Diana Viktorovna Vishneva was born on July 13, 1976 in Leningrad in the family of chemical engineers Viktor Gennadievich and Guzali Fagimovna Vishneva. At the age of six, she began to study in a choreographic circle at the Palace of Pioneers, in 1987 she entered the Leningrad Choreographic School named after A. Ya. Vaganova (since 1991 - the Academy of Russian Ballet).
In 1994, she participated in the international competition for students of ballet schools "Prix of Lausanne": having performed in the finals a variation from the ballet "Coppelia" and the number "Carmen", staged especially 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).
Vishneva 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). During the tour of the Mariinsky Ballet Company in New York, she performed at the Metropolitan Opera, soloing in the ballets La Bayadère (reconstruction by Sergei Vikharev), Don Quixote and Rubies.
Since 2002, she has been a guest soloist of the Berlin State Ballet: Vladimir Malakhov invited her to dance the play Giselle with him at 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).
Since 2005 she has been 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"). The first program, Beauty in motion (“Beauty in motion”), which premiered on February 13, 2008 in California, was created in collaboration with Alexei Ratmansky (“Lunar Pierrot”), Moses Pendleton (F.L.O.W. - For Love of Women (“From Love for a Woman") and Dwight Rodin ("Turns of Love").
In 2010, she established the Diana Vishneva Foundation for the Promotion of Ballet Art. In the same year, she starred in a short film directed by Rustam Khamdamov "Diamonds".
In 2011 she worked with choreographer Édouard Lok, performing with his company La La La Human Steps in a ballet set to music by Purcell and Gluck.
In October 2011, Vishneva's next solo project, Dialogues, premiered at the Mariinsky Theater. For this program, choreographer John Neumeier created for the ballerina "Dialogue" - 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 danced the production of Paul Lightfoot and Sol Leon Subject to change (partner - Andrey Merkuriev)
In 2012 she was the chairman of the jury of the Bolshoi Ballet project on the Russia-Culture TV channel.
On February 17, 2013, in Lausanne, together with the troupe of Maurice Bejart, Diana performed in Bolero, becoming the first Russian ballerina after Maya Plisetskaya 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). In November 2014 the Festival took place again. Vishneva performed in three productions: in Hans van Manen's premiere work The Old Man and Me (partner Eric Gauthier) and Marco Gecke's Murdered, as well as Paul Lightfoot's and Sol Leon's production of The Object of Change.
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.) . The commentators of the live broadcast of the ceremony Vishneva was presented to viewers as one of the greatest ballerinas of our time.
On November 7, 2014, she made her debut in John Neumeier's new ballet Tatiana. The premiere took place on June 29, 2014 in Hamburg.
Personal life
On August 27, 2013, Diana Vishneva married her producer Konstantin Selinevich, with whom the ballerina has a long relationship. The wedding ceremony took place in the Hawaiian Islands.
Repertoire
Ballets of the classical repertoire
"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).
Choreography of the 20th century
The Nutcracker by Vasily Vainonen - Masha
"Scheherazade" (Zobeida), "Firebird" (Firebird), "Vision of a Rose" (Girl) and "Swan" by Mikhail Fokin
"Romeo and Juliet" by Leonid Lavrovsky - Juliet
"Legend of Love" by Yuri Grigorovich - Mekhmene-Banu
"Onegin" by John Cranko - Tatyana
Apollo (Terpsichore), Symphony in C (III movement), Pas de deux to music by Tchaikovsky, Rubies, Ballet Imperial by George Balanchine
"In the Night" by Jerome Robbins - I duet, partner Viktor Baranov
"Carmen" (Carmen, Don Jose - Farukh Ruzimatov); Youth and Death by Roland Petit
"Manon" by Kenneth MacMillan - Manon
Spring and Fall, Lady of the Camellias (Marguerite Gauthier), Tatiana (Tatiana Larina[* 5]) by John Neumeier
"Ring around the ring", "Bolero" by Maurice Béjart
Cinderella (Cinderella), Poem of Ecstasy, Anna Karenina (Anna Karenina), Lost Illusions by Alexei Ratmansky
Contemporary choreography
Steptext, In the Middle Somewhat Elevated by William Forsyth
"Apartment" by Mats Ek
Vertigo Mauro Bigonzetti (partners - Vladimir Malakhov, then Marcelo Gomez)
Solo projects
