Surely, passionate ballet fans have seen the talented performances of the fragile, gentle and gifted dancer Diana Vishneva more than once. Let's talk about the bohemian man in more detail, tell you how it all began, and what Diana is doing these days.
First steps
Where the Niva River flows, in the cultural capital on July 13, 1976, a little future ballerina was born. It was written in the girl's family that in the future she would conquer the starry Olympus and become a great dancer.
The mother of the baby is Tatar by nationality, her name is Guzel. She came to Leningrad from distant and sunny Kyrgyzstan, when she came to study. Dad - Victor, worked as an engineer.
As soon as Guzel gave birth to a daughter, she immediately realized that she wanted her to learn dancing, because she herself once dreamed of fluttering on stage in a snow-white tutu.
As soon as Dianochka turned six, she was immediately taken to classes at the local Pioneer house. So the dream of a family incredibly far from creativity began to come true.
At first, no one could have thought that a small duckling would turn into a beautiful, graceful swan, striking with its perseverance and aspiration.
Choreographers now remember Vishneva as an incredibly serious, thoughtful young lady, literally grasping every word, every movement on the fly.
At the age of 11, the girl enters the Vaganova school, which is located in Leningrad, only from the third time. Since 1987, Diana has been a new student at the ballet academy.
A small summary
Age of Daria Vishneva: 40 years old.
Place of birth: Leningrad.
The height of the ballerina: 168 centimeters. These are the optimal parameters for a ballerina.
Public activities: ballet prima, tours, coaching, participation in shows, projects, ballet dancer.
Marital status: official marriage.
First successes
In 1994, the young student of the Academy will receive the first serious award - the Gold Medal, as well as the Grand Prix. All this was received at the annual ballet competition, held in Lausanne, Switzerland.
It is this victory that makes Diana not just a girl learning to dance, but takes her to a new professional level, from which a huge career leap begins.
Prima
And now, a year later, young Vishneva ends up where thousands of girls and young people dream of going to - the Mariinsky Theater.
Diana Vishneva, whose growth was quite rapid, as in a real fairy tale, gets a role in the ballet Cinderella, of course, the main one. The dancer did not even dare to dream about this.
After triumphant performances and a lot of standing ovations, the ballerina is trusted to play the part in Don Quixote and The Nutcracker, where she plays the role of Masha.
Another year passes, and none other than Dina Vishneva becomes the new prima of the theater. In fact, this did not surprise anyone, because the perseverance, talent and endurance of a young girl can only be envied.
Style that can't be replicated
Now it's no secret to anyone that Diana Vishneva is a ballerina with a grandiose creative potential, going straight to her cherished goal.
The dancer's mother recalls how, as a very young daughter, she asked to sew something special for her, not like the others. And if suddenly ugly things were bought as a gift, the girl simply refused to wear them.
Sometimes I had to go to Moscow for clothes, the only way to find something that satisfied the taste of a little fashionista.
Guzel even learned to sew and knit so that her beloved daughter would always have an exclusive outfit. The girl always dressed stylishly, brightly and beautifully, differing from her peers in the constant change of new clothes.
Diana Vishneva Festival
The talented artist admits that she has long had the idea to introduce the audience to modern dance, as well as to show new trends in world ballet.
For this, Vishneva came up with, and then created a festival called Context. And for several years, starting in 2013, the prima has been showing the public various directions in the world of dance.
One of the main tasks of the festival is to help young talents develop, to show the public something new, hitherto unseen, to surprise and conquer. But venerable stars, bright performers also participate and demonstrate their skills and experience.
The festival, held under the auspices of Vishneva, starts in the capital and lasts there for several days, where the audience enjoys the performance of both world-famous stars and young, emerging talents.
The program of performances includes creative evenings, master classes, as well as various improvisations, lectures and even film screenings.
For the audience and for the ballet dancers, the festival is a real ball, a carnival, a holiday where you can express yourself and turn the audience on with energy.
Also backstage, Diana and her partners discuss creative plans for the future, as well as the development of ballet and its directions.
Diana Vishneva and Abramovich
For quite a long time, obsessive paparazzi puzzled over one question: “What is the relationship between Diana and Abramovich?”. The reason for curiosity was that Diana Vishneva and Roman Abramovich constantly appeared together at various events. Roman is also one of the main assistants in organizing events, as well as sponsors of projects developed by the ballerina.
Rumors were dispelled when Roman Abramovich appeared at the closing ceremony of the Context festival on November 28, 2015 with his beloved wife Daria Zhukova. The journalists were extremely disappointed.
Personal life
For the first time, the artist married a dancer, ballet star Farukh Ruzimatov. He was a little older than his wife, namely 13 years. The marriage did not last long, the couple broke up.
In 2013, the ballerina ties the knot again. The chosen one was Konstantin Selenevich. This is a well-known director and producer. The wedding ceremony took place in Hawaii, where the ocean splashes and burns the yellow sand.
