The most famous Soviet ballerina. Who is she? Famous ballerinas and longevity
The best representatives of Russian ballet are Anna Pavlova and Galina Ulanova.
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 who are still looked up to today.
Anna Pavlova 
Anna Pavlova is an outstanding Russian ballerina.
The outstanding ballerina Anna Pavlova was born into a family far from art. She developed a desire to dance at the age of 8 after the girl saw the ballet production of “The Sleeping Beauty.” At the age of 10, Anna Pavlova was accepted into the Imperial Theater School, and after graduation she joined the troupe. Mariinsky Theater.
What is curious is that the aspiring ballerina was not placed in the corps de ballet, but immediately began to give her responsible roles in productions. Anna Pavlova danced under the direction of several choreographers, but the most successful and fruitful tandem, which had a fundamental influence on her performance style, was with Mikhail Fokin. 
Anna Pavlova as a dying swan.
Anna Pavlova supported the choreographer’s bold ideas and readily agreed to experiments. Miniature "The Dying Swan", which later became business card Russian ballet, was almost impromptu. In this production, Fokine gave the ballerina more freedom, allowed me to independently feel the mood of “The Swan” and improvise. In one of the first reviews, the critic admired what he saw: “If a ballerina on stage can imitate the movements of the noblest of birds, then this has been achieved: in front of you is a swan.”
Galina Ulanova 
Galina Ulanova is an outstanding ballerina, to whom monuments were erected during her lifetime.
Galina Ulanova's fate was predetermined from the very beginning. The girl’s mother worked as a ballet teacher, so Galina, even if she really wanted to, was unable to bypass the ballet barre. Years grueling workouts led to Galina Ulanova becoming the most titled artist Soviet Union.
After graduating from the choreographic technical school in 1928, Ulanova was accepted into the ballet troupe of the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater. From the very first performances, the young ballerina attracted the attention of spectators and critics. A year later, Ulanova was entrusted with performing the leading role of Odette-Odile in Swan Lake. Giselle is considered one of the ballerina’s triumphant roles. Performing the scene of the heroine's madness, Galina Ulanova did it so soulfully and selflessly that even the men in the audience could not hold back their tears. 
Galina Ulanova performs the role of Giselle.
Galina Ulanova has reached unprecedented heights in her performance skills. They imitated her, teachers of the leading ballet schools in the world demanded that their 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 she was 50 years old. She was always strict and demanding of herself. Even in old age the ballerina started every morning with classes and weighed 49 kg.
Olga Lepeshinskaya 
Olga Lepeshinskaya is a ballet dancer and ballet teacher.
For her passionate temperament, sparkling technique and precision of movements, Olga Lepeshinskaya was nicknamed “The Jumping Dragonfly”. The ballerina was born into a family of engineers. WITH early childhood the girl literally raved about dancing, so her parents had no choice but to send her to ballet school at Bolshoi Theater.
Olga Lepeshinskaya easily coped with both ballet classics (“ Swan Lake", "Sleeping Beauty"), and with modern productions ("Red Poppy", "Flames of Paris.") During the Great Patriotic War Lepeshinskaya fearlessly performed at the front, raising the morale of the soldiers. 
Olga Lepeshinskaya - ballerina with a passionate temperament
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 her “natural technique and fiery temperament” made her inimitable.
Maya Plisetskaya 
Maya Plisetskaya - Russian and Soviet ballet dancer
Maya Plisetskaya is 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 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 ballerina at the Bolshoi Theater, so Maya also began attending choreography classes. The girl reached great success In this field and after graduating from college, she was accepted into the Bolshoi Theater troupe. 
Maya Plisetskaya is an outstanding ballerina.
Plisetskaya's innate artistry, expressive plasticity, and phenomenal jumps made her a prima ballerina. Maya Plisetskaya performed leading roles in all classical productions. She was especially good at 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 incredible love to their profession allowed Plisetskaya to make her debut in the production of “Ave Maya” on her 70th birthday.
Lyudmila Semenyaka 
Lyudmila Semenyaka - Russian and Soviet ballerina.
The beautiful ballerina Lyudmila Semenyaka performed on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater when she was only 12 years old. The 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 effortlessly that from the outside it seemed as if she was not making any effort, but was simply enjoying the dance. In 1976, Lyudmila Ivanovna was awarded the Anna Pavlova Prize from the Paris Academy of Dance. 
Lyudmila Semenyaka, Andris Liepa and Galina Ulanova at a rehearsal.
