had to worry about her future; it was in good hands.

In 1913 and 1914, the dancer performed in Moscow and St. Petersburg, including the Mariinsky Theater, where she danced the role of Nikiya for the last time. In Moscow, Anna Pavlova appeared on the stage of the Mirror Theater in the Hermitage Garden. After this performance, she went on a long tour of Europe. This was followed by months of tours in the USA, Brazil, Chile and Argentina. Then, after a short break, Dandre organized a tour of Australia and Asian countries.

Commitment to reform

Even in the first years of work at the Mariinsky Theater, after graduating from college, Anna Pavlova felt the potential for changing the established canons in ballet art. The young ballerina felt an urgent need for change. It seemed to her that choreography could be expanded and enriched through new forms. The classics of the genre seemed to be something outdated, requiring a radical update.

Rehearsing my part in " Vain precaution", Pavlova suggested that Marius Petipa take a revolutionary step and replace the short crinoline skirt with a long, tight-fitting tunic, while referring to the famous Maria Taglioni, a representative of the ballet of the Romantic era, who introduced the ballet tutu and pointe shoes into use, and then abandoned short skirt in favor of flowing clothes.

Choreographer Petipa listened to Anna's opinion, they changed her clothes, and Marius watched the dance from beginning to end. After that, she became an attribute of performances like “Swan Lake”, where short skirt appropriate for the production style. Many considered the introduction of the tunic as the main type of ballet clothing to be a violation of the canons, but nevertheless, the ballerina’s long, flowing clothing was later noted in the art of ballet costume as a necessary part of the performance.

Creativity and controversy

Anna Pavlova herself called herself a pioneer and reformer. She was proud that she had managed to give up the "tu-tu" (crinoline skirt) and dress more appropriately. She had to argue for a long time with connoisseurs of traditional ballet and prove that the ballet tutu is not suitable for all performances. And what theatrical costumes should be selected in accordance with what is happening on stage, and not for the sake of classical canons.

Pavlova's opponents argued that open legs were primarily a demonstration of dance technique. Anna agreed, but at the same time spoke out for more freedom in choosing a suit. She believed that crinoline had long become an academic attribute and was not at all conducive to creativity. Formally, both sides were right, however the last word decided to leave it to the public.

Anna Pavlova regretted only one drawback of long clothing - the tunic deprived the ballerina of her “frailty.” She came up with this word herself; the term meant that the folds constrained the flying movements of the body, or rather, they hid the flight itself. But then Anna learned to use this flaw. The ballerina invited her partner to throw her a little higher than usual, and everything fell into place. The required freedom of movement and grace appeared in the dance.

Serge Lifar: impressions

“I have never seen such divine lightness, weightless airiness and such graceful movements.” This is what the largest French choreographer Serge Lifar wrote about his meeting with the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova.

"From the first minute I was captivated by the nature of her plasticity; she danced as if she was breathing, easily and naturally. There was no desire for proper ballet, fouette, virtuoso tricks. Only the natural beauty of natural body movements and airiness, airiness..."

“I saw in Pavlova not a ballerina, but a genius of dance. She raised me from the ground up, I could neither reason nor evaluate. There were no shortcomings, just as a deity cannot have them.”

Touring and statistics

Anna Pavlova led an active touring life for 22 years. During this period, she took part in nine thousand performances, two thirds of which were performed in the main roles. Moving from city to city, the ballerina traveled at least 500 thousand kilometers by train. Italian master for the production of ballet shoes, he sewed two thousand pairs of pointe shoes a year for Anna Pavlova.

In between tours, the ballerina rested with her husband in her house, among tame swans, in the shade of trees, near clean pond. On one of these visits, Dandre invited famous photographer Lafayette, and he took a series of photographs of Anna Pavlova with her favorite swan. Today these photographs are perceived as a memory of the great ballerina of the 20th century.