The dancer's husband regularly attends her performances, and the girl admits that she worries every time as if she were taking her first steps on stage.
But the artist is not too keen on everyday issues. She admitted that she does not want to waste valuable time on a home routine. Although Diana is sure that with the advent of children in her life everything will change, and the family will come in first place than creativity.
Diana today
At the moment, Diana Vishneva is a ballerina who is recognized as one of the greatest in the whole world. Critics unanimously call the girl many-sided, believing that she skillfully owns her face and skillfully conveys all emotions. The dancer's body is compared to the famous Stradivarius violin, just as thin, flexible and perfect.
Each role succeeds Cherry brilliantly. She always gives all the best, trying to show the viewer the whole essence of her character. That is why she is valued and loved for her talent, for her love of art, for her dedication to work, for her versatility and willingness to give herself completely to the role.
Diana Viktorovna Vishneva. She was born on July 13, 1976 in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). Russian ballerina. Prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater (since 1996) and the American Ballet Theater (2005-2017). People's Artist of the Russian Federation (2007).
Father - Viktor Gennadievich Vishnev.
Mother - Guzali Fagimovna Vishneva.
Diana's parents are chemical engineers. The mother also has a higher economic education.
From the age of six, she began dancing in a choreographic circle at the Leningrad Palace of Pioneers. She studied a variety of dances - Gypsy, Hutsul, Cuban, etc.
She went in for sports - she ran, skied, swam. As Diana recalled, her father taught her to train and self-discipline. Sports hardening later helped her in ballet.
In 1987 she entered the Leningrad Choreographic School named after A. Ya. Vaganova (since 1991 it has been the Academy of Russian Ballet). As Diana said, she has a very artistic mother, who had a great influence on her passion for ballet.
In 1994 she participated in the international competition for students of ballet schools "Lausanne Prize". Having performed in the final a variation from the ballet "Coppelia" and the number "Carmen", staged specially for the competition by Igor Belsky, she won the Gold Medal.
While still a student at the Academy, she performed the part of Kitri in the ballet Don Quixote at the Mariinsky Theater as a trainee.
In 1995, after graduating from college in the class of teacher Lyudmila Kovaleva, she was accepted into the ballet troupe of the theater, since 1996 she has been its soloist. Rehearsed with Olga Chenchikova.
In 1995, she performed for the first time on the stage of the Moscow Bolshoi Theater, performing the number "Carmen" at the final concert of the "Prix de Lausanne" as the winner of the previous competition. Then, together with Farukh Ruzimatov, who became her constant partner, she was invited to perform in the performance of the Bolshoi Theater Don Quixote.
In 1996, for her performance of Kitri's part, she was awarded the Benois Dance prize, and for her performance of one of the parts of the ballet Symphony in C, she was awarded the Golden Soffit prize. In the same year, she performed the part in the play "Romeo and Juliet", dedicated to Galina Ulanova (Romeo - Viktor Baranov).
She has repeatedly performed on the stages of the world's largest theaters, both with the Mariinsky Ballet and on her own.
In 2001 she performed the main roles in the performances of the Bavarian ballet "Manon" and the La Scala theater "The Sleeping Beauty" (edited by Rudolf Nureyev). The following year, she performed on the stage of the Paris Opera, performing the part of Kitri in the ballet Don Quixote (edited by Rudolf Nureyev, Basil - José Martinez).
Since 2002 she has been a guest soloist with the Berlin State Ballet. Vladimir Malakhov invited her to dance with him the play "Giselle" in this theater. Then they performed together at the theater in Mikkeli, performing parts in the ballet The Sleeping Beauty and pas de deux to the music of Tchaikovsky (choreography by George Balanchine).
From 2005 to 2017, she was a guest soloist with the American Ballet Theatre, where she performed the coveted leading roles in the ballets Swan Lake and Raymonda, which she could not perform at the Mariinsky Theater due to her role.
In 2007, at the age of 30, she was awarded the title of People's Artist of Russia. In October of the same year, the premiere of Diana's first personal project, Silenzio, took place at the Mariinsky Theater (director Andrey Moguchiy, choreographer Alexei Kononov). In the same year, she became the "face" of the Tatyana Parfenova fashion house.
In 2007, Vishneva began to collaborate with American producer Sergei Danilyan and his agency Ardani Artists - together they prepared several solo projects for the ballerina ("Beauty in Motion", "Dialogues", "On the Edge").
In 2010, she established the Diana Vishneva Foundation for the Promotion of Ballet Art. In the same year, she starred in the short film directed by Rustam Khamdamov “Diamonds. Theft".
In October 2011, Vishneva's next solo project, Dialogues, premiered at the Mariinsky Theater. For this program, choreographer John Neumeier created "Dialogue" for the ballerina - a duet to the music of Frederic Chopin (partner - Thiago Bordin). Also in this program, Diana was the first Russian ballerina to perform the choreography of Martha Graham (“Labyrinth”) and dance the production created for her by Paul Lightfoot and Sol Leon Subject to change (partner - Andrey Merkuriev).
