The roots of Russian ballet, like any art form, lie in dance folklore. Most likely, these were cult dances (all kinds of round dances) and play dances (“Pere-dance”, “Kuma, where was I”, etc.). Russian ballet not only preserved all aesthetic canons, but also became a trendsetter in the world of ballet.
Origins
IN Kievan Rus at the turn of the 8th-9th centuries, the first dancers began to appear, professionals in their field - buffoons... After a while, when Moscow became the capital, buffoons were no longer necessarily men.
In the 15th-16th centuries, cheerful spectacles of mummers with faces hidden by masks, the so-called “mashkars,” amazed and surprised visiting foreigners.
In the 17th century, the history of Russian ballet was marked by the opening of the Kremlin Theater. According to established tradition, each production in this theater always ended with inter-seungs (special performances of ballet dancers). These so-called entrée were performed by men dressed in pompous clothing. The actors showed several elements ballroom dance.
Royal fun
The first full-scale ballet performance in Russia is considered to be a performance staged on February 8, 1673. This happened significant event at the court of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and it was called “The Ballet of Orpheus and Eurydice.” The history of Russian ballet describes it as a change of ceremonial poses, slow dances, bows and transitions. Between them, the actors spoke memorized words or sang. All this bore little resemblance to a real theatrical performance. It was just royal fun, enticing with its obscurity.
Meanwhile, I. Gregory, the theater organizer, invites Nicola Lima to organize training courses theater skills for the royal theater. At first, 10 children of noble townspeople, then 20, successfully completed their training and showed the ballet “Orpheus” in the French style to the Tsar.
The task has been set
Only after a quarter of a century had passed, Peter I, having set out to reform the cultural life of Russia, introduced music and dance into the life of Russian society. He decides to instill art in the elite layers of St. Petersburg residents. To achieve this, Peter I closes the Moscow theater of Alexei Mikhailovich and issues a revolutionary decree. This decree on assemblies obliged all government agencies Teaching ballroom dancing is mandatory. These reforms made the position of dance master unattainably high. It is to these stewards of the assemblies that ballet owes the appearance of innovations in ballet dance movements that came from abroad in the form of elements from national Slavic dances.
The author V. Krasovskaya (“History of Russian Ballet” - Leningrad Art, 1978) believes that thanks to the energy and peremptory nature of Peter I, performances by ballet troupes, musicians and opera artists invited from abroad.
At the beginning of 1738, a school was organized in the country ballet art, which, in fact, became the first. The history of Russian ballet briefly talks about this period. Graduates of the school worked in ballet groups of foreign theaters as so-called figurants (corps de ballet actors). And only much later were they allowed to join the main parties.
First vocational training
Cradle modern ballet Historians believe that the Land was where the famous Jean Baptiste Lange worked, who and his students staged three court ballet performances. As the history of Russian ballet shows, they became practically the first ballet performances that complied with all laws and norms Royal Academy dancing in the capital of France.
Cadets of the gentry corps took part in an academic, lyrical, semi-characteristic and at the same time comic ballet performance by the Fessano troupe from Italy.
Elizabeth I, so as not to lose those prepared ballet dancers, opens Her Majesty's Own dance school, the first set of which were 12 children of commoners.
And by the end of 1742, the empress signed a decree ordering the establishment ballet troupe from Russian dancers. It was here that the first Russian stars appeared - professional ballet dancers: Aksinya Baskakova and Afanasy Toporkov.
Breaking the Deadlock
The death of Baptiste Lande brings confusion to the choreographic business in the country. The performances directed by Fessano become monotonous and boring burlesques. The audience is not attracted to such productions.
The history of Russian ballet briefly describes that period. At this time, in Europe there is a question about the reform of choreography. Rousseau and Saint-Mars demand that ballet dancers get rid of their pompous clothes and masks and wigs. Diderot strongly recommends changing the storylines of ballet performances. Meanwhile, John Weaver, without waiting for general changes, puts on a dance performance with a well-thought-out plot, and Georges Nover writes the legendary “Letters on Dance.”
Russian ballet is not far behind. The appearance of Hilferding is proof of this. This German specialist established plot choreographic performances in St. Petersburg. In Paris, story ballet productions appeared only 15 years later. Hilferding was assisted by Leopold Paradiso. Already by the 50s of the 18th century they were creating independent ballet plays.
