They are airy, slender, light. Their dance is unique. Who are these outstanding ballerinas of our century?
Agrippina Vaganova (1879-1951)
One of the most important years in the history of Russian ballet is 1738. Thanks to the proposal of the French dance master Jean-Baptiste Lande and the approval of Peter I, the first school of ballet dance in Russia was opened in St. Petersburg, which exists to this day and is called the Academy of Russian Ballet. AND I. Vaganova. It was Agrippina Vaganova who systematized the traditions of classical imperial ballet in Soviet times. In 1957, her name was given to the Leningrad Choreographic School.
Maya Plisetskaya (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, Maya Mikhailovna Plisetskaya was born on November 20, 1925 in Moscow.
In June 1934, Maya entered the Moscow Choreographic School, where she consistently studied with teachers E. I. Dolinskaya, E. P. Gerdt, M. M. Leontyeva, but she considers Agrippina Yakovlevna Vaganova, whom she met already at the Bolshoi Theater, to be her best teacher , where she was accepted on April 1, 1943.
Maya Plisetskaya is a symbol of Russian ballet. She performed one of her main roles as Odette-Odile from Swan Lake on April 27, 1947. It was this Tchaikovsky ballet that became the core of her biography.
Matilda Kshesinskaya (1872-1971)
Born into the family of dancer F.I. Kshesinsky, a Pole by nationality. In 1890 she graduated from the ballet department of the St. Petersburg Theater School. In 1890-1917 she danced at the Mariinsky Theater. She became famous in the roles of Aurora (The Sleeping Beauty, 1893), Esmeralda (1899), Teresa (Rest of the Cavalry), etc. Her dance was distinguished by its bright artistry and cheerfulness. In the early 1900s she was a participant in M. M. Fokine’s ballets: “Eunika”, “Chopiniana”, “Eros”, and in 1911-1912 she performed in the Diaghilev Russian Ballet troupe.
Anna Pavlova (1881-1931)
Born in St. Petersburg. After graduating from the St. Petersburg Theater School, in 1899 she was accepted into the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater. She danced parts in the classical ballets “The Nutcracker”, “The Little Humpbacked Horse”, “Raymonda”, “La Bayadère”, “Giselle”. Natural abilities and constant improvement of performing skills helped Pavlova to become the leading dancer of the troupe in 1906.
Collaboration with innovative choreographers A. Gorsky and, especially, M. Fokin had a huge impact on identifying new opportunities in Pavlova’s performing style. Pavlova performed the main roles in Fokine's ballets Chopiniana, Armida's Pavilion, Egyptian Nights, etc. In 1907, at a charity evening at the Mariinsky Theater, Pavlova first performed the choreographic miniature The Swan (later The Dying Swan) choreographed for her by Fokine "), which later became a poetic symbol of Russian ballet of the 20th century.
Svetlana Zakharova (1979)
Svetlana Zakharova was born in Lutsk, Ukraine, on June 10, 1979. At the age of six, her mother took her to a choreographic club, where Svetlana studied folk dancing. At the age of ten she entered the Kiev Choreographic School.
After studying for four months, Zakharova left the school as her family moved to East Germany in accordance with the new assignment of her military father. Returning to Ukraine six months later, Zakharova again passed the exams at the Kiev Choreographic School and was immediately accepted into the second grade. At the Kiev School she studied mainly with Valeria Sulegina.
Svetlana performs in many cities around the world. In April 2008, she was recognized as the star of the famous Milan theater La Scala.
Galina Ulanova (1909-1998)
Galina Sergeevna Ulanova was born in St. Petersburg on January 8, 1910 (according to the old style, December 26, 1909), in a family of ballet masters.
In 1928, Ulanova graduated from the Leningrad Choreographic School. Pretty soon she joined the troupe of the Leningrad State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater (now the Mariinsky).
Ulanova had to leave her beloved Mariinsky Theater during the siege of Leningrad. During the Great Patriotic War, Ulanova danced in theaters in Perm, Alma-Ata, Sverdlovsk, performing in hospitals in front of the wounded. In 1944 Galina Sergeevna moves to the Bolshoi Theater, where she has performed periodically since 1934.