Diana Vishneva - Carmen
In 2012 she was the chairman of the jury of the Bolshoi Ballet project on the Russia-Culture TV channel. In the same year, she was included in the Forbes magazine rating "50 Russians who conquered the world."
On February 17, 2013, in Lausanne, together with the troupe of Maurice Bejart, Diana performed in Bolero, becoming the first Russian ballerina to perform a solo part in this ballet.
In November 2013, in California, at the Segerström Center, the premiere of Vishneva's third solo project, On the Edge ("Edges"), which included choreography by Jean-Christophe Maillot and Caroline Carlson, took place.
In 2013, she became one of the organizers of the international festival of contemporary choreography Context, in which she first performed choreography by Jiri Kilian (Clouds to music by Claude Debussy, partner Marcelo Gomez).
On February 7, 2014, she participated in the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, where she performed the “dance of the dove of peace” - a paraphrase of Moses Pendleton’s choreography for the program “Beauty in Motion” (Waters Flowers - “Water Flowers”, 3rd part of the ballet F.L.O.W.) .
On November 7, 2014, she made her debut in John Neumeier's new ballet Tatiana, which premiered on June 29 in Hamburg.
Filmed for the covers of famous fashion glosses. For example, in May 2015, on the cover of Harper's Bazaar, the ballerina showed hits from the Louis Vuitton spring-summer collection.
Diana Vishneva in Harper's Bazaar
On April 1, 2016, she held an evening in honor of Lyudmila Kovaleva “Dedication to a teacher” in her native theater, in which she herself participated along with other students.
"The myth of how easy it is to be a ballerina, partly generated by Darren Aronofsky's film" Black Swan ". In the cinema, he put broken glass in his competitor's pointe shoes and got a dream party. But in life everything is completely different: you need to work to the limit, and not only at the beginning of the journey. Our profession is beautiful, but at the same time it requires colossal strength of character and iron will" Diana said.
"I never dream, but I set goals and go to them", - she told about the secret of her success.
Diana Vishneva (documentary)
The growth of Diana Vishneva: 168 centimeters.
Personal life of Diana Vishneva:
She was in a relationship with the dancer Farukh Ruzimatov, her stage partner.
On August 27, 2013, she married her producer Konstantin Selinevich. The wedding ceremony took place in the Hawaiian Islands.
She said about her wife: “He is my main defense and support - a unique person who does not need to say anything at all. We have complete harmony. Before meeting him, I did not believe that this was possible, especially with my work, character, overload, stress , which naturally affect the emotional state. He takes over all my experiences. "
At one time, the ballerina was credited with an affair with an oligarch. The latter was often seen at the Royal Theater in London, where Diana performed. In 2012, the billionaire joined the board of trustees of the Bolshoi Ballet. However, the oligarch called it "nonsense." They started talking about it in August 2017 - after it became known about the breakup of a businessman with Daria Zhukova.
Filmography of Diana Vishneva:
2000 - Meek
2000 - Farukh and Diana (documentary)
2009 - Petersburg. Contemporaries. Diana Vishneva (documentary)
2010 - Diamonds. Theft (short) - ballerina
Repertoire of Diana Vishneva:
"Don Quixote" (Kitri);
Pas de quatre (Fanny Cerrito);
"Grand pas classique", "Giselle" (Giselle);
"Corsair" (Gulnara);
Grand pas from the ballet "Paquita" (variation);
"La Bayadère" (Nikiya);
"Sleeping Beauty" (Princess Aurora);
"Swan Lake" (Odette and Odile);
"Raymonda" (Raymonda);
The Nutcracker by Vasily Vainonen (Masha);
"Scheherazade" (Zobeida);
"Firebird" (Firebird);
"Vision of a Rose" (Girl);
"Swan" by Mikhail Fokin;
"Romeo and Juliet" by Leonid Lavrovsky (Juliet);
"Legend of Love" by Yuri Grigorovich (Mekhmene-Banu);
"Onegin" by John Cranko (Tatiana);
"Apollo" (Terpsichore);
"Symphony in C major" (III movement);
"Rubies" Ballet Imperial by George Balanchine;
"In the Night" by Jerome Robbins;
"Carmen" (Carmen);
"Young Man and Death" by Roland Petit;
"Manon" by Kenneth MacMillan (Manon);
Spring and Fall;
"Lady with Camellias" (Marguerite Gauthier);
"Tatiana" (Tatiana Larina);
"Ring around the ring";
"Bolero" by Maurice Béjart;
"Cinderella" (Cinderella);
"Poem of Ecstasy";
"Anna Karenina" (Anna Karenina);
"Lost Illusions" by Alexei Ratmansky;
In the Middle Somewhat Elevated by William Forsyth;
"Apartment" by Mats Ek;
Vertigo Mauro Bigonzetti.