Beginning of dramatic productions
The first drama in Russian ballet belongs to A.P. Sumarokov. He promoted laudatory dance performances, composed literary basis for the ballet performances “Refuge of Virtue” and “New Laurels”.
Gasparo Angiolini, a choreographer invited by the Tsar, intensifying the brightness of Slavic folk song notes, staged the ballet performance “Fun about Christmastide.” Catherine II highly praised the performance. In 1779, the Legislative Commission in in full force approved the ballet, the music for which was written based on Slavic folklore.
After such a colossal success, Angilini moved on to entertainment theatrical productions, which ridiculed topical issues. These were panegyrics that caused a stir: “Triumphing Russia” (the defeat of the Turkish army at Kagul and Larga was praised), “New Argonauts” (a glorious ode to the fleet Russian Empire) and “Victory Reasoning” (the question of concern to everyone about the need for vaccination against rampant smallpox was raised).
A little earlier, the first heroic ballet performance of “Semira” was staged. From that moment on, choreographers began to pay great attention to the expressiveness of ballet dance. For dancers can simultaneously be engaged in amusing opera performances of non-state theaters, and in pseudo-Russian opera shows, the libretto for which was composed by the Empress herself.
By the new year of 1778 in St. Petersburg (as the history of Russian ballet shows, books vividly describe this unique event) two theaters await the audience: the commercial “Free Theater” and the court one.
The first serf groups
In the second half of the 18th century, mastery of dance art. And already at the beginning of 1773, under the tutelage of Leopold Paradise, the first educational center was opened in the capital on the basis of the Orphanage, which later became the first public theater. The first intake included 60 children. Yu. Bakhrushin talks about the first choreographic performances staged by the famous Cosimo Meddox in his books.
The history of Russian ballet, studied and described by him in great detail, fully reveals this period of dance art. Medox, with a group of young dancers trained in Russia, staged comic operas, choreographic performances dedicated to real events (for example, “The Taking of Ochakov”), and divertissements.
Against this background, the serf theater began to develop rapidly. IN last decade In the 18th century, large groups of serf actors were already well known. Zorich, Golovkina, Apraksin, Sheremetyev, Potemkin and other landowners had such groups.
The same period was marked by the development and installation of technology female dance and decoration of the stage for the performance. Appears new tradition specify the scene of action on stage, write the scenery in realistic style, apply the play of penumbra and light.
Celebration of Russian ballet
The history of Russian ballet of the 19th and 20th centuries is rich and diverse. By the beginning of the 19th century, the art of ballet reaches the maturity that is appreciated by the audience. Russian ballerinas bring airiness, nobility and expressiveness to their choreography. This is very aptly noted by A. S. Pushkin, describing the beauty dance moves his contemporary, the star of the ballet stage, Istomina: “soul-filled flight” (the phrase has become synonymous with ballet). Her facial expressions and refinement of dance movements evoked admiration. Most spectators went specifically to
Anastasia Likhutina, Ekaterina Teleshova, and Maria Danilova were no less beautiful.
Ballet performances are gaining popularity. Ballet dance, as an art, becomes privileged, and government subsidies are allocated for it.
By the 60s of the last century, the cultural elite was embraced by the newfangled movement of “realism”. A crisis is coming to the Russian theater. Regarding choreographic performances, he expressed himself in primitivism storyline, which adjusted to a certain dance. Ballerinas who have achieved perfection are offered to dance in realistic performances.
The history of the creation of Russian ballet comes out on new round. The revival began with Pyotr Tchaikovsky, who was the first to write music for a choreographic production. For the first time in the history of ballet, music became as important as dance. And it even found itself on a par with opera music and symphonic compositions. If before Tchaikovsky music was written under dance elements, now the ballet actor, with his plasticity, movement and grace, sought to convey the musical mood and emotion, thereby helping the viewer to unravel the plot transcribed by the composer to notes. The world still admires the famous Swan Lake.
Choreographer A. Gorsky introduced elements of modern directing into his productions and began to pay great attention to the artistic framing of the stage, believing that the viewer should be completely immersed in what is happening on stage. He prohibited the use of elements of pantomime. M. Fokin radically turned the situation around. He revived romantic ballet and made body language in dance understandable and speaking. According to Fokin, each stage production should be unique. That is musical accompaniment, style and dance pattern should be specific only to a specific performance. In the first years of the 20th century, his productions “Egyptian Nights”, “The Dying Swan”, “Dream in summer night", "Acis and Galatea" etc.