At the end of the 1990s, Lyudmila Semenyaka announced her retirement from her ballerina career, but continued her activities as a teacher. Since 2002, Lyudmila Ivanovna has been a teacher-tutor at the Bolshoi Theater.
Irina Babkina
When planning material about ballerinas for the May holidays, we did not know that such sad news would come from Germany... Today, when the whole world mourns the legend of Russian ballet Maya Plisetskaya, we honor her memory and remember modern soloists who will never replace the prima of the Bolshoi Theater, but they will worthily continue the history of Russian ballet.
The Bolshoi Theater showered ballerina Maria Alexandrova with attention from the first meeting. The first prize won in 1997 at the International Ballet Competition in Moscow became a ticket for the then student of the Moscow State Academy of Arts to the main troupe of the country. In the very first season of work at the Bolshoi, without long languor, the ballerina, still with the rank of corps de ballet dancer, received her first solo part. And the repertoire grew and expanded. Interesting fact: in 2010, the ballerina became the first woman in the history of ballet to perform the title role in Stravinsky’s Petrushka. Today Maria Alexandrova is a prima ballerina of the Bolshoi.
The turning point in the fate of the aspiring ballerina Svetlana Zakharova was the receipt of second prize in the Vaganova-Prix competition for young dancers and the subsequent offer to become a graduate student at the Academy of Russian Ballet. Vaganova. And the Mariinsky Theater became a reality in the ballerina’s life. After graduating from the academy, the ballerina joined the Mariinsky Theater troupe, after working for a season, she received an offer to become a soloist. The history of Zakharova’s relationship with the Bolshoi began in 2003 with the solo part in “Giselle” (edited by V. Vasiliev). In 2009, Zakharova surprised the audience with the premiere of E. Palmieri’s unusual ballet “Zakharova. Super game". The Bolshoi did not plan it, but Zakharova organized it, and the theater supported the experiment. By the way, a similar experience of staging in Bolshoi Ballet for the only ballerina there was already, but only once: in 1967, Maya Plisetskaya shone in Carmen Suite.
What can I say, those who are taking their first steps in ballet from Zakharova’s repertoire are dizzy and envy appears. To date, her track record includes all solo parts of the main ballets - “Giselle”, “Swan Lake”, “La Bayadère”, “Carmen Suite”, “Diamonds”...
The beginning of Ulyana Lopatkina's ballet career was the role of Odette in Swan Lake, of course, at the Mariinsky Theater. The performance was so skillful that the ballerina soon received the Golden Spotlight award for best debut on the St. Petersburg stage. Since 1995, Lopatkina has been a prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater. The repertoire again includes familiar titles - “Giselle”, “Corsair”, “La Bayadère”, “Sleeping Beauty”, “Raymonda”, “Diamonds”, etc. But geography is not limited to work on one stage. Lopatkina conquered the main stages of the world: from the Bolshoi Theater to NHK in Tokyo. At the end of May on the stage of the Musical Theater. Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Lopatkina will perform in collaboration with the “Stars of Russian Ballet” in honor of Tchaikovsky’s anniversary.
At the end of March, the name of Diana Vishneva, prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater since 1996, was on everyone’s lips. The Bolshoi hosted the premiere of the play “Grani,” nominated for the “ Golden mask" The event is vibrant and discussed. The ballerina gave interviews, joked in response to questions about her close acquaintance with Abramovich and pointed to her husband accompanying her everywhere. But the performance ended, and a course was set for London, where on April 10, Vishneva and Vodianova held a charity evening for the Naked Heart Foundation. Vishneva actively performs at best scenes Europe, does not refuse experimental, unexpected proposals.
Balanchine’s “Diamonds” was mentioned above. Ekaterina Shipulina, a graduate of the Moscow State Academy of Arts, shines in “Emeralds” and “Rubies.” And not only, of course. The ballerina's repertoire includes leading roles in such ballets as Swan Lake, Cathedral Notre Dame of Paris", "Lost Illusions", "Cinderella", "Giselle", and collaboration with the best choreographers - Grigorovich, Eifman, Ratmansky, Neumeier, Roland Petit...
