Diana Vishneva is a Russian ballet dancer who in the mid-90s became the prima ballerina of the legendary Mariinsky Theater, and 10 years later also of the American Ballet Theatre. She is the owner of a large number of the most prestigious awards: "Golden Soffit", "Benois of Dance", "Golden Mask".
The biography of Diana Vishneva originates in the northern capital. She was born and raised in an intelligent family. Both father Viktor Gennadievich and mother Guzali Fagimovna worked as chemical engineers. Mom also had a second higher education - in the field of economics. By the way, for those times it was a rarity. The family brought up another daughter, Oksana, who is five years older than her sister. Diana grew up in an atmosphere of kindness, love and mutual respect. In early childhood, she developed diversified: she tried various sports, went to a mathematical circle and to a children's dance studio at the Palace of Pioneers.
When Vishneva was 10 years old, Guzali Fagimovna, a passionate ballet lover, took her daughter to see the oldest choreographic school in the country - named after A. Ya. Vaganova. Today this educational institution is known throughout the world as the Academy of Russian Ballet. But the girl did not pass the exam, because the selection to the Vagankovo school has always been incredibly difficult, at that time the competition was 90 people per place. Then Diana continued to study dancing at the children's choreographic studio of the Palace of Culture named after, and the next year she tried again to pass the exam. This time successfully.
As Vishneva admits today, in that distant 1987, she still did not have an unambiguous desire to be a ballerina. But the teachers of the school infected the teenager with enthusiasm and instilled a love for art. It was also spurred on by the fact that she quickly became the leader of the class, the teachers noted the successes and results of the girl. It was within the walls of the Academy that Diana realized: either you think about the quality of the performance and become an excellent ballet dancer, or about fees, but then you have nothing to do on stage.
Even in the student period, the concert of Diana Vishneva in the framework of the international competition for students of ballet schools "Prix of Lausanne" made a splash. In the final, she performed a variation from the ballet "Coppelia" and the number "Carmen", which was specially staged for the competition by Igor Belsky. The girl was awarded the gold medal of this competition. A year later, she became a graduate of the Academy of Russian Ballet and immediately joined the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater.
Ballet
In fact, the ballerina appeared on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater as a student. She, as an intern, performed the part of Kitri in the ballet Don Quixote. Later, the performances "Symphony in C", "Sleeping Beauty", "La Bayadere", "Rubies" appeared in the girl's repertoire. And Diana dedicated her performance in the title role in the ballet "Romeo and Juliet" to the great Soviet ballerina.
Diana Vishneva in the ballet "Carmen" Later, Vishneva began not only touring with the troupe, but also accepting invitations from other theaters. Back in 1996, the girl entered the stage of the Moscow Bolshoi Theater, and then took the first step towards the title of "Man of the World": she danced at the Italian theater "La Scala" and the German National Theater of Munich, at the legendary Paris Opera and at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, in the Berlin State Ballet and in the theater of the Finnish city of Mikkeli.
Notably, many of the overseas productions have been re-edited. And if at the Mariinsky Theater Diana had a clear role, then in other halls she could afford more variety in the parties. For example, at the American Ballet Theatre, where in 2005 she became an official guest soloist, Vishneva danced the main roles in the ballets Swan Lake and Raymonda, which she had long dreamed of. For her contribution to the development of Russian and world art, the ballerina was awarded the title of People's Artist of Russia in 2007.
Diana Vishneva in the ballet "Swan Lake" In addition to the actual dance in other people's productions, she creates personal projects. The first personal work of Vishneva is a performance in the style of the modern ballet Silenzio. Then the solo programs “Beauty in Motion”, “Dialogues”, “On the Edge” came out. It is noteworthy that Vishneva became the first Russian ballerina after who performed the main part in the ballet "Bolero". This happened on the stage of the Swiss theater in Lausanne, together with the troupe of Maurice Béjart.