In 1908, P. invites Fokin to become the main director of the Parisian “Russian Seasons”. Thanks to this invitation, Fokin becomes world famous. And Russian ballet dancers began to perform triumphantly in the French capital every year. The history of Russian ballet glorifies the dancers of the Russian troupe, whose names the whole world knows: Adolf Bolm, Tamara Karsavina, Vaslav Nijinsky, etc. And this during the decline of European ballet!
Diaghilev took a risk and won. He assembled a troupe of young and talented ballet actors and gave them freedom of action. He allowed us to act outside the known framework set by the famous, but already quite elderly Petipa.
Freedom of action gave the dancers the opportunity to discover and express themselves. In addition to these revolutionary innovations, Diaghilev attracted decoration his most famous contemporaries artists (J. Cocteau, A. Derain, P. Picasso) and composers (C. Debissy, M. Ravel, I. Stravinsky). Now every ballet production has become a masterpiece.
After October Revolution many dancers and choreographers left rebellious Russia. But the core remained. Russian ballet is gradually becoming closer to the people. The pages of history during the period of formation have seen a lot...
After the mid-20th century, dancers and choreographers of a new generation returned to the stage the forgotten dance miniature, symphony and one-act ballet. The number of studios and theaters began to steadily increase.
"Triumphator", ballerina, ballet critic
The famous Russian dancer Vera Mikhailovna Krasovskaya was born in the Russian Empire on September 11, 1915. After high school She entered and successfully graduated from the Leningrad Choreographic School in 1933. She studied with the famous Vaganova Agrippina. From that time until 1941, Krasovskaya served at the Theater. Kirov. She is busy with ballets of the academic repertoire.
In 1951, Vera Mikhailovna graduated from graduate school in Leningrad. Theater Institute them. A. Ostrovsky, after basic training at the Faculty of Theater Studies.
The school of professionalism received by Krasovskaya first in the class of Agrippina Vaganova, then in the ballet productions of the Mariinsky Theater, along with a store of knowledge of an encyclopedic scale, aristocracy, cultural traditions and an amazing command of languages (French and English), allowed her to become a brilliant and definitely the largest ballet art critic.
In 1998, good news spread throughout theater world. The Triumph Award was received by Vera Mikhailovna Krasovskaya. The history of Russian ballet, which she told about in books (some of them have been translated into foreign languages) and articles (more than 300) as an art historian and critic, made Vera Mikhailovna a free laureate Russian Prize"Triumph". This award is given for highest achievements in art and literature.
In 1999, Vera Mikhailovna Krasovskaya passed away.
Epilogue
The history of Russian ballet gratefully preserves the names of masters of dance art who made a colossal contribution to the formation of Russian choreography. These are the well-known C. Didelot, M. Petipa, A. Saint-Leon, S. Diaghilev, M. Fomin and many others. And the talent of Russian artists attracted and continues to attract today huge amount spectators in different countries peace.
To this day, Russian ballet troupes are considered the best in the world.
The consequence of the French bourgeois revolution was the dismissal of unreliable foreigners from the government service. As a result, the Russian ballet was able to rely on its own personnel, the first of whom in 1786 was Ivan Walberkh, who headed the St. Petersburg ballet ballet school.
Sentimentalism in the ballets of I. Walberch
Fascinated by Karamzin's sentimentalism, Walberg made his debut in 1795 with the ballet Happy Repentance. Based on mythological plot he staged “moral ballets” that were supposed to awaken moral feelings. This choreographer paid attention realistic plot and a suit. His work was suspended when Paul I ordered male dancers to be sent to serve in the army. However, in 1799 he staged the innovative ballet “New Werther” based on the life of modern society.
Didelot's dance performances - the formation of a national repertoire
The productions in the Empire style by the French choreographer Didelot, who worked in Russia in 1801-1811, were to the taste of the Russian courtiers. His Anacreontic ballets “Apollo and Daphne”, “Zephyr and Flora”, “The Shepherd and Hamadryad”, “Cupid and Psyche” amazed with their grace (the dancers performed in sandals) and the famous group flights, which were ensured by simple stage mechanics.