Evgenia Obraztsova, graduate of the Academy of Russian Ballet named after. Vaganova, first became a prima ballerina at the Mariinsky Theater, where she performed La Sylphide, Giselle, La Bayadère, Princess Aurora, Flora, Cinderella, Ondine... In 2005, the ballerina gained cinematic experience by playing in Cedric Klapisch’s film “Beauties”. In 2012, she joined the Bolshoi troupe, where, as a prima ballerina, she performed solo roles in the productions “Don Quixote,” “The Sleeping Beauty,” “La Sylphide,” “Giselle,” “Eugene Onegin,” and “Emeralds.”
The light of lights, piercing music, the rustle of mesh tutus and the tapping of pointe shoes on the wooden parquet - ballet! How beautiful, inimitable and great he is! Holding his breath and fixing his gaze on the infinitely beautiful spectacle, the viewer is amazed at the dexterity and plasticity of the ballet diva, who perfectly performs her steps. The history of ballet is great, and its background goes back to the 16th century AD, but the true masterpieces originate in the 19th century. From here you can start counting.
Marie Rambert and Anna Pavlova
So, the most famous ballerinas:
1 . Graduate of the Jacques-Dalcroze Ballet Institute, Polish Marie Rambert (Marie Rambert, true name Miriam Ramberg, born 1988) already in 1920 ventured to open the first ballet school in the capital of England. The success was great, and therefore ten years later Marie created her first ballet troupe in London called “Balle Rambert”, whose performances and performances created a real sensation in English ballet. She works with such masters as Howard, Tudor, Ashton. The name Rambert is associated with the beginning of ballet in England.
2 . Illegitimate daughter of a railway contractor and a simple washerwoman, born in 1881, Anna Pavlova (Anna Pavlova) undoubtedly considered one of the greatest ballerinas in the world. After graduating from the Vaganova School, applying big hopes the girl was almost immediately accepted into the Mariinsky Theater. Here she shone in such classic productions as “Giselle”, “The Nutcracker”, “La Bayadère”, “Armida Pavilion” and others. But the main triumph of the talented dancer was the miniature “The Dying Swan” in December 1907.
An interesting fact is that the miniature appeared: a day before the performance at charity concert Anna's partner suddenly fell ill, and then famous choreographer Mikhail Fokin came up with a miniature overnight to the music of the great Saint-Saëns especially for Pavlova. In the morning, an enthusiastic Anna, seeing the result, asked, “Misha, but the swan dies at the end?” “What are you talking about!” exclaimed Fokin, “he’s just fast asleep!” Saint-Saëns himself admitted to the ballerina that thanks to her he realized what he had composed wonderful music.
Matilda Kshesinskaya and Ivet Chauvire
3 . A native of St. Petersburg Matilda Kshesinskaya (Mathilda-Marie Kschessinskaya) was famous in Russia as the favorite of Nicholas II. After graduating from the Imperial theater school Matilda was accepted into the Mariinsky Theater in 1890. She delightfully performed parts from Mlada, The Nutcracker and other ballets. A distinctive feature of the ballerina was classical Russian movement, diluted with notes of the daring and dynamic Italian school. Kshesinskaya was a constant favorite in Fokine's performances ("Eros", "Butterflies", "Eunika").
Her virtuoso performance of Esmeralda in the ballet of the same name in 1899 brought her fame as one of the most talented ballerinas. One of Matilda’s main advantages, in addition to her talent, according to experts, was her iron character and ability to defend her position. Rumor has it that it was with her light hand The director of the Imperial Theaters, Prince Volkonsky, was fired.
4 . Sophisticated Parisian Yvette Chauvire(Yvette Chauvire, born in April 1917) began seriously studying ballet at the Grand Opera at the age of 10. The girl’s enormous talent was noticed by the director, and already in 1941 she became a prima ballerina at the Opera Garnier. Having received world fame After his first debut, Chauvire was invited to the troupes of the Theater des Champs-Elysees and the Italian La Scala.
Yvette's calling card is sharp, pronounced drama combined with extraordinary tenderness. She fully lives and feels the story of each heroine, meticulously honing every little detail. The most successful party is the main role in the ballet "Giselle" to the music of Adolphe Adam. In 1972, a prize named after great ballerina Yvette Chauvire.
Galina Ulanova and Maya Plisetskaya
5 . Born in 1910 in St. Petersburg Galina Ulanova (Galina Ulanova) became famous in the 40s of the 20th century, performing roles in classical productions of the Mariinsky Theater (“Flames of Paris”, “ Bakhchisarai fountain", "Swan Lake"). In 1951, the ballerina was awarded the title People's Artist USSR, and a little later she becomes a laureate Lenin Prize. Since 1960, the artist has brilliantly danced Cinderella in Prokofiev's ballet of the same name, as well as Adan's Giselle. Former apartment Ulanova is now presented as a museum, and a monument has been erected in her honor in St. Petersburg.