Diana Vishneva: Beauty in Motion (choreography by Alexei Ratmansky, Dwight Rodin, Moses Pendleton)
Diana Vishneva: Dialogues (choreography by Martha Graham, John Neumeier, Paul Lightfoot and Sol Leon)
Edges (choreography by Jean-Christophe Maillot and Caroline Carlson)
Awards and prizes
1994 - Gold medal of the international ballet competition "Lausanne Prize" (Switzerland)
1995 - Benois Dance Prize
1996 - "Divine" prize of the Ardani artistic agency, "Golden Soffit" prize in the nomination "Best female ballet part"
1998 - Baltika Prize
2000 - State Prize of the Russian Federation
2001 - theater award "Golden Mask"
2002 - "Dancer of the Year - 2002" (Dance Europe magazine award [specify])
2003 - the prize of the magazine "Ballet" "Soul of dance"
2007 - People's Artist of Russia
2009 - theatrical award "Golden Mask" (in the nominations "Best Actress", "Contemporary Dance / Female Role" and "Critics Prize")
2010 - "Ballerina of the Decade" (international concert project "Stars of the Ballet of the XXI century")
The fate of Diana Vishneva is amazing: twice recognized by strict examiners as unsuitable for ballet art, she began to perform solo parts on the stage of one of the best theaters in the country during her studies.
Diana Viktorovna Vishneva was born in Leningrad in 1976. Her parents, chemical engineers, were not connected with art, but her mother was very fond of ballet, which contributed to the fact that her daughter became interested in this art. At the age of six, Diana begins to study at the ballet studio at the Palace of Pioneers. The training was successful, and at the age of ten they tried to send the girl to the Leningrad Choreographic School (now the Academy of Russian Ballet) named after. A. Ya. Vaganova, but the examiners found her data not suitable. Then the mother recorded Diana in the studio at the Palace of Culture. M. Gorky, where thorough training was given, and the attitude to physical data was not so strict. Diana managed to enter the choreographic school only on the third attempt - this happened in 1987.
At the school, Diana becomes a student of L. Kovaleva and A. Strict. She equally feels a penchant for both classical and characteristic dance. Her successes were such that I. Belsky himself (in those years - the artistic director of the choreographic school) staged a number for her - "Carmen's Monologue" to the music of a fragment from the ballet by J. Bizet-R. Shchedrin "Carmen Suite". This number, as well as a variation from the ballet "Coppelia", Diana performed in 1994 at the competition for students of ballet schools "Prix Lausanne" in Switzerland - and became the winner. This victory can be considered truly triumphant, given that before this, for fourteen years, not a single woman was awarded a gold medal, and in the next few years, not a single participant at all.
The debut of Diana Vishneva at the Mariinsky Theater took place during the years of her studies, and her first role was Kitri in the ballet "". After graduating from college in 1995, on tour in Italy, the ballerina performs the role of Masha in the ballet The Nutcracker, and in the USA - the mazurka in the ballet Chopiniana, but soon the performances have to be interrupted due to a leg injury.
Diana Vishneva returned to the stage after six months of treatment. New parts appear in her repertoire. She performs not only in classical ballets, but also comes into contact with modern choreography - for example, in 1996 she participated in the performance of J. Robbins' ballet to the music of F. Chopin "In the Night". At the same time, she first performed the part of Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, and in the play Romeo and Juliet, which was dedicated to G. Ulanova, she danced Juliet. That year, the ballerina received two prizes - the Benois of the Dance for her performance as Kitri and the Golden Soffit for her performance in the ballet Symphony in C to music by J. Bizet. The ballerina dances for the first time at the Bolshoi Theater in London, and in 1997 she takes part in a gala concert in Lausanne - her partner in the pas de deux from the ballet Le Corsaire was C. Acosta.
In 1997, Diana Vishneva dances for the first time in "", and a year later she again comes into contact with the image of Carmen. This time it was a ballet by Roland Petit, which the choreographer transferred to the stage of the Mariinsky Theatre. One of her favorite roles was in the ballet of the same name by K. Macmillan.