In Australia, in honor of the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, it was invented from exotic fruits with the addition of meringue. By the way, New Zealanders claim that they created the fruit treat.

Once Anna Pavlova danced on theater stage popular mexican folk dance"jarabe tapatio", which means "dance with a hat", in its interpretation. Enthusiastic Mexicans threw hats at the ballerina and the entire stage. And in 1924, this dance was declared the national dance of the Mexican Republic.

In China, Anna Pavlova surprised the audience by dancing 37 fouettés non-stop on a small platform mounted on the back of an elephant walking across the field.

Dutch flower growers grew a special variety of snow-white tulips, which received the name great ballerina Anna Pavlova. Graceful flowers on thin stems symbolize grace.

Several different monuments dedicated to the ballerina were erected in London. Each of them relates to a certain period of her life. Three monuments were erected near the Ivy House, where Pavlova lived. most own life.

Anna was distinguished by a rare love of humanity, she was involved in charity work, and opened several orphanages and shelters for homeless children. Girls and boys from the guests of these institutions who had the ability to dance were selected and sent to the school of children's choreography, opened in the Ivy House.

A separate act of Anna Pavlova’s charity was her assistance to the starving people of the Volga region. In addition, on her behalf, parcels were regularly sent to the St. Petersburg Ballet School.

The death of a great dancer

Anna Pavlova died of pneumonia on January 23, 1931 in the city of The Hague, during a tour. The ballerina caught a cold during a rehearsal in a cold hall. Her ashes are in the Golders Green Columbarium in London. The urn is located next to the remains of her husband Victor Dandre.

Film created in memory of Anna Pavlova

The life and fate of the world-famous ballerina was reflected in a five-part television film, based on the script by Emil Loteanu.

The film story tells about the short but eventful life of the great ballerina and wonderful person according to Pavlova. 1983, the time the series was released, was the year of the 102nd anniversary of the dancer’s birth. The film features many characters, and the role of Pavlova was played by the actress

Photo: State Library Queensland (1938)
Girls taking an exam at the Royal Academy of Dance (London)

Maya Plisetskaya, born 1925 89 years old, alive and well

I was reading a magazine here and was surprised to discover that Maya Plisetskaya is already nearly 90! And she still looks very decent. The same magazine listed the years of life of several other famous ballerinas, and many of them managed to “pass” the 80-year mark!

I started rummaging further. I selected only Russians from Wikipedia and Soviet ballerinas, who lived more than 80 years, and it turned out that there were enough of them for three posts - 70 percent of the ballerinas on the list of the Mariinsky Theater's principal dancers! I had to filter out those over 85. Now I’ll show them and tell you a few words.

Alexandra Kemmerer (1842-1931). 89 years old

She shone at the Mariinsky Theater when “Russophile” ballets - with kokoshniks and balalaikas - came into fashion. She raised her adopted daughter and even married her to Count Orlov. She herself, it seems, had no family.

Ekaterina Vazem (1848-1937), 89 years old
Performed at the Mariinsky Theater at the same time as Kemmerer
One of the highest paid ballerinas of that time. They said that her manner was a little cold, but her dance was precise and technical. She was married twice and gave birth to a son, the future critic Nil Nasilov.

Matilda Kshesinskaya, 1872-1971 (99 years old)

You know this one. A virtuoso ballerina and honored prima, she went down in history not only for this reason: Matilda had a fairly close friendship with the House of Romanov. With the male part of him. Very close. She began, as is believed, with the brother of the future Tsar, Georgy Alexandrovich, then switched to the Tsarevich 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 from him), and then with Andrei Mikhailovich. However, she stopped there, and Prince Andrei even married her, adopting an actual nephew. Malechka died in exile at a very old age. She was absolutely tiny - 1.53 m tall. And as for me, she’s not an acquired taste.

Olga Preobrazhenskaya (1871-1962), 91 years old

She shared the stage with Kshesinskaya, almost her peer and eternal rival. Even in longevity, they seemed to compete. 30 years on stage, performed at La Scala. 40 years of teaching. She died in exile.