Parents often want their children to achieve what they could not achieve on their own. Mother Diana Vishneva dreamed of becoming a ballerina. But the machine, pointe shoes and the stage appeared in her life only after the birth of her daughter Diana. It was at the suggestion of her mother that the young dancer entered the Academy of Russian Ballet. Vaganova. She already combined her last year of study with an internship at the Mariinsky Theater. However, this was only the beginning of the triumphant appearance of Diana Vishneva in the world of ballet.
Independent
Diana started dancing at the age of six. But since in the 80s the choice of circles was small, the future prima of the Mariinsky Theater at the beginning of her journey comprehended gypsy, Hutsul and Cuban dances. The Vishnev family lived in the working-class district of St. Petersburg - "Vesely Poselok". In order to get to the Palace of Pioneers. Zhdanova on Nevsky Prospekt, where classes were held, the young dancer had to travel through the whole city - first 40 minutes by bus, then the same amount by metro. The girl made this long journey alone. The parents did not have the opportunity to see off their daughter - both worked in closed enterprises. Every time Diana went to class, she took a handful of two-kopeck coins with her. So that the adults would not worry, the girl called them from telephone booths that came across along the way.
Diana Vishneva in a habanera from Carmen Suite. Photo: RIA Novosti / Alexey Danichev
Enter the Academy of Russian Ballet. Vaganova, the future prima decided thanks to her mother. Guzal Vishneva she dreamed of becoming a ballerina, but in the end she chose a completely different profession, she has two higher educations - a chemist and an economist. The young dancer had to storm Vaganovka three times. According to teachers, the girl’s natural data was not at all suitable for ballet. Of course, Vishneva endured refusals with tears in her eyes, but due to her character she did not want to give up. Another "no" irritated Diana even more. In 1987, she still achieved her goal.
Studying at the academy required incredible efforts. According to the artist herself, every 2-3 years she wanted to leave the ballet. But something didn't allow me to drop everything halfway. The most difficult period began after the last year of study. The ballerina has overworked her knee. The doctors assured him that he needed to have an operation. But the girl was categorically against medical intervention. Diana preferred rest to a hospital bed, deciding, if that didn’t help, to abandon the stage forever. Fortunately, there was no need to leave the ballet. The ailment received from excessive loads, after a few weeks, nevertheless passed.
Diana Vishneva at the opening of the exhibition "Diana Vishneva through the lens of Patrick Demarchelier" at the Multimedia Art Museum in Moscow. Photo: RIA Novosti / Vladimir Vyatkin
"Cherry Tea Party"
In 1994, Diana took part in the world-famous Prix de Lausanne. The decision to send a promising student to Lausanne was not so easy for the academy administration, because this was not included in the original plans. However artistic director Igor Belsky succeeded in convincing the authorities. As a result, he staged a miniature "Carmen" for the ballerina, with which she performed brilliantly, despite the injury received during training. Before the trip, Vishneva sprained her leg. When she was at the competition, she even thought about performing without pointe shoes, but realizing what a huge responsibility lies on her shoulders, she decided to act as she had originally planned.
The number, only one and a half minutes long, in which the young beauty dances so easily and naturally in front of a strict jury, was actually accompanied by severe pain and, of course, became a real test for Diana. But she passed it, receiving a gold medal and the Grand Prix as a reward, which, especially for the young artist, literally knocked out with a scandal competition chairman Jean-Christophe Maillot.
Diana Vishneva and Farukh Ruzimatov. Photo: RIA Novosti / Dmitry Korobeinikov
The girl combined her final year of study with an internship at the Mariinsky Theater, which she got to work immediately after graduating from the academy. Literally a year later, Vishneva received the status of a soloist, and she got a partner Farukh Ruzimatov. The prime minister was 13 years older than Diana, but on stage they were absolutely equal. The artists were connected not only by working relations. Farukh became the ballerina's first serious love. However, the couple's relationship was rather complicated. The lovers parted, then converged again. Meanwhile, the bright duet managed to conquer not only Russian, but also foreign viewers. Vishneva gradually began to visit abroad more and more often. In 2005, Diana took the place of the prima ballerina of the American Ballet Theater (ABT). Despite the exhausting flights and the huge demand, she continues to be her to this day.
In addition to her native St. Petersburg, the dancer enjoyed quite a lot of popularity among the capital's public. For obvious reasons, not everyone liked it. When Diana was invited as a guest star to the Bolshoi Theater, the leading ballerinas immediately went to the office General Director Anatoly Iksanov to voice your protest. At that time, the historical stage was closed for reconstruction, the Bolshoi worked only on one site. Angry artists convinced Iksanov that they themselves did not have enough work. Later, when the press tried to ask Anatoly Gennadievich about the rebellion of his employees, he said that they came to his office to drink tea, so in theatrical circles this episode was called the “cherry tea party”. Despite all the protests, Vishneva still received the Giselle and Swan Lake promised to her. But regular cooperation with the theater began only after the renovation was completed.