Diana Vishneva can be called a ballerina-actress. Giving preference to plot ballets, she creates unique images: young, childishly angular Kitri, tender Manon, passionate Carmen, naive Giselle. The ballerina is especially attracted to classical ballets staged by modern choreographers - for example, she brilliantly performed the title role in the ballet Cinderella staged by A. Ratmansky.
Diana Vishneva is an international star. In 2001 she danced in Manon by the Bavarian Ballet and in The Sleeping Beauty choreographed by Rudolf Nureyev at the La Scala Theatre, in 2002 she danced in Don Quixote at the Paris National Opera (also in R. Nureyev's version), at the Metropolitan Opera, she was the soloist in the ballet Rubies. In 2002, she became a guest soloist with the Berlin State Ballet, where she danced Giselle with. Subsequently, with the same dancer, she performed in Finland, performing the main part in The Sleeping Beauty and J. Balanchine's pas de deux to music. Abroad, the ballerina was able to realize those dreams that could not be realized at the Mariinsky Theater: becoming a guest soloist with the American Ballet Theater in 2005, she got the opportunity to perform in the lead roles in the ballets "" and "Raymonda".
Diana Vishneva collaborates with various choreographers of our time, and some of them stage ballets especially for her: Piotr Zuska's Hands of the Sea in 2005, Silenzio. Diana Vishneva ”by Alexei Kononov and Andrei Moguchy in 2007. She performed with the troupe of M. Bejart - for the first time after Maya Plisetskaya, a Russian performer danced in Bolero.
D. Vishneva presented a number of solo projects. The first one is Beauty in Motion. This program, presented in California in 2008, included "Moon Pierrot" by A. Ratmansky, "For the Love of a Woman" by M. Pendleton and "Turns of Love" by D. Rodin. In other solo projects - Dialogues, Edges - the ballerina performed productions by M. Graham, J.-C. Mayo, S. Leon, P. Lightfoot, C. Carlson.
In 2013, the festival of contemporary choreography Context was held in Moscow for the first time, and Diana Vishneva became its initiator. “We wanted to have different styles, different genres, synthesis,” the ballerina defined the goal of the festival, noting that “there is a lot of misunderstanding in modern choreography, especially among the Russian public.” Being the organizer of the festival, the ballerina herself performed at it, performing the production of I. Kilian to the music of C. Debussy "Clouds".
In 2014, Diana Vishneva performed at the opening ceremony of the Sochi Olympics, performing the “Dance of the Dove of Peace” - and commentators presented her to the public as one of the greatest ballerinas of the modern world.
The ballerina attaches great importance to the popularization of ballet art, which should become accessible to different social strata. For this purpose, the Diana Vishneva Foundation was established in 2010, operating in Russia, Japan and the United States.
Music Seasons
Diana Viktorovna Vishneva - Russian prima ballerina, People's Artist, laureate of numerous awards, she was born on July 13, 1976 in Leningrad. Vishneva became the first Russian ballerina after Maya Plisetskaya, who was invited to play the part in the ballet "Bolero" on the stage of the Swiss theater. The list of her awards includes "Golden Soffit", "Benois de la Danse" and "Golden Mask".
The woman has been repeatedly called the main ballerina of our time, she is one of the highest paid dancers in the world according to Forbes. Despite this, Diana never set herself the goal of making as much money as possible. She has an incredible love for art. Each performance the ballerina honed to perfection. Her leadership qualities were manifested even during training in deep childhood.
First steps towards success
The girl was born into a family of scientists. Her parents, Viktor Gennadievich and Guzal Fagimovna, were chemists. Mother had a second higher education, her specialty was economics. Oksana, Diana's older sister, also grew up in the family. The girls were brought up in an atmosphere of love and kindness, all relatives treated each other with respect. Parents supported any undertakings of their children - mathematical circles, dance studios and sports activities.
When the baby was six years old, she was sent to a choreographic studio at the Palace of Pioneers. A year later, Diana entered the Vaganova Ballet Academy. She was trained by legends such as L.V. Belskaya and L.V. Kovalev. It was possible to enter only from the second year, because the competition was 90 people per place. But the girl did not want to give up and a year later she was able to prove that she deserves this place.