Galina's real achievement was the image of Juliet in Prokofiev's ballet Romeo and Juliet. Her best dances are also the role of Masha from Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker”, Maria from “The Fountain of Bakhchisarai” and Giselle Adana.
Tamara Karsavina (1885-1978)
Born in St. Petersburg in the family of Mariinsky Theater dancer Platon Karsavin, the grandniece of Alexei Khomyakov, a prominent philosopher and writer of the 1st half of the 19th century, sister of the philosopher Lev Karsavin.
She studied with A. Gorsky at the Peturburg Theater School, from which she graduated in 1902. While still a student, she performed the solo part of Cupid at the premiere of the ballet Don Quixote staged by Gorsky.
She began her ballet career during a period of academic crisis and the search for a way out of it. Fans of academic ballet found many flaws in Karsavina’s performance. The ballerina improved her performing skills with the best Russian and Italian teachers
Karsavina’s remarkable gift was manifested in her work on M. Fokin’s productions. Karsavina was the founder of fundamentally new trends in the art of ballet at the beginning of the 20th century, later called “intellectual art.”
The talented Karsavina quickly achieved the status of a prima ballerina. She performed leading roles in the ballets Carnival, Giselle, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker and many others.
Ulyana Lopatkina (1973)
Ulyana Vyacheslavna Lopatkina was born in Kerch (Ukraine) on October 23, 1973. As a child, she studied in dance clubs and in the gymnastics section. On the initiative of her mother, she entered the Academy of Russian Ballet. AND I. Vaganova in Leningrad.
In 1990, as a student, Lopatkina participated in the Second All-Russian Competition named after. AND I. Vaganova for students of choreographic schools and received first prize..
In 1995, Ulyana became a prima ballerina. Her track record includes the best roles in classical and modern productions.
Ekaterina Maksimova (1931-2009)
Born in Moscow on February 1, 1939. Since childhood, little Katya dreamed of dancing and at the age of ten she entered the Moscow Choreographic School. In the seventh grade, she danced her first role - Masha in The Nutcracker. After college, she joined the Bolshoi Theater and immediately, practically bypassing the corps de ballet, began dancing solo parts.
Of particular importance in Maximova’s work was her participation in television ballets, which revealed a new quality of her talent - comedic talent.
Since 1990, Maksimova has been a teacher and tutor at the Kremlin Ballet Theater. Since 1998 - choreographer-tutor of the Bolshoi Theater.
Natalya Dudinskaya (1912-2003)
Born on August 8, 1912 in Kharkov.
In 1923-1931 she studied at the Leningrad Choreographic School (student of A.Ya. Vaganova).
In 1931-1962 - leading dancer of the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater. CM. Kirov. She performed the main roles in the ballets “Swan Lake” and “The Sleeping Beauty” by Tchaikovsky, “Cinderella” by Prokofiev, “Raymonda” by Glazunov, “Giselle” by Adam and others.
We admire the skill of these brilliant ballerinas. They made a huge contribution to the development of Russian ballet!
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, real 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, the promising 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 the origin of the miniature: a day before the performance at a charity concert, Anna’s partner suddenly fell ill, and then the famous choreographer Mikhail Fokin came up with a miniature to the music of the great Saint-Saëns overnight 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 that he had composed beautiful 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 that 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 gained worldwide fame after his first debut, Chauvire was invited to join the troupes of the Theater des Champs-Élysées 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 role is the main role in the ballet "Giselle" to the music of Adolphe Adam. In 1972, an award named after the great ballerina Yvette Chauvire was established in Paris.
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 classic productions of the Mariinsky Theater ("Flames of Paris", "Bakhchisarai Fountain", "Swan Lake"). In 1951, the ballerina was awarded the title of People's Artist of the USSR, and a little later she became a laureate of the Lenin Prize. Since 1960, the artist has brilliantly danced Cinderella in Prokofiev's ballet of the same name, as well as Adan's Giselle. Ulanova’s former apartment is now presented as a museum, and a monument was erected in her honor in St. Petersburg.