Ballerina Diana Vishneva during a theatrical performance at the opening ceremony of the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. Photo: RIA Novosti / Vladimir Astapkovich
“I never dream, I set goals and go towards them,” says Vishneva. The ballerina has always wanted not only to dance in productions proven over decades, but also to work with choreographers who will create material for her. In 2008, this goal was achieved - the world premiere of the choreographic performance "Diana Vishneva: Beauty in Motion" took place in the USA, which consisted of three parts: "Lunar Pierrot", "For the Love of a Woman" and "Turns of Love". This was followed by other bright works, among which, of course, Dialogues stand out. John Neumeier. It was not just a complex story of the relationship between a man and a woman, but also a completely different style that the classical ballerina had to learn in a rather short time. However, Vishneva also took this height quickly and easily, like her first gold medal at a competition in Lausanne.
Husband and producer
In the personal life of the ballerina, as well as on the stage, serious passions were always seething. But with the advent Konstantin Selinevich she found that very feminine happiness and calmness, which is extremely necessary with such a tough profession, otherwise you can just go crazy. The husband became the producer of the artist.
They met at the Beijing Olympics, where Diana arrived as an honored guest. By that time, Konstantin did not understand ballet at all and, even more so, did not know who Vishneva was. He was a hockey manager. Of course, the decision to approach such a beautiful woman as Diana was not easy for him. But on his birthday, the young man still plucked up the courage and asked for the ballerina's phone number.
Diana Vishneva and Konstantin Selinevich. Photo: RIA Novosti / Valery Levitin
Konstantin made a marriage proposal to his beloved immediately after her benefit performance, dedicated to the 15th anniversary of her creative activity. The couple legalized their relationship on August 27, 2013, after several years of marriage. The wedding ceremony took place in Hawaii. The bride arrived at the event after the end of the world tour. “Yes,” the young people said to each other on the beach, surrounded only by the closest people. Diana appeared before a few guests in an unusual dress with a corset of flowers, and the groom in a red suit.
One can only dream of such a life: successful in career, happy in love. But Vishneva herself does not cease to debunk the myth about the easy fate of the ballerina. It's no joke: constantly work through pain, go on stage with unhealed injuries simply because there is no time to rest, live on suitcases for years. However, she dances and, it seems, does not think at all about the disadvantages of her chosen profession, because they are waiting for her in New York, London, Paris, Moscow and other cities of the world, and this is the most important thing for a ballerina.
Diana Vishneva is a famous Russian ballerina, prima of the Mariinsky Theater (since 1996), guest artist of the American Ballet Theater (2005-2017). Winner of the prestigious international competition "Prix de Lausanne" (Prix de Lausanne, 1994). Winner of many theater awards, the State Prize of the Russian Federation (2000), People's Artist of the Russian Federation (2007).Childhood
Diana Vishneva was born on July 13, 1976 in Leningrad, in a family of chemical engineers. Diana's mother, Guzali Fagimovna, dreamed of becoming a ballerina herself in her youth and was fond of ballet all her life. According to Vishneva, it was her mother who instilled in her a love for ballet. And his father, Viktor Gennadievich, taught me self-discipline - from childhood he went in for sports with his daughter, together they ran skiing, swam. 
Parents enrolled 6-year-old Diana for choreography classes at the Palace of Pioneers, and at the age of 11 the girl was already able to enter the Choreographic School. Vaganova.
In 1994, at the age of 18, Vishneva won the Gold Medal at the Prix de Lausanne international ballet competition. The girl received a standing ovation by gracefully performing a variation from the ballet "Coppelia" and the number "Carmen", specially staged for the competition by Igor Belsky.
Ballet career
There were still many awards and victories to come in the life of the ballerina, but it was the triumph at the competition in Switzerland that became the starting point in her success story. The following year, while still a student, Diana performed the role of Kitri in Don Quixote at the Mariinsky Theatre. Also, during an internship at the eminent theater, she got the main role in Cinderella and the role of Masha in The Nutcracker. 
There is an opinion that not a single ballerina can take place without performing on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater. Diana Vishneva managed to conquer the country's main theater at the age of 20. In 1995, the promising young ballerina successfully performed there with her already crown number “Carmen”.
In 1996, Diana Vishneva became the prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater and played the main character in a production of Romeo and Juliet dedicated to Galina Ulanova. For this part, performed with her characteristic professionalism, Vishneva was awarded the Divine Prize. In the same year, she received the prestigious theater awards "Benois of Dance" and "Golden Soffit".
At the end of 1996, Vishneva went on tour with the Mariinsky Theater to London, where she successfully opened the season with The Nutcracker. A year later, she was invited to Lausanne as an honored guest and allowed to open a gala concert in a duet with Carlos Acosta. In the London productions of the Mariinsky Theater, the girl played exclusively the main roles in such ballets as Symphony in C Major, Sleeping Beauty, and Vision of the Rose.