Tamara Karsavina (1885-1978) 93 years old

Her surname should not be “Karsavina”, but “Krasavina” - a very beautiful woman! And not as “sociable” as Kshesinskaya. She married an English diplomat and left with him after the revolution for England. She performed with Dyagelev, often her partner was Nijinsky.

Lyubov Chernysheva (1890-1976), 86 years old

A soloist with the Diaghilev troupe and then with the Monte Carlo Ballet, she spent most of her life abroad. She was married to Diaghilev’s assistant Grigoriev, but she flirted recklessly with everyone, changing lovers at the speed of sound, for which Diaghilev himself called her “burning cowards.” And what? The lady is very attractive!

Olga Spesivtseva (1895-1991) 96 years old

The sorrow of Russian ballet. The unfortunate prima, having ended her career prematurely, spent 20 years in a psychiatric hospital. Her “Giselle,” they say, was inimitable and even frightening. She seemed to have driven her crazy. Oddly enough, over time the ballerina almost recovered, but she remained lonely and broken. Beautiful woman, was married three times, but as a result, she was left alone. Look good about her Feature Film"Giselle 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 appeared on stage several times in musicals. Her performance in a solo pantomime in 1971 (67 years old, that is!) created a real sensation in the press.

Tamara Zheverzheeva (1907-1997), 90 years old

As already mentioned, the ballerina was married to Georges Balanchine, but the marriage lasted only three years. Then she got married twice more. She acted in films. Even in 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.
Shulamith's parents gave all children in the family biblical names(also Rachel and Asaph). She was a very optimistic, energetic and cheerful woman. They say that the ballerina is the most talented - technical, artistic and temperamental. In addition to ballet, she was involved in swimming and managed to become a two-time champion at the All-Union Spartakiad. She 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. She is more famous as a ballet teacher. And also as a teacher of ballet teachers.
The first marriage with ballet dancer Viktor Semenov was short-lived, but the second husband was repressed. The daughter was also a ballerina.

Galina Ulanova (1909-1998), 88 years old

Main ballerina Soviet Union. Childfree claimed that she spent her entire life wearing blinders, seeing nothing around her except ballet. But she managed to get married three times.

Natalya Dudinskaya (1912-2003), 90 years old

4 Stalin Prize! It was difficult for her to compete with Ulanova, but the ballet directors considered her special style: she was especially good in heroic roles. Abrupt, energetic, with powerful rotations, Natalya performed for a long time - she last appeared on stage in “age” roles at 56 years old, 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 teaching activities, and most importantly - managerial, as they say now, abilities. She for a long time headed the Moscow choreographic school, and even “knocked out” a new building for him.

Olga Lepeshinskaya (1916-2008), 92 years old

Another winner of 4 Stalin Prizes.
Energetic, precise, technical ballerina. I taught for a long time. She was married three times - once to a director, twice to generals. Childfree.

Irina Baronova (1919-2008), 89 years old

Her parents took her from Russia at the age of 2. She performed from the age of 11, and from the age of 13 Balanchine took her into his troupe, she became one of the three famous “baby ballerinas”. Having started her career early, she stopped it early - it became prerequisite her second husband. She lived in the USA, acted a little in films, then returned to ballet as a teacher. One of her daughters is actress Victoria Tannat.

Marianna Bogolyubskaya (1919-2013), 94 years old

A versatile ballerina, she was successful in a variety of roles. In addition to ballet, she was fond of sculpting and made sculptural portraits their fellow ballerinas. She was married to a ballet dancer.

Marina Svetlova (1922-2009), 87 years old

Actually, her name was Yvette von Hartmann. Her parents were Russian emigrants, but Ivetta-Marina herself never lived in Russia. But Russian ballerinas taught her. She began her career in Ida Rubinstein's troupe, then performed with Balanchine. She taught for a long time and was a professor at Indiana University in the ballet department. There was no family.