As a result of the work of these choreographers, by 1805 the national ballet repertoire. Followed soon Patriotic War 1812 became the reason for the appearance of patriotic divertissements, in which E.I. shone in Russian dances. Kolosova. At the beginning of the 19th century, ballets based on plots appeared. The largest work was the ballet “Ruslan and Lyudmila,” which was staged by Didelot’s student Adam Glushkovsky.
The formation of the Russian school of classical dance
Thanks to the work of Didelot, who understood the need for reformation of stage dance and considered it a fundamental part dramatic action, the formation began Russian school of classical dance.
It was Didelot who put Danilova on pointe shoes in 1808. Finger technique brought ballerinas to the main roles.
Among the pantomime dancers of that time, they stood out Istomina, to whom A.S. dedicated poems. Pushkin.
The Moscow ballet school focused on producing soloists, while the St. Petersburg school trained the corps de ballet.
The ballet costume began to use a women's colored bodice, a men's bambette and tunic. The men began to use ground and air support. Ballerinas danced in satin ballet shoes with quilted toes. Characteristic dances were performed in suede or leather boots with heels. In 1825, the Bolshoi Petrovsky Theater opened in Moscow.
Romantic ballet of the 19th century in Russia
The Italian choreographer Taglioni wanted to make his daughter Maria a famous ballerina, despite her weak abilities. To do this, he modified the productions, complicating them technically and actually creating a romantic direction. M. Taglioni's star lit up in the ballet La Sylphide to the music of Schneizhofer. In 1837, this ballet was seen in theatrical St. Petersburg. In parallel with Taglioni, E. Sankovskaya danced the part of La Sylphide in Moscow. They were constantly compared by spectators, which contributed to the progress of art. The previously shown “Fenella” and “La Bayadère in Love” could not compare with this work. The pinnacle of romantic ballet was Adan's Giselle, which conquered St. Petersburg in 1842. Its creator, J. Perrault, soon began to direct the St. Petersburg ballet troupe and staged “Esmeralda,” in which he developed “effective” dance that moves the plot.
This ballet to the music of Pugni based on the plot of V. Hugo was opened new era ballet art. The social realistic orientation was further strengthened in Perrault’s next work, the ballet “Catherine, the Robber’s Daughter.” In the future tsarist censorship prevented Perrault from staging such ballets. “The War of Women, or the Amazon of the 19th Century” caused criticism from the authorities following “Katarina”. The choreographer had to switch to entertainment themes (“The Naiad and the Fisherman”, “The Wayward Wife”, “Marco the Bomb”, “The Cantante”). However, at the end of his career, Perrault took up serious work - he staged Faust and Corsair.
Performers of realistic ballets
Fani Elsler's passion for Spanish folk dances and her ability to create an image on stage led the ballerina to world fame. Her tour in 1848 was a huge success in Russia. The Moscow audience applauded her Lisa from “ Vain precaution"and Olga in "Russian Orphan". Under the guidance of N. Peshkov (Lobanov’s student), Elsler studied Russian dance, which gave a new impetus development of folk stage dance. The outstanding Russian dancer E. Andriyanova, who at one time studied technique in the class of her father M. Taglioni, worked in the same vein. After Elsler's tour, she also began to dance modified folk dances(“Saltarello”, “Lezginka”, etc.). Her parts in “Paquita” and “ Bakhchisarai fountain"were ambiguously perceived by contemporaries, but left a significant mark on history. With long tours around the provinces and abroad, Andriyanova promoted the new choreographic art.
Famous ballerinas of the Russian school of ballet of the 19th century
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 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 place was allocated in the corps.
Jean Baptiste Lande, who is considered the founder of Russian ballet art, became the dance master of the corps in 1734.
Jean Baptiste Lande, unknown
In 1738 Jean Baptiste Landais The first ballet school in Russia was opened - Dance Eya Imperial Majesty school (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 Valberkh.
Pushkinsky Petersburg. A.M. Gordin
Under Paul I, special rules for ballet were issued - it was ordered that there should not be a single man on stage during the performance and male roles at that time should be performed by women, for example, Evgenia Ivanovna Kolosova (1780-1869). Kolosova was one of the first to perform on ballet stage Russian dances. Another innovation of hers was that she replaced the lush stylized costume with an antique chiton.