At the end of the year, the girl went on tour to New Jersey, and then to New York. Despite numerous roles in classical ballet, the ballerina dreamed of trying her hand at more modern choreography. In 1999, she finally had such an opportunity - she performed in the production of Giselle. This was followed by participation in the performances of "Jewels" and "Ruby".
In 2001, the ballerina's performance on the stage of the Bavarian Theater made a splash. Reincarnated as the sensual and desirable Manon, the ballerina amazed critics and spectators with her performance in the performance of the same name. The following year, she managed to become famous in Washington thanks to the main role in the production of Sleeping Beauty, which she already knew.
Trips to America were not in vain for Diana, and in 2005 she officially became the prima ballerina of the American Ballet Theater, where she worked until 2017. By this time, Diana had already managed to attract the attention of millions of fans who had long considered her the best dancer in Europe.
In the USA, the ballerina finally managed to realize her old dream - to perform the main parts in Swan Lake and Raymond. On the stage of her native Mariinsky Theater, these roles were not given to the dancer, since they allegedly did not fit her role - everyone saw her in the image of a passionate Carmen.
Having dispelled the doubts of the directors of the Mariinsky Theater, the very next year, Diana opened the season with Swan Lake and left no doubt about the versatility of her talent. To play the role of Odette, she was also invited to the Bolshoi Theater for long-term cooperation.
In 2006, Diana Vishneva became the People's Artist of Russia. At that time, she had already received the unspoken title of one of the greatest ballerinas of our time. A few months later, another significant event for her career took place - the launch of her own project "Silenzio".
The purpose of this production was to succinctly combine classical ballet and drama on one stage. The premiere of the performance on the stage of the native Mariinsky Theater made a splash among critics and spectators. In the future, Vishneva staged many other interesting performances, such as The Legend of Love (2007), Park (2011) and Edges (2011).
Diana Vishneva visiting Ivan Urgant
In 2006, Diana Vishneva played a minor role in the documentary musical Ballerina, and in 2007 she became the face of the Tatiana Parfenova fashion house. In 2010, Diana founded a charitable foundation aimed at popularizing ballet. By her own admission, Vishneva will forever remain devoted to ballet. “Our profession is beautiful, but at the same time it requires tremendous strength of character and iron will,” Diana once admitted.
Personal life of Diana Vishneva
In the late 1990s, Diana was in a romantic relationship with her stage partner Farukh Ruzimatov. They were united not only by love, but also by joint fruitful creativity, hard work - in ballet and cinema. The couple broke up in the mid-2000s.Which starts in November in Moscow - Svetlana Bondarchuk met with the famous ballerina and art director of the festival Diana Vishneva. Among the topics touched upon in the conversation were both professional - about the fate of modern dance in Russia, and personal: Diana spoke about her husband, businessman Konstantin Selinevich, about friendship, fashion, cooking and good appetite.
Diana Vishneva
Many times I saw Diana Vishneva on stage and each time I caught myself thinking that this was not a ballerina's dance. This is the dance of a great dramatic actress. I empathize with her heroine, live life with her and continue to think about her even after the performance. This year, Diana celebrated the 20th anniversary of her life on stage. For many of the "ballet workshop" this would mean the beginning of sunset, but Diana is still gaining height. Continuing to dance in classical ballets, she makes a career as a dancer of modern choreography: she masters new dance languages and techniques, breaks the canons that she herself has mastered to perfection. For the third year in a row, Diana holds the Context festival of contemporary choreography in Moscow. Diana Vishneva. I go to these performances with pleasure and every time I discover something unexpected, sometimes shocking. There are no dances on pointe, tutus, corps de ballet; sometimes the dancers are dressed in simple leotards, their plastique is unusual, the lines are broken, but it captures no less than the eternal 32 fouettes. This year I'm going to the festival again - it will be interesting to watch the Argentinean tango on hanging ropes and the performance of the world-famous American troupe Martha Graham. And of course, the performances of Diana herself at the opening and closing of the festival are simply impossible to miss.
Diana, I have often heard the opinion that modern dance gives ballerinas the opportunity to stay on stage much longer. How true is this?
No, this is an absolute myth - that, having lost form in classical ballet, you can move on to modern choreography and continue dancing with the same success. And the fact that modern choreography is easier is also not true. On the contrary, in classical ballet a lot of things make life easier for you: technique, training, spectacular variations - all this distracts the attention of the public directly from you. And in modern dance you are all at a glance, you have nothing to hide behind and it all depends on whether you have something to tell the audience or not.
With Artur Shesterikov at the rehearsal of the play Live (staged by the Dutch master of choreography Hans van Manen), which will be presented as part of the festival in Moscow
An example of longevity in ballet is Maya Plisetskaya, who appeared on stage at the age of 75. Do you imagine yourself on stage in 20 years?