Already in 1994, the ballerina went to her first competition in Lausanne. There she danced a miniature "Carmen", specially staged for the girl by Igor Belsky. She managed to defeat all the rivals in her age group and become the owner of the gold medal. It is noteworthy that before the appearance of Diana, the award was presented only to boys. After her victory in the competition, there were no participants worthy of the highest award.
In parallel with her studies, the dancer trained at the Mariinsky Theater. Since 1996, she has become a soloist in this institution. In December of the same year, the troupe went to London to perform The Nutcracker. Also in 1996, the girl received the Benois de la Danse prize for the part of Kitri in the ballet Don Quixote, which she performed while still studying at the academy.
When Vishneva was a student, she traveled to Toronto for a concert in memory of Rudolf Nureyev. There, the ballerina first danced in tandem with Vladimir Malakhov. Later, they often collaborated. It is noteworthy that during this life period, Diana was not yet sure of her desire to devote her life to dancing. But the influence of teachers and colleagues was colossal, she was quickly infected with enthusiasm.
Life after the academy
In 1997, the dancer returned to Lausanne. This time she was a guest star, she performed the part from the ballet Le Corsaire together with her partner Carlos Acosta. In her native St. Petersburg, she also had several roles. Diana regularly participated in productions of "Symphony in C", "La Bayadère" and "Sleeping Beauty". Also, the girl brilliantly coped with the leading role in the play "Romeo and Juliet". She dedicated her dance to the famous Soviet ballerina Galina Ulanova.
Since 1996, Vishneva periodically performs in other theaters, where directors invite her. In 1996, she appeared on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, shortly after that, the girl danced in the Italian hall "La Scala". Then the girl was invited to perform at the German National Theatre, the Paris Opera and the New York Metropolitan Opera. She was noted both in the state ballet of Berlin, and on the stage of a small Finnish theater. The ballerina liked to dance in foreign halls, where she had more freedom. It was in the USA that she was able to fulfill her old dream - to play the main roles in the ballets "Raymonda" and "Swan Lake".
By the 215th season of the Mariinsky Theater, Diana was recognized by everyone as the main star of the troupe. She was instantly remembered by the audience due to her incredible charisma and undeniable talent. The girl can be attributed to the ballerinas of the new generation, who combine dance and acting. All productions with her participation became bright and memorable.
In 2000, a grandiose tour of the Mariinsky Theater troupe took place in London. Vishneva participated in 18 ballet and 16 opera productions. In the first part of the tour, the girl danced the part from Sleeping Beauty on stage, and the season closed with the production of Rubies.
Other fields of activity and awards
In March 2001, the dancer received the Golden Mask for her solo part in the play Rubies. Two months later, she was awarded the State Prize in the field of literature and art. In May 2005, Diana became the prima ballerina of the American Ballet Theatre. In 2007, she was recognized as the People's Artist of Russia and awarded for her contribution to the development of world and domestic art. Forbes magazine also included the girl in the list of "50 Russians who conquered the world."
Since 2007, the ballerina has become the face of the Tatyana Parfenova fashion house. In 2010, Vishneva became the founder of a foundation operating in Russia, Japan and the United States. It is designed to support the art of ballet. Representatives of the foundation strive to make ballet more accessible, popularize it among different segments of the population, and interest children.
In the same 2010, the girl tried herself as an actress. She starred in a short film called "Diamonds". You can also watch the acting of Diana in the musical "The Meek" and the French documentary "Ballerinas".
In 2013, the first international festival "Context" was held, its founder was Diana Viktorovna. She also took part in this event, performing the part in the play "Clouds" to the music of Claude Debussy. This festival was a success with Russian ballet fans; in 2016 it was held for the fourth time.
Now Diana continues to perform. She also often acts as a director. The debut project of the woman was a performance in the style of modern ballet "Silenzio". Later, solo programs "On the Edge", "Beauty in Motion" and "Dialogues" appeared. Each of them was a huge success with visitors.
Personal life
Diana first fell in love at a young age, as soon as she joined the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater. Among her colleagues was Farukh Ruzimatov, the young people instantly liked each other. Despite the age difference of 13 years, the lovers met for a long time, they were even called spouses. There was no official formalization of the relationship, but Vishneva considered Ruzimatov the closest and dearest person. The reasons for their breakup are not known to the press.