6 . Of course, the most famous Russian ballerina, who went down in history for a record long time ballet career, is a Muscovite Maya Plisetskaya (Maya Plisetskaya, born 1925). Plisetskaya’s love for ballet was instilled in her by her aunt and uncle, also famous dancers. Graduate of Moscow choreographic school Maya is accepted into the Bolshoi Theater troupe under the direction of the great Agrippina Vaganova, where after a couple of years she becomes a soloist. In 1945, the ballerina performed the role of the Autumn Fairy for the first time in Prokofiev's production of Cinderella. In subsequent years, she successfully participated in such productions as “Raymonda” by A. Glazunov, “The Sleeping Beauty” by Tchaikovsky, “Giselle” by Adolphe Adam, “Don Quixote” by Minkus, “The Little Humpbacked Horse” by Shchedrin.
The staging of “Spartacus” by A. Khachaturian brought her stunning success, where she performed the role of Aegina and then Phrygia. In 1959, Plisetskaya was awarded the title of People's Artist of the Soviet Union, and later she was awarded three times with the Order of Lenin, the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, and the Order of Isabella the Catholic (in France). In 1985, the artist received the title of Hero of Socialist Labor.
Plisetskaya's calling card, in addition to many ballets, can be considered Shchedrin's production of Anna Karenina, which premiered in 1972. In this ballet, the artist performs not only as a ballerina, but also tries herself as a choreographer, which later becomes her main occupation. The ballerina danced her last performance, “Lady with a Dog,” in January 1990, then in 1994 she organized international competition"Maya", which gives new talents a chance to become famous.
Ulyana Lopatkina
7 . Student of Natalia Dudinskaya and graduate of the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet Ulyana Lopatkina (Uliyana Lopatkina) already in 1995 she became a prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater. This artist became one of the few who received such a large number of awards and prizes: "Golden Soffit" in 1995, "Golden Mask" in 1997, "Vaganova-Prix", "Evening Standard" of London critics, "Baltika" in St. Petersburg in 1997, 2001. In 2000, Ulyana became an Honored Artist of Russia, and in 2006 - People's Artist.
Among the ballerina's most striking roles we can highlight her incomparable Myrta and Giselle in the production of the same name, Medora in the ballet "Corsair", Odette-Odile from "Swan Lake", Raimonda in the ballet of the same name. In addition, she performed brilliantly in individual productions of “Where the Golden Cherries Hang,” “Fairy’s Kiss,” and “Poem of Ecstasy.” Distinctive feature Ulyana - polished, complete movements, a special, inherent only to her, dramatic quality, high jump and inner, genuine sincerity.
Anastasia Volochkova
8 . A native of St. Petersburg Anastasia Volochkova (Anastasia Volochkova) Already at the age of five I told my mother in a very mature way, “I will be a ballerina.” And she did, despite all the hardships, obstacles, and deprivations. The career of this talented artist can begin in 1994. Leading ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater, Anastasia brilliantly performs parts from “Giselle”, “Firebird”, and the ballet “Raymonda”. Along with success in the theater, she is not afraid to start solo career and often performs in various theaters.
Vladimir Vasiliev noticed the ballerina’s talent, and already in 1998 he invited her to perform the main role in his new production"Swan Lake". IN Bolshoi Anastasia performs the main roles: Raymonda from the ballet of the same name, the Lilac Fairy from The Sleeping Beauty, Nikia from La Bayadère and many others. Famous choreographer D. Dean creates a new role of Fairy Carabosse in the production of “The Sleeping Beauty” especially for Anastasia.
IN Lately The artist’s schedule is filled with constant concerts and tours, including shows in the Kremlin, where the greatest Russian pop stars were gathered.
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 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).
Publications in the Theaters section
Modern Russian ballerinas. Top 5
The proposed five leading ballerinas include artists who began their careers in the main musical theaters of our country - the Mariinsky and the Bolshoi - in the 90s, when the situation in politics, and then in culture, was rapidly changing. Ballet theater became more open due to the expansion of the repertoire, the arrival of new choreographers, the emergence additional features in the West and at the same time more demanding of performing skills.