Evgenia Kolosova (1782-1869), Alexander Grigorievich Varnek
Ballet dancer and choreographer Adam Glushkovsky wrote about Kolosova: “I have been following the art of dance for more than forty years, I have seen many famous ballet artists coming to Russia, but in none of them have I seen such talent as that possessed by Evgenia Ivanovna Kolosova, a dancer of the St. Petersburg theater. Every movement. her faces and every gesture were so natural and understandable that they decisively replaced speech for the viewer.” Evgenia Kolosova was on stage from 1794 to 1826, after which she began teaching.
Evgenia (Evdokia) Ivanovna Kolosova (1782-1869)
One of Evgenia Kolosova’s students was Avdotya (Evdokia) Ilyinichna Istomina (1799-1848), sung by Pushkin in “Eugene Onegin”:
Avdotya Ilyinichna Istomina (1799-1848)
Avdotya Ilyinichna Istomina (1799-1848), Henri-François Riesener
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.
Portrait of A.I. Istomina. Pushkin Museum, A(?). Winterhalter.
Another famous ballerina of those years was Maria Ivanovna Danilova (1793-1810), whose creative path was cut short by death from tuberculosis at the age of 17.
Maria Ivanovna Danilova
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 Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Telesheva (1804-1857).
Portrait of E.A. Telesheva as Louise from the ballet “The Deserter” to the music of P.A. Monsigny, Pietro de Rossi Pietro de Rossi (1761-1831)
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.
Count Mikhail Andreevich Miloradovich, George Dow
Ekaterina Telesheva. Portrait by Orest Kiprensky
Zephyr and Flora
A famous Russian ballerina of the 19th century was (1836-1882). The ballerina's husband was ballet dancer Marius Petipa.
Maria Sergeevna Surovshchikova-Petipa
Maria Sergeevna Surovshchikova-Petipa
"Adele Dumilâtre as Myrtha in Giselle", Bouvier, Jules (1800-1867)
Marius Petipa in the ballet "The Pharaoh's Daughter"
Marius Petipa.
The fruit of the union of the artistic couple Maria Surovshchikova - Marius Petipa was the daughter Maria Mariusovna Petipa (1857-1930), who, like her parents, became a famous ballet dancer. 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."
Maria Mariusovna Petipa
Maria Mariusovna Petipa
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 became her marriage with Prince Mikhail Mikhailovich Golitsyn, a representative of one of the most noble Russian births, an officer who rose to the rank of Adjutant General of His Majesty's Suite.
Prince Mikhail Mikhailovich Golitsyn (1840-1918) - cavalry general
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.
Scenery and costumes by A. Benois for the ballet Giselle
A prominent representative of the Moscow school of ballet of the 19th century was Praskovya Prokhorovna Lebedeva (1839-1917), who was the leading dancer of the Bolshoi Theater for 10 years.
Cambon, Charles-Antoine (1802-1875). Dessinateur
Another famous ballerina Bolshoi Theater was Lydia Nikolaevna Gaten (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 in order to preserve the traditions of Moscow ballet. After leaving the stage, Gaten taught at the Moscow Choreographic School.
Coppélia 1870 decor
She worked on the stage of the imperial theaters of St. Petersburg for 30 years (from 1855 to 1885). Lyubov Petrovna Radina (1838-1917). Contemporaries wrote about her: “She had outstanding success in character dances, requiring fire and passion, but she also excelled in mimic roles.”
Bayadere -Decor Design -Act II -K Brozh -1877
In the 60s of the 19th century she shone on the stages of St. Petersburg, Moscow and Paris Marfa Nikolaevna Muravyova (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.”