The festival of Diana Vishneva, called "Context", was also founded. For the first time, this international festival of modern choreography took place in 2013, and the ballerina herself took part in it as a dancer, performing the choreography of Jiri Kilian in the production of "Clouds" to the music of the composer. "Context" for Russian ballet fans is a big event.
Diana Vishneva in the play "Bolero" by Maurice Bejart The ballerina tries herself in other areas of activity. As a public figure, she helps novice dancers through the personally created Foundation for the Promotion of the Development of Ballet Art. Due to the fact that since 2007 Vishneva has become the face of the Tatyana Parfyonova fashion house, she learned the profession of a model. In addition, Diana tried herself as a film actress, starring in the musical film “The Gentle One” and, together with playing the main roles in Rustam Khamdamov’s short drama “Diamonds. Theft". She was also involved in the French documentary television film "Ballerinas".
In 2012, Diana became the chairman of the jury of the Bolshoi Ballet project on the Russia-Culture channel.
Diana Vishneva in the movie "Diamonds" Diana Vishneva participated in the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi in 2014. Then the ballerina performed the "dance of the dove of peace." And in November of the same year she made her debut in John Neumeier's ballet Tatiana.
In addition, the prima appeared on the covers of fashionable glosses. In 2015, she showed the spring-summer collection of Louis Vuitton on the cover of Harper's Bazaar magazine.
Photo shoot by Diana Vishneva for Harper's Bazaar magazine In April 2016, Diana held an evening of Lyudmila Kovaleva in her theater called “Dedication to the teacher”. The artist herself, along with other students, participated in this event.
Personal life
As soon as she got into the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater, the aspiring ballerina met the dancer Farukh Ruzimatov, who for a long time became the artist's stage partner and close friend behind the scenes. Diana and Farukh, who turned out to be 13 years older than her lover, met for a long time. Some colleagues even called the couple husband and wife, although the ballet dancers did not formalize official relations.
In 2013, the public discussed rumors about Vishneva's relationship with a billionaire. But both he and she denied that they were in a romantic relationship. Actually, such conversations stopped in August of the same year, as the wedding of the ballerina with producer Konstantin Selinevich took place. By the way, the husband of Diana Vishneva also did business with the famous Russian hockey player. Another man is the owner of his own business in the United States.
It is important to note: the spouses claim that they have been together for a long time, so the words of the husband and wife can be taken as a negative response-commentary about the gossip about Diana's affair with Abramovich. Officially, the personal life of Diana Vishneva changed after the wedding ceremony, which the newlyweds organized in the Hawaiian Islands.
In an interview, Diana speaks very warmly about her husband. She considers her husband protection and support. The ballerina shared that they have complete harmony with Konstantin. He understands a woman in everything and takes on all her experiences.
Vishneva is considered one of the greatest ballerinas who continues to take the stage. Professional critics call the woman a universal dancer and very beautifully compare Diana's skill with a Stradivarius violin. And the world-famous Forbes magazine included the famous ballerina in the list of "50 Russians who conquered the world."
Diana is also called the most elegant, light and sophisticated ballerina in Russia. But the artist in conversations does not like to talk about weight and food. According to some information, with a height of 168 cm, Vishneva's weight is approximately 40-45 kg.
After Diana refused to perform at her own festival, rumors spread that the prima was pregnant. Soon, an acquaintance of the woman shared that Vishneva really. And the ballerina herself began to appear in public in loose-fitting clothes that hide changes in her figure.
According to official data, May 13, 2018 Diana Vishneva. The woman gave her husband a son. Later, the artist's father said that the daughter and the baby are already at home and feel good. Another man shared that the boy was named after the dancer Rudolf Nureyev. On May 17, Diana posted on the page in “ Instagram". The newly minted mother was congratulated by thousands of fans of the ballerina.
Diana Vishneva has developed her own official website. Those who wish can get acquainted with the latest creative news, pictures and interviews.
Diana Vishneva now
In one conversation with reporters, Diana shared that she had already performed all the parts that interested her. Today, the artist's attention is directed to the development of her projects. According to the ballerina, she moved to a new stage.