This short list the stars of the new generation are being discovered by Ulyana Lopatkina, who came to the Mariinsky Theater in 1991 and is now almost finishing her career. At the end of the list is Victoria Tereshkina, who also began working in the era of perestroika in ballet art. And right behind her comes the next generation of dancers, for whom the Soviet legacy is only one of many directions. These are Ekaterina Kondaurova, Ekaterina Krysanova, Olesya Novikova, Natalya Osipova, Oksana Kardash, but more about them another time.
Ulyana Lopatkina
Today's media call Natalia Dudinskaya's student Ulyana Lopatkina (born in 1973) a “style icon” of Russian ballet. There is a grain of truth in this catchy definition. She is the ideal Odette-Odile, the true “two-faced” heroine of “Swan Lake” in the coldly refined Soviet version by Konstantin Sergeev, who also managed to develop and convincingly embody on stage another swan image in Mikhail Fokine’s decadent miniature “The Dying Swan” by Camille Saint-Saëns. From these two works of hers, recorded on video, Lopatkina is recognized on the street by thousands of fans all over the world, and hundreds of young ballet students are trying to master the craft and unravel the mystery of transformation. The refined and sensual Swan is Ulyana, and for a long time, even when the new generation of dancers eclipses the brilliant galaxy of ballerinas of the 1990–2000s, Odetta-Lopatkina will bewitch. She was also unattainable, technically precise and expressive in “Raymond” by Alexander Glazunov, “The Legend of Love” by Arif Melikov. She would not have been called a “style icon” without her contribution to the ballets of George Balanchine, whose American heritage, imbued with the culture of the Russian Imperial Ballet, was mastered by the Mariinsky Theater when Lopatkina was at the very peak of her career (1999–2010). Her best roles, namely roles, and not parts, since Lopatkina knows how to dramatically fill plotless compositions, she became solo works in “Diamonds”, “Piano Concerto No. 2”, “Theme and Variations” to the music of Pyotr Tchaikovsky, “Waltz” by Maurice Ravel. The ballerina participated in all avant-garde projects of the theater and as a result of collaboration with modern choreographers will give a head start to many.
Ulyana Lopatkina in the choreographic miniature “The Dying Swan”
Documentary“Ulyana Lopatkina, or Dancing on Weekdays and on Holidays”
Diana Vishneva
Second by birth, only three years younger than Lopatkina, student of the legendary Lyudmila Kovaleva Diana Vishneva (born in 1976), in reality she never “came” second, but only first. It so happened that Lopatkina, Vishneva and Zakharova, separated from each other by three years, walked side by side at the Mariinsky Theater, full of healthy rivalry and at the same time admiration for each other’s enormous, but completely different capabilities. Where Lopatkina reigned as the languid, graceful Swan, and Zakharova formed a new - urban - image of the romantic Giselle, Vishneva performed the function of the goddess of the wind. Having not yet graduated from the Academy of Russian Ballet, she was already dancing on the stage of the Mariinsky Kitri - main character in Don Quixote, a few months later she showed her achievements in Moscow on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater. And at the age of 20 she became a prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater, although many have to wait until they are 30 or more years old to be promoted to this status. At 18 (!), Vishneva tried on the role of Carmen in a number composed specially for her by Igor Belsky. In the late 90s, Vishneva was rightfully considered the best Juliet in the canonical version by Leonid Lavrovsky, she also became the most graceful Manon Lescaut in the ballet of the same name by Kenneth MacMillan. Since the early 2000s, in parallel with St. Petersburg, where she participated in many productions of such choreographers as George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, William Forsythe, Alexei Ratmansky, Angelen Preljocaj, she began performing abroad as a guest etoile (“ballet star”). Now Vishneva works more often in own projects, commissioning ballets for himself from famous choreographers (John Neumeier, Alexei Ratmansky, Caroline Carlson, Moses Pendleton, Dwight Rhoden, Jean-Christophe Maillot). The ballerina regularly dances in premieres of Moscow theaters. Vishneva enjoyed enormous success in the Bolshoi Theater ballet choreographed by Mats Ek “The Apartment” (2013) and in John Neumeier’s play “Tatyana” based on “Eugene Onegin” by Alexander Pushkin at the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Musical Theater in 2014. In 2013 she became one of the organizers of the November festival modern dance Context, which since 2016 has been taking place not only in Moscow, but also in St. Petersburg.