Giselle (A. Benois)
Giselle Queen of the Vintage
From 1859 to 1879 she performed at the Bolshoi Theater Anna Iosifovna Sobeshchanskaya (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 amazing 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.” 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 she danced in the St. Petersburg Ballet Troupe of the Imperial Theaters Varvara Ivanovna Nikitina (1857-1920).
sleeping Beauty
8 chosen
How beautiful is the flight of a ballerina in dance, how light and airy it is, and how hard her work is on the way to this apparent lightness. Thousands of girls start this path in ballet schools, but only a few become Great Ballerinas. April 23 is a significant date in the world of ballet - 210 years since the birth of Maria Taglioni, the first ballerina to stand on pointe shoes and the first to appear in an air cloud tutu. But these are not the main pages in the history of ballet, written by the great ballerina - her dance, airy, mystical, which was compared to Paganini’s violin, became the most famous legend ballet
Maria Taglioni (1804-1884)
Maria's father was a choreographer and choreographer, so he saw in his daughter something that others did not see. How else? After all, she was supposed to become a third generation ballerina! And she looked like an ugly, hunched duckling among his other students, from whom she suffered a lot of ridicule. The father was unforgiving and strict, sometimes the lesson ended with the exhausted Maria fainting, but it was hard labor that turned her into a ballet nymph. And ahead of her was a triumph - in 1827, the “Venice Carnival” in Paris, after which she danced at the Grand Opera and world fame at the age of 28 in her father’s production of “La Sylphide”. The role of Sylphide became the main one in her life - for a quarter of a century she was the best performer of this part. She was followed by other roles in productions by Philippe Taglioni, a long contract with the Grand Opera and... tours in Russia. And St. Petersburg literally “got sick of ballet” - she performed every other day, invariably causing delight and admiration, the attention of the imperial family and the adoration of the public. The ballerina's last performance in St. Petersburg took place on March 1, 1842. They called her eighteen times - her, the Sylphide, flying above the stage on the tips of her pointe shoes in a gas cloud of a ballet tutu...
Anna Pavlova (1881-1931)
Future star Russian ballet dreamed of a white rehearsal hall with a portrait of Maria Taglioni on the wall. The daughter of a railway contractor and a laundress had excellent natural ballet abilities and great perseverance, thanks to which she was able to become a student at a theater school, because she was not accepted right away! Only the second attempt was successful, thanks to Marius Petipa, who saw “a feather in the wind” in the little girl. After graduating from college, Anna entered Mariinsky Theater, whose prima she became 6 years later after her first appearance on stage. “La Bayadère”, “Giselle”, “The Nutcracker” in her brilliant performance delighted theater audiences and picky “balletomanes”. Real fame came to her in 1907 after performing the miniature “The Dying Swan” to the music of Saint-Saëns, which Mikhail Fokin staged for her literally in one night for a performance at charity concert. The miniature forever became a symbol of Russian ballet of the 20th century. Since 1910, a series of tours of the “Russian Swan” and the history of its world fame begin. The "Russian Seasons" in Paris became one of the "golden pages" in the history of Russian and world ballet. Anna Pavlova creates her own troupe, her own ballet family, with which she opens the world to the classical ballet of Tchaikovsky and Glazunov. In 1913 she moved to London and never returned to Russia. America, Europe, India, Cuba, Australia applauded Pavlova, who became a living legend. Anna Pavlova died during a tour in The Hague on January 23, 1931 from pneumonia.
Olga Spesivtseva (1895-1991)
What broke the soul of the ballerina most of all was the shock of the revolution, which haunted her with accusations of emigration of “espionage”, emotional drama or total immersion in the image of Giselle, for whose sake she visited homes for the mentally ill and with whom she shared her madness? She could no longer go on stage and, broken, in 1931 she moved to the USA, where she soon found herself in a hospital in a state of complete loss of memory, where she stayed until 1963. A miracle happened, her memory returned to her and until her death Olga Spesivtseva lived in the boarding house of the Leo Tolstoy Foundation, managing to star in a documentary film...
Agrippina Vaganova (1879-1951)
She did not become a great ballerina, but her name is known throughout the world as the name of a great ballet teacher, which the Academy of Dance bears...
On stage, she was destined for only third-rate roles - she was not attractive in appearance and the first roles bypassed her, and critics did not see her as an “ethereal beauty”. Hard work, talent, and excellent performance technique turned out to be more important than a beautiful outer shell. Agrippina Vaganova “sculpted” herself, initially achieving supporting roles, the images of which she rediscovered for the public. Creating new variations of already seemingly worn-out images, she received from critics the title of “queen of variations.” She did not become a famous ballerina; at the age of 36 she was sent into “retirement,” but, devoting herself to choreography, she became the most famous teacher, writing her name in golden letters in the history of ballet. She devoted herself to choreography in those years when the issue of... eliminating ballet as an alien art form was being discussed quite seriously. Vaganova school has rightfully become one of the best in the world, producing ballerinas whose names rightfully deserve the prefix “great”: Marina Semenova, Galina Ulanova, Natalya Dudinskaya. Agrippina Vaganova directed Academic theater opera and ballet in 1931-1937, staging "Swan Lake" and "Esmeralda" in new edition, in his own special manner, which received the name “Vaganova”. Her teaching experience has become a worldwide property largely thanks to the book she wrote, “Fundamentals of Classical Dance,” which has been translated into almost all languages of the world and has gone through 7 reprints.