In December 2017, I will accept the prestigious award of the American dance magazine Dance Magazine.
parties
- 1996 - "Romeo and Juliet" -
- 2001 - "Manon" - Manon
- 2001 - "Sleeping Beauty" -
- 2002 - "Don Quixote" - Kitri
- 2005-2017 - "Swan Lake" - Odette and Odile
- 2005-2017 - "Raymonda" - Raymonda
- 2007 - "Beauty in motion"
- 2011 - Dialogues
- 2013 - "Bolero"
- 2013 - "On the verge"
- 2014 - "Tatiana" -
Artist Date of birth July 13 (Cancer) 1976 (42) Place of birth Leningrad Instagram @dianavishnevaofficial
Russian ballet is a standard of excellence all over the world. The professional training of the masters of the old school has made our ballerinas welcome guests in all major theaters. Fans are amazed at the stamina and flexibility of the girls. One of these ballerinas is Diana Vishneva, the leading soloist of the Mariinsky Theatre, who has already conquered the whole world with her virtuosity. Perseverance and talent allowed her to perform at the best ballet venues in different countries. Diana is the founder of a foundation whose main goal is to popularize ballet art in the USA, Japan, and Russia.
Biography of Diana Vishneva
The future ballet star was born in Leningrad in 1976. From early childhood she was fond of dancing, went to choreography. In 1987 she was able to enter the Academy of Russian Ballet, where her teachers were Belskaya and Kovaleva. In 1994, the first success came - for the performance of the miniature "Carmen" in Lausanne, the ballerina received a gold award. Before her, only young men were awarded such an honor, and after that no one won gold.
In 1995, Diana became part of the Mariinsky Theater troupe. It was a girl's dream. At that time, she could not imagine that she would be given the main role in Cinderella, and then the part of Masha in The Nutcracker.
As a soloist of the "Mariinsky" Diana Viktorovna performed at many international competitions and gala concerts. In 2000, together with her troupe, she conquers London. At this moment, she is noticed by international directors.
In 2001, Vishneva received the Golden Mask, performed with the Bavarian Ballet, and conquered La Scala. In 2002, he performed for the first time at the Berlin Staatsoper and the Paris Opera. In the same year, she was awarded the title of the best ballerina in Europe and invited to America at the Metropolitan Opera. In 2005, Diana became the prima ballerina of this famous theater and participated in its productions throughout the spring-summer season.
For her contribution to the culture of Russia, the girl was given the highest awards several times in 2007 and 2016.
In 2008, directors Pendleton, Rodin and Rotmansky staged a performance specifically for the ballerina in the USA. It was called "Diana Vishneva: beauty in motion."
“Our smart kid, 10 months to you! May success, in love with you, Give happiness on earth! - Diana wrote under this photo with her son
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 theater La Scala "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);
"The 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.
What does the fate of a young ballerina promise if from school she ends up in the Mecca of Russian ballet art - the Mariinsky Theater and almost immediately becomes a soloist? Unprecedented success and well-deserved fame, victories at international competitions and invitations from the world's leading ballet theaters. This is exactly what happened to Diana Vishneva, prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theatre.
Diana Vishneva was born in Leningrad on July 13, 1976. At the age of six, Diana began to study in a choreographic circle at the Palace of Pioneers, and in 1987 she entered the Academy of Russian Ballet. Agrippina Vaganova. Her first teacher was L.V. Belskaya, in the senior class - L.V. Kovalev.
In 1994, a promising student travels to Lausanne for the world-famous Prix de Lausanne. This international competition is held in the Swiss city of Lausanne every year and is considered today the most prestigious competition for young dancers around the world. The age limit of participants is 15-17 years. Prize-winners are given the right to train in one of the state ballet schools cooperating with Lausanne (including the Royal London and New York). Diana dances in Lausanne a miniature "Carmen", specially staged for her by Igor Belsky, artistic director of the Academy, and receives the highest prize - the Gold Medal. The severity of the judges of this competition can be assessed even by a cursory study of the lists of laureates: fourteen years before that, only boys received the Gold Medal, and after - up to the present time - the highest award was not awarded.