Hard to say. Maya Mikhailovna is an outstanding personality. And she is unique not even because she went on stage at 75, but because she was the first in the Soviet Union to speak about a new understanding of dance, about a new aesthetics, about a new style. "Carmen Suite", with which she appeared on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater in 1967, overcoming so many obstacles, was a revolution. Plisetskaya was the first to break down walls that seemed indestructible. I am grateful to fate for the fact that I had the opportunity to communicate with Maya Mikhailovna, to be friends with her. She chaired the board of trustees of our festival, and this year Context will be dedicated to her memory.
Maya Plisetskaya and Diana Vishneva
You are an ambassador of contemporary dance in Russia. What do you see as your mission?
The mission, first of all, is to acquaint Russia with the best that is happening in modern choreography, to bring not only big names, but also something fundamentally new. There are different dance styles and directions, and we all connect them at one point. This is the Context. Another very important point is the development of modern choreography in Russia. It is important for us to support young choreographers.
Recently in Russia you are more and more associated with modern dance, but in the West they want to see Diana Vishneva mainly in classical ballet?
It all depends on the theater, on the dance company. If you are talking about the Metropolitan Opera (this summer, Diana danced Giselle, Juliet and Aurora on the stage of the Metropolitan in New York - Ed.), then the classical repertoire prevails there. It's like the Mariinsky Theatre. But if I come to the company of modern choreography with my projects, the situation is reversed. Sometimes people are surprised that I am a prima ballerina, they say: "Oh, we need to see you in classical ballet."
Do you consider yourself a Russian ballerina or a man of the world?
Of course, I am a man of the world. But I remain a Russian ballerina. It is a great honor for me that I studied at the best ballet school in the world and started my career at the Mariinsky Theatre. I am deeply grateful to my teachers, to my native theater. How much they invested in me, how much I absorbed - all this manifests itself more and more over the years.
Diana Vishneva in "Swan Lake", 2008
You are from St. Petersburg, from an intelligent, but not a ballet family.
Yes, my parents are chemists. Mom has two educations - she is an economist and a chemist, and dad is a candidate of chemical sciences.
How did it happen that your daughter got into ballet?
I could say that this is an accident, but I believe that there is a certain plan of fate in everything. Everything happened the way it should have happened. Becoming a ballerina was not my dream and it was not a whim of my mother, although it was she who was fond of ballet in our family. As a child, I went in for sports, math, went to a dance club. Developed diversified, as they said in those days. I can’t say that I was often taken to the ballet. Our parents were young specialists, we had to pay for the cooperative ... We did not have the opportunity to go to the theater as much as we would like. But my sister and I were not deprived of communication with art: classical literature, trips to museums, trips to the suburbs of St. Petersburg - Peterhof, Tsarskoye Selo ... All this was in our childhood. But, of course, when I got to the Vaganov School, I felt what it means to be truly immersed in the world of art. This world captivated me endlessly.
At school, were you singled out from the crowd of girls?
Yes, they singled out. There was no such thing as saying: “This girl was just born for ballet”, but I have always found myself in the center of attention of teachers and children due to my adult attitude towards myself. I was not made the same remark several times - I immediately corrected the mistakes. I absorbed everything as much as possible, so I developed professionally faster. The first failure, when I was not accepted into the school - after all, I entered only the second time - turned my mind around. I realized that in this life you need to achieve everything yourself and not wait for someone else's help. You will be helped only if you yourself will work.
The work of a ballet dancer is hard labor. From the age of six, you have to spend several hours at the barre every day.
And every year more and more hours.
I'm trying to compare ballet people with showbiz artists. Many of them do not have a serious school, they allow themselves to sing to the soundtrack. But the scale of fame and the amount of fees in show business is not an example of ballet. Isn't it embarrassing?
It all depends on how you think. You either think in ideas, strive to realize yourself, or think about fees. Then this story is not about ballet at all. Ballet is a sacrifice, it is a service. In childhood, we all understand this, but at a conscious age, everyone has to make a choice. If you are worried about how much you will be paid for it, it is better not to go on stage.
"Bolero" staged by choreographer Maurice Bejart and Diana Vishneva, the audience saw on November 20 and 21 at the evening in memory of Maya Plisetskaya at the Bolshoi Theater
But if the thought is still present: "You see, I work so hard..."
For this, there is a theater that works for a talented unit, associates, associates, patrons ... When you realize yourself as a ballerina, as a person, you simply have no time to think about it.
Do you have any talismans or rituals for going on stage?
Of course have. But I don't want to talk about them. I am not a superstitious person, but I am very attentive to everything. I am Cancer by horoscope. Numbers, signs, dreams are important to me. I listen to dreams, try to guess them, decipher them.
If a black cat crosses your path before the premiere, you won't cancel the performance, will you?
Of course not. But I will note in my mind that, probably, I will face some difficulties, overcome obstacles. Something bad doesn't have to happen. Sometimes problems help to achieve a positive result faster.
Are ballet people generally superstitious?
Yes, superstitious. But at the same time, everyone is a believer. The stage is such a magical space. To enter into it every time, strength is needed. Faith helps a lot. Everyone goes on stage with his guardian angel.