Rimma Karelskaya (1927) Alive and well, 87 years old


A wonderful virtuoso ballerina who once performed at the Bolshoi Theater. Then she worked there as a teacher and choreographer-tutor. Five years ago I broke my hip, but it seemed like they had surgery and everything turned out okay.

Olga Moiseeva, (1928) Alive and well, 85 years old

One of Vaganova's favorite students. She danced on stage for 26 years and had a special dramatic talent. Then I taught. He still gives lessons, apparently. And always well-groomed and impressive.

Alicia Alonso (1920, Cuba). Alive and well, 93 years old

And this is a foreigner, 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 years old


Another “foreign” exception, but it’s too good. In addition, being a Parisian, Cleo (or Cleopatra) performed in St. Petersburg during her tour. Oddly enough, Cleo was the scion of a very noble family. I don’t know whether she was a great ballerina, but she extraordinary beauty amazed contemporaries, the king of Belgium went crazy over it, Degas wrote it and Folgier sculpted it.

Alicia Markova (1910-2004), 94 years old

In fact, the ballerina's name was Lilian Alicia Marks and she was English. Jewish origin. She began dancing at the age of 10, and at the age of 14 she was accepted into Diaghilev’s troupe. He suggested changing his stage name. She shone in the performances of Giselle, La Sylphide and others. She performed until she was 52 years old. She stood at the foundations of British classical ballet, her merits in the national ballet are comparable to those of Margot Fonteyn. She was not married.

Now think about what kind of phenomenon this is: crazy workloads, a strict diet, nervous work - envy, theatrical intrigue, ups and downs - and come on, they live to almost 100.

And what’s also interesting is that male ballerinas barely reach 60! Well, with rare exceptions: Balanchine lived 79 years, Marius Petipa - 92, Lifar - 82, Bejar - 80, Asaf Messerer - 88. And the rest - nothing...
Why is that?

The history of ballet in Russia begins in the 30s of the 18th century. In 1731, the Land Noble Corps was opened in St. Petersburg. Since the graduates of the corps in the future were expected to occupy high government positions and needed knowledge of secular manners, the study fine arts, including ballroom dance, a significant space was allocated in the building. Jean Baptiste Lande, who is considered the founder of Russian ballet art, became the dance master of the corps in 1734. In 1738, Jean Baptiste Lande opened the first ballet school in Russia - the Dancing School of Her Imperial Majesty (now the Academy of Russian Ballet named after A. Ya. Vaganova). Ballet in Russia gradually developed and in 1794, productions began by the first Russian-born choreographer, Ivan Walberch. Under Paul I they were published special rules for ballet - it was ordered that there should not be a single man on stage during the performance and male roles at that time were performed by women, for example (1780-1869). Kolosova was one of the first to perform on ballet stage Russian dances. Another of her innovations was that she replaced the lush stylized costume with an antique chiton. Ballet dancer and choreographer Adam Glushkovsky wrote about Kolosova: “I have been following for more than forty years dance art, I saw a lot of famous ballet dancers coming to Russia, but in none of them did I see such talent as Evgenia Ivanovna Kolosova, a dancer of the St. Petersburg theater, possessed. Every movement of her face, every gesture was so natural and understandable that it decisively replaced speech for the viewer." Evgenia Kolosova was on stage from 1794 to 1826, after which she took up teaching.

One of Evgenia Kolosova’s students was Avdotya (Evdokia) Ilyinichna Istomina(1799-1848), sung by Pushkin in “Eugene Onegin”:

The theater is already full; the boxes shine;
The stalls and the chairs, everything is boiling;
In paradise they splash impatiently,
And, rising, the curtain makes noise.
Brilliant, half-airy,
I obey the magic bow,
Surrounded by a crowd of nymphs,
Worth Istomin; she,
One foot touching the floor,
The other slowly circles,
And suddenly he jumps, and suddenly he flies,
Flies like feathers from the lips of Aeolus;
Now the camp will sow, then it will develop,
And with a quick foot he hits the leg.