6 . Of course, the most famous Russian ballerina, who went down in history with a record long 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. A graduate of the Moscow Choreographic School, Maya is accepted into the Bolshoi Theater troupe under the direction of the great Agrippina Vaganova, where a couple of years later 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 the 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.” Ulyana's distinctive feature is 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 her success in the theater, she is not afraid to start a 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 of “Swan Lake”. At the 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. The famous choreographer D. Dean creates a new role of Fairy Carabosse in the production of “The Sleeping Beauty” especially for Anastasia.
Recently, the artist’s schedule has been filled with constant concerts and tours, including a show in the Kremlin, where the greatest Russian pop stars were gathered.
Russian ballet has always occupied a special place in world culture, and to this day our ballerinas are ahead of the rest. Recently on Lady Mail.Ru we talked about the ballet star Sergei Polunin , and now it’s time to learn about the fair half, the girls who today are the face of Russian ballet.
Diana Vishneva
Diana Vishneva is one of the main stars of modern Russian ballet. In her career, Diana reached the highest heights - at the Bolshoi Theater she dances in “Swan Lake”, “Giselle”, “Sleeping Beauty” and “Lost Illusions”. She began dancing at the age of 6 in her native St. Petersburg, graduated from the ballet school there, and then began - London's Covent Garden, Metropolitan Opera, Parisian Grand Opera Theater - on all these famous stages of the world our Diana Vishneva danced. And it was she who performed at the opening of the Olympics in Sochi - remember the dance of the dove of peace?
Despite touring all over the world, the star considers her native Mariinsky Theater to be her home. “The theater is my state. If the Mariinsky Theater is suddenly moved - I don’t know, to China - I will never start speaking Chinese, because all my life happens inside the theater,” Diana said in an interview.
By the way, the ballerina’s personal life is also fine - she recently married her producer Konstantin Selinevich. The lovers had an incredibly beautiful wedding in the Hawaiian Islands.
2.
Svetlana Zakharova - the main star of Russian ballet today. She studied at the Kiev Ballet School, then lived in Germany for a long time, then danced at the Mariinsky Theater, and now shines on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater. At the same time, Svetlana manages to stay away from high-profile scandals, which are not uncommon for the Bolshoi. Zakharova herself admits that she receives great pleasure from her popularity: “For me, fame is not a burden, on the contrary, I feel satisfaction, I strived for this”
Anastasia Volochkova does not deny that she always dreamed of becoming a ballerina and went towards her goal, although she knew that she did not have suitable physical characteristics. Volochkova’s persistence nevertheless brought her to the Bolshoi Theater, but not for long - there Volochkova danced in Swan Lake, and then she was fired with a scandal and wrote more than one note about the intrigues of the theater. Now Anastasia performs solo concerts in cities of Russia and the CIS, but the stormy “social” life has long eclipsed all her ballet merits
4.
Ulyana Lopatkina, Prima of the Mariinsky Theater, managed to become a star of classical ballet, while possessing not quite “ballet” parameters. Ulyana's height is 178 cm, which is considered very tall for this type of art. But Lopatkina, it seems, was able to turn a disadvantage into an advantage - otherwise she would not have had so many fans around the world. By the way, Ulyana has a daughter from her marriage to businessman Vladimir Korenev (the couple divorced 3 years ago), whose mother does not drag her into ballet
5.
Ekaterina Kondaurova , which has received many prestigious ballet awards. This star does not strive to join the Bolshoi Theater, although she could, but prefers to live in St. Petersburg. “To be honest, I don’t like Moscow. I have never seen a more beautiful city than St. Petersburg,” says the ballerina, who, by the way, was born in Moscow
6.
Anastasia Vinokur , the daughter of artist Vladimir Vinokur, is not only a socialite, but also a ballerina. She dances in modern productions at the Bolshoi Theater, but does not strive for star status - many critics note that Anastasia simply does not have suitable physical characteristics. Anastasia became a ballerina, following in the footsteps of her mother, Tamara Pervakova. Let us recall that Vinokur recently married businessman Grigory Matveevichev
7.
Maria Bogdanovich . And although Maria danced at the Bolshoi Theater and then received a teaching diploma, she did not achieve particularly significant success in ballet, but she became a recognizable girl in the capital's elite. Maria is friends with actresses and designers, so lately she can be seen more often at social events than in the theater
8.