Diana Vishneva and Svetlana Bondarchuk
And if you are in a bad mood, in trouble or unwell and you don’t want to dance, but do you need to?
Of course, this happens too. We are all people. It happens that suddenly, half an hour before the start of the performance, some kind of nerve ending is pinched, and I feel that I can’t even move, there are tears in my eyes, but I still gather my strength. There was a completely terrible incident in my life - in 2002, when I first performed on the stage of the Paris Opera. It was an incredibly important event. The Paris Opera is a kind of closed society: performances by foreign artists are rather rare here. At least, before such cases could be counted on the fingers. I was supposed to dance Kitri in Don Quixote, one of my most successful roles. I was preparing to go on stage, and suddenly a call from the hospital. I was told that a person close to me was in intensive care. It was such a blow that I couldn't even say anything in response. I just hung up... What should I do in this case? Cancel the show? Impossible. Therefore, you are going, concentrating, "burying" this pain inside yourself, realizing that later it will manifest itself even more strongly.
I once watched your husband and producer Konstantin Selinevich backstage when the performance was on, and I was surprised how worried he was!
Sometimes it seems to me that he is going through even more than me. But I'm glad that he replaced my parents in this "post". Konstantin, like a real man, knows how to hide his emotions, and his parents just got sick from all these stresses. Once my mother told me: "I can no longer go to your performances. I'm so worried that I still can't see anything." She sighed with relief only when the performance ended.
Diana Vishneva with her husband, businessman Konstantin Selinevich
When the performance ends, Konstantin also breathes a sigh of relief. He stands backstage - happy, proud.
The most important thing is that he does not become my fan. And he does not perceive ballet as his life.
How do you spend your free time? Traveling?
We have everything clearly planned. The profession has made me very disciplined. I prepare carefully for the rest in order to see as many cities, sights, museums, exhibitions as possible. When I talk about how much I managed to see during the holidays, they say to me: "God, you are so ambitious!" It surprises me: what's wrong with that? If I had not been ambitious, I would not have become a prima ballerina. I don't have time for a long swing. Time flies fast. This applies to my career and life in general. Therefore, I try to be as organized as possible in absolutely everything.
Do you have hobbies, hobbies?
Drama theater and films. I watch a lot of films. When you need to switch or when you only have enough strength to lie still, cinema helps a lot.
And something everyday, purely feminine ... For example, could you cook dinner?
If I want, I will do it. And yet, if I have free time, I would rather go to the theater or to an exhibition. I'm sorry to waste time preparing dinners. True, someone once told me: "When you have children, you will love all this."
I rarely cook myself, but if I have an impulse, then I do everything with such love, which, it seems to me, turns out very tasty.
That's the way it should be. Everything must be done with love, putting your soul into it. I do not find this love in myself. It seems to me that if I start cooking, I will just spoil the food.
There is a stereotype that ballet people limit themselves to food. I am familiar with many ballet dancers - they have a great appetite and they are all of a normal physique.
The ballerina must feel her muscular corset, which is needed for balance. If you are too thin, then you simply cannot do anything. There are, you know, ballerina girls, thin as pods, but, unfortunately, with their body weight they are not able to perform the elements that are required in classical and modern choreography. The ballerina experiences physical stress, often greater than in sports, but at the same time her emotional state should be light, airy. The viewer should not see what strength all this costs her. He must see that dancing is as natural to her as breathing.
I would like to compliment you. I consider you one of the most stylish women in Russia. You and Renata Litvinova, my friend. Both of you have a style that is absolutely unique, completely unusual. When I hear from someone: "Well, is it fashionable?" - I want to answer: "It's not fashionable. It's chic!" Where did you get this special understanding of style?
Probably since childhood. I was still very young, stamping my feet, waving my arms, but already asking my mother to sew something unusual for me. My mom is a real needlewoman. She sewed and knitted amazingly, she dressed with taste and tried to make my sister and I dress with a twist. My mother sewed my school uniform by herself. It compares favorably with the standard - both in shade and silhouette ... I refused to wear ugly things. And if it was impossible to buy nice boots in St. Petersburg, we went to Moscow, defended the queue in the "Children's World", but bought what looked better. I really was quite a capricious child in this regard. And now I take my outfits and stage costumes very seriously.
Diana, do you have friends among representatives of your profession?
Certainly. Choreographers and partners are people with whom you communicate very closely, and over time they become friends. The stage partner is almost a native person. You know him closely, all the circumstances of his life, you feel his mood. This is both friendship and a kind of professional "marriage". In general, the world of ballet and modern choreography is rather narrow, and human contacts are very important. If we return to the festival Context. Diana Vishneva... I would never have been able to organize such a complex event by talking on the phone, by e-mail. Reputation matters more than ever. I worked with many dance companies, they saw me, as they say, in action, there was a certain opinion about me and trust. This is the only way I was able to get the best modern dance troupes to want to come to us and perform at our festival.