With the victory in the competition, the rapid growth of the career of Diana Vishneva begins. She combines her last year of study with an internship at the Mariinsky Theater, where she is immediately given solo parts. While still a trainee, in 1995 she danced the role of Kitri in the ballet Don Quixote. The image of this young Kitri is still impossible to forget. Childishly angular, fresh in her youth, tart in her unique style ... For this role in 1996, Diana was awarded the Benois de la Danse prize.
While still a student at the Vaganova Academy, in March 1995 Vishneva performed in Toronto at a gala concert dedicated to the memory of Rudolf Nureyev. In the concert, she danced in tandem with Vladimir Malakhov. The premier of three of the most famous ballet companies in the world, Malakhov, in the person of a young ballerina, found an excellent partner, cooperation with which will continue for many years.
In 1995, Diana graduated from college and was accepted into the ballet troupe of the Mariinsky Theater, where O. Chenchikova became her teacher-repetiteur. At this time, ballets by George Balanchine begin to return to the stage of the Mariinsky Theater, the production of which is patronized by the New York Balanchine Foundation. Vishneva got the role literally in the first premiere since she joined the troupe. February 1996, the first show of Balanchine's "Symphony in C", Diana Vishneva dances the solo part in the 3rd movement, paired with Sergei Vikharev. For this role, Diana was awarded the St. Petersburg theater award "Golden Soffit".
"Benoit de la danse", "Golden Soffit" - and yet this young dancer has not even become the prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theatre! However, this happens soon, in 1996, Diana officially becomes a soloist of the Mariinsky Theater, and in the same year she receives the Divine Award.
In 1996, Diana Vishneva takes part in the following performances and tours:
February - the main parts in the performance of the Bolshoi Theater "Don Quixote" in Moscow (with Farukh Ruzimatov). In the same month - a solo part in the 1st part of the ballet "In the Night" by J. Robbins (with Viktor Baranov).
April – debut of Diana Vishneva as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet dedicated to Galina Ulanova (partner Viktor Baranov). After the performance, Vishneva was re-awarded with the Divine prize, the first presentation of which took place at the Bolshoi Theater in February.
June - on the stage of the Hermitage Theater Vishneva danced Fanny Cerrito for the first time in Pas de Quatre by A. Dolin.
September - Diana Vishneva made her debut as Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty.
Diana Vishneva's first appearance in London took place during the season of The Nutcrackers by the Mariinsky Ballet at the Coliseum Theater (December 1996 - January 1997). At the opening of the tour, Diana danced the part of Masha with Farukh Ruzimatov.
In 1997, Diana Vishneva returns to the place of her first triumph - to Lausanne, but already as a guest star participating in a gala concert. She dances the pas de deux from the ballet Le Corsaire with Carlos Acosta.
1997 brought the young ballerina a new role - for the first time she danced the central part in the ballet "Firebird". Diana again took part in the summer tour of the Mariinsky Theater in the London Coliseum. Her repertoire of these tours includes the main roles in the ballets Don Quixote, Symphony in C, The Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet, The Firebird and The Vision of the Rose.
By the 215th ballet season of the Mariinsky Theatre, Diana Vishneva is developing the image of a recognized star, she is one of the few prima prima of the famous troupe who make the theater “face”. Temperamental, bright, Diana Vishneva belongs to a new generation of charismatic ballerinas-actresses who can bring their own unique style to any classical role. On October 12, 1997, the Mariinsky Theater opens the new season with Romeo and Juliet. At the opening of the season, Diana Vishneva and Igor Zelensky shine.