Svetlana Lunkina , a former prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theatre, unfortunately, no longer dances in her homeland - in 2013 she received an invitation from the National Ballet of Canada and went overseas. At the same time, Svetlana also manages to be a wife and mother - she is married to producer Vladislav Moskalev and has two children - a son and a daughter
9.
Polina Semionova - a world-class star who once committed a bold act - the girl abandoned her career at the Bolshoi Theater, where the competition was too high and cruel, and went to Berlin, becoming a prima ballerina there. Then Polina was invited to dance key roles in the USA, but she did not forget about her homeland - she performed at the Mikhailovsky Theater
10.
Alina Somova She could well have also made a modeling career - nature awarded the dancer with a very impressive appearance. By the way, in the past Alina had an affair with figure skater Alexei Yagudin, who himself said in an interview that the beautiful ballerina simply drove him crazy!
The dance style of this ballerina cannot be confused with anyone else. A clear, carefully honed gesture, measured movement around the stage, the utmost laconicism of costumes and movements - these are the features that immediately distinguish M. Plisetskaya.
After graduating from the Moscow Choreographic School, where Plisetskaya studied with teachers E. P. Gerdt and M. M. Leontyeva, from 1943 she worked at the Bolshoi Theater. From the very beginning of her creative career, Plisetskaya’s special artistic individuality emerged. Her work is distinguished by a rare combination of purity of line with imperious expression and rebellious dynamics of dance. And her excellent external characteristics - a long step, a high, light jump, rapid rotations, unusually flexible, expressive hands and the finest musicality - once again confirm that Plisetskaya not only became a ballerina, but was born one.
Anna Pavlovna Pavlova(February 12, 1881 – January 23, 1931), Russian ballerina.
Pavlova's art is a unique phenomenon in the history of world ballet. For the first time, she turned academic dance into a mass art form, close and understandable to even the most unprepared public.
Legends envelop her entire life from birth to death. According to the documents, her father was a soldier of the Life Guards Preobrazhensky Regiment. However, even during the ballerina’s lifetime, newspapers wrote about her aristocratic origins.
Galina Sergeevna
Ulanova(January 8, 1910 – March 21, 1998), Russian ballerina.
Ulanova’s work constituted an entire era in the history of world ballet. She not only admired the filigree art of dance, but with every movement she conveyed the state of mind of her heroine, her mood and character.
The future ballerina was born into a family where dance was a profession. Her father was a famous dancer and choreographer, and her mother was a ballerina and teacher. Therefore, Ulanova’s admission to the Leningrad Choreographic School was completely natural. At first she studied with her mother, and then the famous ballerina A. Ya. Vaganova became her teacher.
In 1928, Ulanova brilliantly graduated from college and was accepted into the troupe of the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater. Soon she becomes the leading performer of the roles of the classical repertoire - in the ballets of P. Tchaikovsky “Swan Lake” and “The Nutcracker”, A. Adam “Giselle” and others. In 1944 she became a soloist at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow.
Marius Ivanovich Petipa(March 11, 1818 - July 14, 1910), Russian artist, choreographer.
The name of Marius Petipa is known to everyone who is even slightly familiar with the history of ballet. Wherever today there are ballet theaters and schools, where films and television programs dedicated to ballet are shown, books about this amazing art are published, this man is known and honored. Although he was born in France, he worked all his life in Russia and is one of the founders of modern ballet.
Petipa once admitted that from birth his whole life was connected with the stage. Indeed, his father and mother were famous ballet dancers and lived in the large port city of Marseille. But Marius’s childhood was spent not in the south of France, but in Brussels, where the family moved immediately after his birth in connection with his father’s new appointment.
Marius's musical abilities were noticed very early, and he was immediately sent to the Great College and Conservatory to study violin. But his first teacher was his father, who taught a ballet class at the theater. In Brussels, Petipa appeared on stage for the first time as a dancer.
He was only twelve years old at that time. And already at sixteen he became a dancer and choreographer in Nantes. True, he worked there for only a year and then, together with his father, went on his first foreign tour to New York. But, despite the purely commercial success that accompanied them, they quickly left America, realizing that there was no one there to appreciate their art.