Another famous ballerina of those years was (1793-1810), whose creative path was cut short by death from tuberculosis at the age of 17 years.

Historians are still arguing about which Russian ballerina was the first to dance on pointe shoes (leaning only on the tips of her toes). Some believe that it was Maria Danilova, others are of the opinion that it was Avdotya Istomina.

Another student of Evgenia Kolosova was (1804-1857). One of her contemporaries wrote about her: “With the most charming appearance, she had so many feelings and games that she captivated the most impassive spectator.” Patron and lover, in fact common-law husband Teleshova, was a count, Governor-General of St. Petersburg Mikhail Miloradovich.

Ekaterina Telesheva. Portrait by Orest Kiprensky

A famous Russian ballerina of the 19th century was Maria Sergeevna Surovshchikova-Petipa a (1836-1882). The ballerina's husband was ballet dancer Marius Petipa.

The fruit of the union of the artistic couple Maria Surovshchikova - Marius Petipa was a daughter (1857-1930), who, like her parents, became famous artist ballet Ballet historian Mikhail Borisoglebsky wrote about her: “Happy” stage fate“, great figure, support famous father made her an indispensable performer character dances, a first-rate ballerina, diverse in her repertoire."

For 17 years (from 1861 to 1878) she performed on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater Matilda Nikolaevna Madaeva(stage name Matryona Tikhonovna). Big scandal In St. Petersburg society, her marriage to Prince Mikhail Mikhailovich Golitsyn, a representative of one of the noblest Russian families, an officer who rose to the rank of Adjutant General of His Majesty's Retinue, became a reality. This marriage was considered a misalliance, since the spouses came from different classes, and according to the laws of the 19th century, officers of the imperial army could not be officially married to people from lower classes. The prince chose to resign, making a choice in favor of his family.

A prominent representative of the Moscow school of ballet of the 19th century was (1839-1917), who was the leading dancer of the Bolshoi Theater for 10 years.

Another famous ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater was (1857-1920). For two decades, Gaten danced almost all the female roles, without having any rivals on the Bolshoi stage. In 1883, the Bolshoi Theater ballet troupe was significantly reduced, but Gaten refused offers to move to St. Petersburg theaters to preserve the traditions of Moscow ballet. After leaving the stage, Gaten taught at the Moscow Choreographic School.

She worked on stage for 30 years (from 1855 to 1885) imperial theaters Petersburg (1838-1917). Contemporaries wrote about her: “She had outstanding success in character dances, requiring fire and passion, but she also excelled in mimic roles.”

In the 60s of the 19th century she shone on the stages of St. Petersburg, Moscow and Paris (1838-1879). The Italian choreographer Carlo Blasis wrote that “diamond sparks rain down from under her feet while dancing” and that her “fast and constantly changing pas can involuntarily be compared to a thread of spilling pearls.”

From 1859 to 1879 she performed at the Bolshoi Theater (1842-1918). Yuri Bakhrushin in the book “History of Russian Ballet” wrote: “being a strong dancer and a good actress, Sobeschanskaya was the first to deviate from generally accepted rules and, performing in ballet roles, began to use characteristic makeup. Blazis, who observed Sobeshenskaya at the beginning of her career, wrote that she "she is delightful as a dancer and as a mime" and that in her dances "the soul is visible, she is expressive" and sometimes even reaches the point of "frenzy." Later, another contemporary asserted that "it is not the difficulty of her jumps and the speed of her turns that makes her best impression on the viewer, but through the integral creation of a role in which dance is the interpreter of facial expressions.”

From 1877 to 1893 in St. Petersburg ballet troupe danced at the imperial theaters (1857-1920).