Documentary film “Always on the move. Diana Vishneva"
Svetlana Zakharova
The youngest of the three famous chicks of the A. Vaganova Academy from the 90s, Svetlana Zakharova (born in 1979) instantly caught up with her rivals and in some ways surpassed them, acting like the once great Leningrad ballerinas Marina Semyonova and Galina Ulanova, “to serve” at the Moscow Bolshoi Theater in 2003. She had behind her her studies with the excellent ARB teacher Elena Evteeva, experience working with Olga Moiseeva, the star of the Kirov Ballet of the 70s, and a gigantic track record. In any of the performances of the St. Petersburg period, Zakharova stood out clearly. Her strong point, on the one hand, was the interpretation of heroines in ancient ballets by Marius Petipa, restored by Sergei Vikharev, and soloists in avant-garde productions by leading choreographers, on the other. According to natural data and " technical specifications“Zakharova not only surpassed her colleagues at the Mariinsky Theater and then at the Bolshoi, she entered the cohort of the most sought-after ballerinas in the world who dance everywhere in guest status. And the most important ballet company in Italy - La Scala Ballet - offered her a permanent contract in 2008. Zakharova at some point admitted that she danced “Swan Lake”, “La Bayadère” and “The Sleeping Beauty” in all possible stage versions from Hamburg to Paris and Milan. At the Bolshoi Theatre, shortly after Zakharova moved to Moscow, John Neumeier staged his program ballet A Midsummer Night's Dream, and the ballerina shone in it in the double role of Hippolyta-Titania opposite Nikolai Tsiskaridze's Oberon. She also took part in the production of “Lady with Camellias” by Neumeier at the Bolshoi. Zakharova successfully collaborates with Yuri Posokhov - she danced the premiere of his “Cinderella” at the Bolshoi Theater in 2006 and in 2015 she performed the role of Princess Mary in “A Hero of Our Time.”
Documentary film “Prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater Svetlana Zakharova. Revelation"
Maria Alexandrova
At the same time, when the triad of St. Petersburg dancers conquered Northern Palmyra, the star of Maria Alexandrova (born in 1978) rose in Moscow. Her career developed with a slight delay: when she came to the theater, ballerinas had finished their days dancing previous generation- Nina Ananiashvili, Nadezhda Gracheva, Galina Stepanenko. In the ballets with their participation, Alexandrova - bright, temperamental, even exotic - was in the supporting roles, but it was she who received all the experimental premieres of the theater. Critics saw the very young ballerina in Alexei Ratmansky’s ballet “Dreams of Japan”; soon she interpreted Catherine II in Boris Eifman’s ballet “Russian Hamlet” and others. And debuts in the main roles of such ballets as “Swan Lake”, “Sleeping Beauty” ", "Raymonda", "The Legend of Love", she waited patiently for years.
The year 2003 became fateful when the choreographer chose Alexandrova as Juliet new wave Radu Poklitaru. It was an important performance that opened the way for new choreography (without pointe shoes, without classical positions) at the Bolshoi Theater, and Alexandrova held the revolutionary banner. In 2014, she repeated her success in another Shakespearean ballet - The Taming of the Shrew, choreographed by Mayo. In 2015, Alexandrova began collaborating with choreographer Vyacheslav Samodurov. He staged a ballet about the theater behind the scenes - “Curtain” in Yekaterinburg, and in the summer of 2016 he chose her for the role of Ondine in the ballet of the same name at the Bolshoi Theater. The ballerina managed to use the forced waiting time to hone dramatic side roles. The secret source of her creative energy aimed at acting does not dry out, and Alexandrova is always on alert.
Documentary film “Monologues about myself. Maria Alexandrova"
Victoria Tereshkina
Like Alexandrova at the Bolshoi, Victoria Tereshkina (born 1983) was in the shadow of the aforementioned trio of ballerinas. But she didn't wait for anyone to retire, she began to energetically seize parallel spaces: experimented with novice choreographers, did not get lost in the difficult ballets of William Forsythe (Approximate Sonata, for example). She often did what others did not undertake, or attempted, but could not cope with, but Tereshkina succeeded and is succeeding in absolutely everything. Her main strength was impeccable mastery of technique, helped by endurance and the presence of a reliable teacher nearby - Lyubov Kunakova. It is curious that, unlike Alexandrova, who went into the true drama that is only possible on the ballet stage, Tereshkina “focused” on improving technique and erected a triumphant plotlessness into a cult. Her favorite plot, which she always plays on stage, grows out of a sense of form.
Documentary film “The Royal Box. Victoria Tereshkina"