Diana actively participates in all tours of her native theater. November - a concert of stars in New Jersey, where Vishneva dances the pas de deux from "Romeo and Juliet" with Viktor Baranov, the solo "Carmen" in the choreography of I. Belsky and the pas de deux from "Corsair" with Farukh Ruzimatov. In November, there is a gala concert in New York, on the stage of the Lincoln Center, dedicated to Sergei Diaghilev. Here Diana dances "The Vision of the Rose" with Vladimir Malakhov and the Tchaikovsky-Balanchine pas de deux with Vyacheslav Samodurov.
In January-February 1998, relations between the two great Russian theaters, the Mariinsky and the Bolshoi, were renewed. Diana takes part in exchange tours: Kitri in Don Quixote with Farukh Ruzimatov, the first duet in the ballet At Night in the Evening of American Choreography program and a variation in the Grand Pas in Paquita in a gala concert.
In June 1998, Roland Petit brought his ballets Youth and Death and Carmen to the stage of the Mariinsky Theatre. In Carmen, Diana Vishneva and Farukh Ruzimatov perform the main roles in the second premiere performance on June 26. Alluring, teasing Carmen in the interpretation of Vishneva, like a precious stone, plays and shimmers on stage. Diana dances not only her legs and arms, she dances all over: with her eyes, curls, the unique lines of each of her movements.
In the same month, Vishneva and Ruzimatov receive the prize of the Baltika brewery as the "best duet". Is it possible to express one's own "I" in the rigid canons of classical ballets? This is exactly what two outstanding dancers do. The narrow limits of the classics do not put pressure on their individuality, but allow their talent to be more fully revealed. Familiar roles are filled with new content and truly make their performers shine.
Despite this, the young ballerina dreams of trying herself in modern choreography. This happens in 1999, when Diana Vishneva dances the solo part in Alexei Ratmansky's Poem of Ecstasy. And in 2000, a young but very popular choreographer puts on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater a new sensational performance - Prokofiev's ballet Cinderella - focusing specifically on Diana. But more on that below. Keeping the chronology of events, we note the participation of Vishneva in the tour of the Mariinsky Theater in the summer of 1998 in Graz (Austria), where she danced The Sleeping Beauty at the opening of the tour.
In February 1999, Diana made her debut in the title role of the ballet Giselle. In the 1998-1999 season. The Mariinsky Theater begins to make attempts to reconstruct previous productions.
On April 30, 1999, the premiere of the old-new Sleeping Beauty, restored by Sergei Vikharev, is taking place. At the premiere, Vishneva dances Princess Aurora paired with Andrian Fadeev.
In the summer of 1999, the Mariinsky Ballet tours New York. Vishneva dances Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Symphony in C major and Tchaikovsky-Balanchine pas de deux.
The following season, the Mariinsky Theater continues to stage Balanchine's ballets. The first major ballet - the triptych "Jewels" - causes an extensive resonance in the press. At the premiere on October 30, 1999, Diana Vishneva dances the solo part in the second part, in Rubies. Diana in this role is a true "ruby": her sparkling dance style, fountain-like energy and perfected technique logically fall on this part.
The next season premiere, Manon by Kenneth MacMillan, brought Diana one of her favorite roles. Tender and passionate, sacrificial and selflessly loving Manon is especially felt by the ballerina. In this role at the Second Mariinsky Festival in 2002, she will shine in tandem with the famous premiere of the Paris Grand Opera, Manuel Legris. She dances this role in November 2001 and January 2002 with the Bavarian State Ballet in Munich (partner Alen Bottaini). For the role of Manon, as well as for the solo part in Rubies, Vishneva was again nominated for the Golden Mask theater award.
In the summer of 2000 in London, on the stage of the Ko
vent Garden, the Mariinsky Theater is on a grand scale tour: eighteen ballet and sixteen opera performances. The Mariinsky became the first international band to perform on the stage of Covent Garden after the major reconstruction of the building. Diana Vishneva opens the first part of the tour with Sleeping Beauty (with Igor Zelensky), and then dances the main part in Rubies. During the second part of the tour, Diana performs the main roles in Don Quixote, The Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet and Scheherazade. These tours can truly be called triumphant.