Returning to France, Petipa realized that he needed to get a deeper education, and became a student of the famous choreographer Vestris. The classes quickly yielded results: in just two months he became a dancer, and later a choreographer at the Bordeaux ballet theater.
Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev(March 31, 1872 - August 19, 1929), Russian theater figure, impresario, publisher.
Diaghilev did not know his mother; she died during childbirth. He was raised by his stepmother, who treated him the same as her own children. Therefore, for Diaghilev, the death of his half-brother in Soviet times became a real tragedy. Perhaps that is why he stopped striving to return to his homeland.
Diaghilev's father was a hereditary nobleman, a cavalry guard. But due to debts, he was forced to leave the army and settle in Perm, which at that time was considered the Russian outback. His house almost immediately becomes the center of the city's cultural life. Parents often played music and sang at the evenings held in their house. Their son also took music lessons. Sergei received such a diverse education that when he ended up in St. Petersburg after graduating from high school, he was in no way inferior in knowledge to his St. Petersburg peers and sometimes even surpassed them in terms of erudition and knowledge of history and Russian culture.
Diaghilev's appearance turned out to be deceptive: the big provincial man, who seemed like a bumpkin, was quite well read and spoke several languages fluently. He easily entered the university environment and began to be listed as a student at the Faculty of Law of St. Petersburg University.
At the same time, he immersed himself in the theatrical and musical life of the capital. The young man takes private piano lessons from the Italian A. Cotonya, attends a class at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, tries to compose music, and studies the history of artistic styles. During the holidays, Diaghilev made his first trip to Europe. He seems to be looking for his calling, turning to various areas of art. Among his friends are L. Bakst, E. Lanseray, K. Somov - the future core of the World of Art association.
Vaslav Fomich Nijinsky(March 12, 1890 – April 8, 1950), Russian dancer and choreographer.
In the 1880s, a troupe of Polish dancers performed successfully in Russia. It was staffed by husband and wife – Tomasz and Eleanor Nijinsky. They became the parents of the future great dancer. Theater and dance entered Vaclav’s life from the first months of his life. As he himself later wrote, “the desire to dance was as natural to me as breathing.”
In 1898 he entered the St. Petersburg Ballet School, graduated in 1907 and was accepted into the Mariinsky Theater. The outstanding talent of a dancer and actor immediately brought Nijinsky to the position of prime minister. He performed many parts of the academic repertoire and was a partner of such brilliant ballerinas as O. I. Preobrazhenskaya, A. P. Pavlova,.
Already at the age of 18, Nijinsky danced the main roles in almost all new ballets staged on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater. In 1907 he danced the White Slave in the Armida Pavilion, in 1908 the Slave in Egyptian Nights and the Young Man in Chopiniana staged by M. M. Fokin, and a year later he performed the role of the Hurricane in the ballet Talisman by Drigo directed by N. G. Legat.
And, nevertheless, in 1911, Nijinsky was fired from the Mariinsky Theater because, while performing in the ballet “Giselle,” he voluntarily put on a new costume made according to a sketch by A. N. Benois. By appearing on stage half-naked, the actor irritated the members of the royal family sitting in the boxes. Even the fact that by this time he was one of the most famous dancers of Russian ballet could not protect him from dismissal.
Ekaterina Sergeevna Maksimova(February 1, 1939 - April 28, 2009), Russian Soviet and Russian ballerina, choreographer, choreographer, teacher, People's Artist of the USSR.
This unique ballerina has not left the stage for thirty-five years. However, Maksimova is still connected with ballet today, since she is a teacher and tutor at the Kremlin Ballet Theater.
Ekaterina Maksimova received a special education at the Moscow Choreographic School, where her teacher was the famous E. P. Gerdt. While still a student, Maksimova received first prize at the All-Union Ballet Competition in Moscow in 1957.
She began her service to art in 1958. After graduating from college, the young ballerina came to the Bolshoi Theater and worked there until 1988. Small in stature, perfectly proportioned and surprisingly flexible, it seemed that nature itself was destined for classical roles. But it soon became obvious that her capabilities were truly limitless: she performed both classical and modern roles with equal brilliance.