(January 31 (February 12) 1881, St. Petersburg, Russian empire- January 23, 1931, The Hague, the Netherlands) - Russian ballet dancer, one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century.

She soon became one of the first Russian film stars, releasing eight films in 1915. After the revolution of 1917, Caralli emigrated, lived in Lithuania, where she taught dance in Kaunas, worked in Romania, and acted in France and Austria. She eventually settled in Vienna, where she gave ballet lessons. Vera Caralli died in Baden, Austria, on November 16, 1972, at the age of eighty. three years. She submitted a petition asking to return to her homeland, received a Soviet passport on November 1, 1972, but two weeks later she was gone.

Matilda Kshesinskaya graduated from the Imperial Theater School in 1890. She danced at the Mariinsky Theater from 1890 to 1917.

Olga Preobrazhenskaya began studying ballet in 1879 under the guidance of Nikolai Legat and Enrico Cecchetti at the Vaganova School. After 10 years, Preobrazhenskaya was accepted into the Mariinsky Theater, where Matilda Kshesinskaya became her main rival. Since 1895, Olga Preobrazhenskaya toured Europe and South America, successfully performed at La Scala. In 1900, Preobrazhenskaya became a prima ballerina. In 1921, Olga Preobrazhenskaya left the USSR; from 1923 she lived in Paris, where she opened a ballet studio and continued pedagogical activity. In addition, Olga Preobrazhenskaya taught in Milan, London, Buenos Aires, and Berlin.
Olga Iosifovna Preobrazhenskaya died in 1962. She was buried in the Cemetery of Saint-Genevieve des Bois.

Lyubov Roslavleva received her choreographic education at the Moscow Theater School from the Spanish choreographer and teacher Jose Mendez. Since 1892, Lyubov Roslavleva performed at the Bolshoi Theater. In 1902, Lyubov Roslavleva took part in tours in Monte Carlo and Warsaw.

At a very young age, Olga Spesivtseva toured with the Diaghilev Russian Ballet in the USA with great success. She was Nijinsky's partner in Les Sylphides and The Specter of the Rose. Since 1918, Olga Spesivtseva became the leading dancer, and since 1920, prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater. Soon after the revolution of 1917, she became the wife of a major Soviet security officer, Boris Kaplun, who helped her emigrate with her mother in 1923 to France, where during 1924-1932. performed at the Paris Grand Opera, becoming the leading guest ballerina of the Paris Opera.

Since 1932, Spesivtseva has been working with Fokine's troupe in Buenos Aires, and in 1934, as a star, she visits Australia as part of Anna Pavlova's former troupe. Last performance Spesivtseva in Paris took place in 1939. After that, she moved to the USA.

In 1943, mental illness worsened, Spesivtseva was increasingly losing her memory. Thus ended the career of the great ballerina. From 1943 to 1963 Olga Spesivtseva spent time in a psychiatric hospital, her memory gradually recovered, and the outstanding ballerina recovered. Last years Olga Spesivtseva spent her life in a boarding house on the farm of the Tolstoy Foundation, Inc., created by the youngest daughter of the writer Leo Tolstoy, Alexandra Lvovna Tolstoy, near New York City.

Olga Spesivtseva

Vera Aleksandrovna Trefilova (in some sources Ivanova; October 8, 1875, Vladikavkaz - July 11, 1943, Paris) - Russian ballet dancer and teacher.

In 1894, Vera Trefilova graduated from the St. Petersburg Theater School (teachers Ekaterina Vazem and Pavel Gerdt). From 1894 to 1910 Vera Trefilova worked at the Mariinsky Theater. After the revolution, Vera Trefilova left the USSR and settled in Paris, where she opened her own ballet school. In 1921-1926. Vera Trefilova danced in Diaghilev's Russian Ballet, performing the main roles in the ballets The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and The Vision of a Rose. Last time Vera Trefilova danced in 1926 with Diaghilev. Vera Trefilova died on July 11, 1943 in Paris.