Since 2001, the International Ballet Festival Mariinsky has been held annually at the Mariinsky Theater in February-March, which has become a kind of ballet celebration. It gathers a huge number of ballet lovers, press representatives from Moscow and other countries. Famous soloists, as well as entire ballet troupes, take part in the festival. In February 2001, at the first festival, Diana Vishneva danced Giselle with guest performer Vladimir Malakhov. In the gala concert, Vishneva performs an adagio from Manon, also with Malakhov, and a variation in Paquita.
In March 2001, Diana Vishneva finally received the Golden Mask for her solo part in G. Balanchine's Rubies. March 2001 also brings Vishneva's debut as Nikiya in La Bayadère.
The Mariinsky Theater is gaining weight among the world's leading ballet companies. The famous Hamburg choreographer John Neumeier begins cooperation with him. On April 28, 2001, the Mariinsky Theater premieres three of Neumeier's ballets - Spring and Autumn, Now and Then, and Sounds of Blank Pages, staged especially for the Mariinsky Theater. At the premiere, Diana Vishneva dances the solo part in Spring and Autumn and the role of the Muse in Sounds of Blank Pages.
In May 2001, the President signed a decree on awarding the State Prizes of the Russian Federation in the field of literature and art for the year 2000. Diana Vishneva received the award for leading roles in the performances of the Mariinsky Theater The Sleeping Beauty, Manon, The Youth and Death, and Scheherazade.
In the summer of 2001, the Mariinsky Ballet again tours London at the Covent Garden Theatre. Diana Vishneva dances the main roles in Sleeping Beauty, Rubies, Manon, Symphony in C Major and Scheherazade. At some performances of "Rubins" and "Symphony in C" her partner was Nikolai Tsiskaridze, premier of the Bolshoi Theatre. A documentary film “Kirov-Ballet. People and dancing.
In December 2001, Diana made her debut at the La Scala Theater in Milan: the role of Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty (version by R. Nureyev). Partner – Roberto Bolle.
In February 2002, the Mariinsky Ballet tours in Washington DC, on the stage of the Kennedy Center. The tour opens with Sleeping Beauty with Diana Vishneva in the title role.
On March 5, 2002, the Mariinsky Theater hosted the world premiere of Cinderella, choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky. In his productions, Ratmansky follows modern trends and at the same time does not quarrel with the classics. Sincerity, covered with a smile - the intonation of many of his ballets. A lovely child, fabulous and modern, Cinderella of Ratmansky and Vishneva is not a mess that turns into a princess, but is always a princess, only for the time being undiscovered, unseen. This performance turned out to be about a little princess hidden inside every woman, and Diana Vishneva in it is the necessary link that connects all the components together. For this role, Diana was nominated for the "Best Actress in a Ballet" theater award "Golden Mask".
At the Second International Ballet Festival "Mariinsky" in March 2002, Diana danced for the first time with the premiere of the Paris Opera Manuel Legris ("Manon", "Rubies"), a fruitful collaboration with whom continues in subsequent years (an excerpt from "Carmen" at the Third Festival , March 2003; June 2003 - "Manon" version of R. Nureyev on the stage of the Grand Opera).
In April 2002, Diana performed the title role in Raymond for the first time.
In May 2002, Diana Vishneva made her debut at the Paris Opera (R. Nureyev's version of Don Quixote with J. Martinez, one of the company's premieres).
July 2002 - tour of the Mariinsky Ballet on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera (New York) (the main roles in the new-old La Bayadère by Sergei Vikharev, Don Quixote and Rubies).
2002 was a particularly successful year for Diana Vishneva in terms of touring performances and invitations to prestigious ballet theaters around the world. In the 2002-2003 season Vladimir Malakhov becomes Artistic Director of the Berlin Opera Ballet Company. He invites Diana Vishneva to perform with the Berlin troupe as a guest-star. The Berlin Opera opens the new ballet season with the ballet Giselle starring Vishneva and Malakhov.