The secret of Maximova’s success is that she continued to study all her life. The famous ballerina G. Ulanova passed on her rich experience to her. It was from her that the young ballet actress adopted the art of dramatic dance. It is no coincidence that, unlike many ballet actors, she played a number of roles in ballet television performances. Maximova’s unusually expressive face with big eyes reflected the most subtle nuances when performing comedic, lyrical and dramatic roles. In addition, she brilliantly performed not only female, but also male roles, as, for example, in the ballet performance “Chapliniana”.
Sergei Mikhailovich Lifar(April 2 (15), 1905 - December 15, 1986), Russian and French dancer, choreographer, teacher, collector and artist.
Sergei Lifar was born in Kyiv into the family of a prominent official; his mother came from the family of the famous grain merchant Marchenko. He received his primary education in his hometown, entering the Kiev Imperial Lyceum in 1914, where he underwent the training necessary for a future officer.
At the same time, from 1913 to 1919, Lifar attended piano classes at the Taras Shevchenko Conservatory. Having decided to devote his life to ballet, he entered the State School of Arts (dance class) at the Kyiv Opera in 1921 and received the basics of choreographic education in B. Nijinska’s studio.
In 1923, on the recommendation of the teacher, together with four of his other students, Lifar was invited to audition for the Russian Ballet troupe of S.P. Diaghilev. Sergei managed to pass the competition and get into the famous team. From that time on, the difficult process of transforming a novice amateur into a professional dancer began. Lifar was given lessons by the famous teacher E. Cecchetti.
At the same time, he learned a lot from professionals: after all, the best dancers in Russia traditionally came to Diaghilev’s troupe. In addition, not having his own ideas, Diaghilev carefully collected the best that was in Russian choreography and supported the searches of George Balanchine and Mikhail Fokine. Famous Russian artists were involved in scenography and theatrical decorations. Therefore, the Russian Ballet gradually turned into one of the best companies in the world.
A few years after the death of Maris Liepa, it was decided to immortalize five of his drawings in the form of medallions. They were made under the direction of the Italian master D. Montebello in Russia and are sold at evenings in memory of Liepa in Moscow and Paris. True, the first circulation was only one hundred to one hundred and fifty medallions.
After graduating from the Riga Choreographic School with V. Blinov, Maris Liepa came to Moscow to also study at the Moscow Choreographic School with N. Tarasov. After graduating in 1955, he never returned to his historical homeland and worked in Moscow almost his entire life. Here he received recognition from fans and his fame as an outstanding ballet dancer.
Immediately after graduating from college, Maris Liepa joined the troupe of the K. Stanislavsky Theater, where he danced the role of Lionel in the ballet “Joan of Arc,” Phoebus, and Conrad. Already in these parts the main features of his talent were revealed - the combination of excellent technique with the vivid expressiveness of each movement. The work of the young artist attracted the attention of leading ballet specialists, and since 1960 Liepa became a member of the Bolshoi Theater team.
Matilda Feliksovna Kshesinskaya(Maria-Matilda Adamovna-Feliksovna-Valerievna Krzesinska) (August 19 (31), 1872 - December 6, 1971), Russian ballerina.
Matilda Kshesinskaya was petite, only 1 meter 53 centimeters tall, and the future ballerina could boast of her curves, unlike her thin friends. But, despite her height and somewhat overweight for ballet, the name of Kshesinskaya for many decades did not leave the pages of gossip columns, where she was presented among the heroines of scandals and “femme fatales.” This ballerina was the mistress of the last Russian Tsar Nicholas II (when he was still heir to the throne), as well as the wife of Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich. They talked about her as a fantastic beauty, and yet she was distinguished only by her unusually beautiful figure. At one time, Kshesinskaya was a famous ballerina. And although the level of talent was much inferior to, say, such a contemporary as Anna Pavlova, she still took her place in Russian ballet art.
Kshesinskaya was born into a hereditary artistic environment, which for several generations was associated with ballet. Matilda's father was a famous dancer and a leading artist in the imperial theaters.
The father became the first teacher of his youngest daughter. Following her older sister and brother, Matilda was accepted into the choreographic school, after which her long service in the imperial theaters began.