Alicia Alonso (1920)
The creator of the National Ballet of Cuba, Alicia Martinez del Hoyo, at the age of 9, entered the only ballet school in Cuba at that time of the Russian choreographer Nikolai Yavorsky. And from the very first day, ballet became the meaning of her whole life. Step by step, Alicia walked towards her goals, one after another: to become a professional ballerina, and then to create a national ballet school in Cuba. When politics interfered with her plans, and the very existence of a ballet troupe in Cuba became impossible, she made it her goal to support the most gifted dancers until better times. After the victory of the Cuban Revolution in 1959, she selects the most gifted students and sets a new goal - to raise Cuban ballet to a world level. But in her life there were not only large-scale plans, in her life there was the Ballet, of which Alicia called herself a “laborer.” She was applauded by Paris, Milan, Vienna, Naples, Moscow, Prague, but she was never satisfied with herself. At the age of 19, she had her first eye surgery; her vision deteriorated every year, but she danced. “Dancing in the dark” - that’s what they said about the great Cuban ballerina. Especially for her, the center of the stage was illuminated with the brightest spotlight - she did not see the backstage, the scenery, she danced with her soul... A lot of performances, images - she danced, danced, always danced, without giving herself any concessions or discounts for age and loss of vision. Alicia Alonso's last performance in the ballet "Butterfly" staged by her took place in 1995, when the ballerina turned 75 years old! She is still dancing, sitting in wheelchair Having completely lost her sight, she still dances with her hands and heart. Alicia Alonso - Prima ballerina assoluta.
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? Our story will be about these most famous dancers.
Marie Ramberg (1888-1982). The future star was 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 and devoted myself wholeheartedly 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 in London, the first in the city. The success was so stunning that Maria first organized her own company (1926), and then the first permanent ballet troupe 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 got the party 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 touring. Ballerina acquires world fame after participating in the Russian Seasons in Paris. In 1913 she last time performs within the walls of the Mariinsky Theater. Pavlova gathers her own troupe and moves to London. Together with her charges, Anna tours the world with classical ballets 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. From early childhood she declared her desire to dance; none of her relatives 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 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 iron character, a firm position. It is she who is credited with the dismissal of the director at one time 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 write about her from time to time. 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 of Classical Dance.” The ballerina devoted the second half of her life to the choreographic school. Nowadays it is the Dance Academy, 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 efficiency were noted by directors. In 1941, she already became prima of the Opera Garnier. Her debut performances brought her truly worldwide fame. After this, Shovira began to receive invitations to perform in various theaters, including in 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. And Yvette’s last appearance on stage took place 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”, “The Fountain of Bakhchisarai”. 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 peak of her creativity was the scene of madness in Giselle. Ulanova visited London in 1956 on a tour of the Bolshoi. They said that such success had not happened 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 at the Bolshoi Theater. She received many awards for her work - she became the People's Artist of the USSR, received the Lenin and Stalin Prize, became a twice hero of Socialist Labor and a laureate of numerous awards. The great ballerina died in Moscow, she was buried on Novodevichy Cemetery. her apartment became a museum, and a monument was erected in Ulanova’s native St. Petersburg.
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 private ballet school on the island, headed by Russian specialist Nikolai Yavorsky. Alicia then continued her studies in the USA. Debut on big stage took place on Broadway in 1938 in 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 troupe has become a desirable National Ballet Cubes. 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 took place and how dramatic actress, having played 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. Great ballerina 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 does best in roles 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 the winner 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 in her last year of study, 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 role as the fairy Carabosse in “Sleeping Beauty.” At the same time, Volochkova is not afraid to perform 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 conquered 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 a heroine gossip columns. The talented ballerina recently began to sing, and her popularity grew even more after Volochkova published her nude photos.