Vishneva and Malakhov also dance in Mikkeli (Finland), at the annual ballet festival (October 2002). They performed the main roles in The Sleeping Beauty, which was their first joint performance in this ballet, as well as the Tchaikovsky-Balanchine pas de deux in the concert program.
In December, Malakhov staged his version of the ballet La Bayadère at the Berlin Opera and invited Diana to play the role of Nikiya (Solor - Vladimir Malakhov).
In December, the ballet Giselle was shown eight times at the Megaron Theater in Athens with the participation of soloists from different troupes. The parts of Giselle and Albert were performed by Diana Vishneva with Vladimir Malakhov and Svetlana Zakharova with Igor Zelensky.
Diana continues to tour with the Mariinsky Ballet: at the Chatelet Theater (Paris) in October 2002, she danced the main parts in The Firebird, The Nutcracker by M. Shemyakin and the old-new La Bayadère.
The name of Diana Vishneva is becoming well known in the world's leading ballet theaters. Every year she receives a large number of invitations. In 2002, according to a survey by Dance Europe magazine, Diana Vishneva was named the best dancer in Europe.
The year 2003 is scheduled for the ballerina literally by the day. May - Berlin Opera, premiere of Balanchine's ballet "Imperial", June - Grand Opera, "Manon" with M. Legris. By September, Diana is preparing the part of Tatyana in J. Cranko's ballet "Eugene Onegin" for the Berlin Opera.
In 2003, Diana made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera (New York) with the play "Romeo and Juliet" (C. MacMillan). In February 2003, she had the long-awaited premiere of Swan Lake at the Berlin Staatsopera.
According to the results of 2003, Diana became the winner of the "Soul of Dance" award in the "Queen of Dance" nomination, presented annually by the Ballet magazine.
February 16, 2005 marked the 10th anniversary of Diana Vishneva's appearance on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater with her first performance (Don Quixote). The anniversary was marked by her preview performance of Giselle on 31 January at the theatre, a Benefit Performance at the Conservatory on 4 February with an Evening of Contemporary Choreography, and a Benefit Performance at the Mariinsky Theater on 26 March as part of the Mariinsky International Ballet Festival.
On May 24, 2005, Diana received the status of prima ballerina (principal dancer) of the American Ballet Theater (ABT) and brilliantly performed in the spring-summer season of the theater on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera (New York).
On September 21, 2005, the Mariinsky Theater opened the 223rd ballet season with the traditional Swan Lake. It was not traditional that Diana Vishneva performed on her native stage for the first time in the main part of this ballet.
On January 9 and 11, 2006, Diana's performances with the troupe of the Paris Opera were triumphant, where she danced "Swan Lake" in the version of R. Nureyev.
On April 29, 2006, on the new stage of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, Diana danced as a guest soloist in Swan Lake, edited by Y. Grigorovich. Her performance caused a wide and lengthy discussion in the press and at ballet forums.
January 31, 2007 By decree of the President of the Russian Federation, soloist of the Mariinsky Ballet Diana Vishneva was awarded the honorary title People's Artist of the Russian Federation for her great achievements in the field of art.
On September 17, 2007, the Mariinsky Theater opened its 225th anniversary season with the ballet Romeo and Juliet with the participation of Diana Vishneva.
On October 7, 2007, the new ballet Silenzio. Diana Vishneva, directed by Andrei Moguchiy and Alexei Kononov.
February 13, 2008 in California (USA) the premiere of a new three-part choreographic performance "Diana Vishneva: Beauty in Motion" took place. The initiator and producer of the project was the president of Ardani Artists Sergey Danilyan, the choreographers were Alexei Ratmansky (Lunar Pierrot), Moses Pendleton (F.L.O.W.) and Dwight Rhoden (Three Point Turn). The premiere of the Program was also held in New York (February 21-24) and Moscow (February 28, 29). The official press rated the project as unique, and the main performer - as a universal ballerina and creative person.