In 2013, rumors began to appear in print media about the girl’s romance with Roman Abramovich. But there was no official confirmation of this information, they denied everything. All gossip was dispelled when, in August of the same year, Diana married her producer Konstantin Selinevich. He also has his own business in the US.
After the wedding, the couple told reporters that they had been dating for a very long time. That is why all rumors about other relationships of a woman can be greatly exaggerated. The wedding ceremony took place in the Hawaiian Islands, friends and relatives were invited.
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 danced 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.
Soft and shy in life, Diana admits that she is very principled and demanding of herself and her colleagues during rehearsals. And it's not easy to work with her. Although there are times when Vishneva hates ballet. After all, the prima in the theater must always be strong. But next to loved ones, she knows how to be completely different: fragile, weak and very gentle.
I often realize that I hate ballet.
- Do you admit the idea that something more important than ballet will appear in your life?
I'm not just admitting, I'm probably dreaming about it. The age of a ballerina is short enough that I hope that I will have a completely different life after I leave the stage.
- Do you have situations when you realize that you hate ballet?
Often.
- Do you have to intrigue in the theater, because it is believed that life in ballet is very closely intertwined with intrigues and intrigues?
Of course, it is, but I have absolutely no time to weave intrigues. I'm busy with something completely different. But I always feel very sorry for people who waste themselves on intrigues against colleagues.
- And how do you react if you understand that a person is clearly jealous of you and wants to do something nasty?
I am not doing anything, I know that time will pass and this person will either realize that he was wrong, or something will happen and he will only get worse because of his intrigues.
Best of the day
My mother dreamed of becoming a ballerina
- Who came up with the idea to send you to a ballet school?
It was my mother's dream, since childhood she herself wanted to become a ballerina, but her parents did not send her to a ballet school.
- Did you have any internal resistance during the first years of ballet classes?
No, it was not. I went to school, I liked to study there. And there have always been successes and results. I was the leader in the class and that spurred me on. Therefore, it did not bother me at all, it was not in dissonance with my worldview. Besides, if I wanted something different, I probably would have changed everything, but I liked it.
- However, you entered the ballet school only the third time ...
But it's not because I didn't have the data. I always had the highest marks, and I was in the first students. But they didn’t take it, because then everything was very difficult, and you had to have acquaintances in ballet circles. And I'm not from an artistic family. My parents are chemists, people of science. When I entered, the competition was 90 people for one place, a lot of people from other cities. I think the stories about the obstacles that lay in wait for me when entering the ballet school are the fruit of the imagination of journalists. The teachers really wanted to take me, but it didn’t work out. Now they take everyone in a row, but before it was difficult to get into ballet. At least, from those people who acted with me with the highest scores, not a single person reached the graduation class. And that's it.
I do not depend on the opinion of the family
- What is your relationship with your family? You made a career very early, how much do you feel now dependent on the opinion of your parents?
I probably have never been dependent, another thing is that I was - both in childhood and now - quite obedient. And always listened to the opinion of parents and teachers. But I never depended on him. They understood and welcomed it. I believe that it is very important to have your own opinion, taste, principles and goals.
- Please tell us about your family. Who are your parents, what do they do?
I have an amazing family. I grew up in a very warm house, where there was only positive. My dad for me is the absolute ideal of the head of the family, father, support.
- You are not the only child in the family. Are you close to your sister?
Oksana is 5 years older than me and now she lives in Australia. She got married and left. She always wanted to live abroad. Unfortunately, we don't talk much. It so happened that we have completely different interests.
- What are the main lessons you learned from communicating with your parents, what family values do you consider the main ones?
Nobility, intelligence, kindness, love. In my family, they didn't talk about it, but showed their feelings through their actions.
In ballet, you always need to show your strength
- In what situations do you feel like a weak woman and when do you have to show that you still have the character of a real ballerina?
In principle, you always need to be strong. Although I want to be weak, but somehow I can’t. Each time, on the contrary, you need to be stronger and stronger, and the weak, of course, want to be close to your loved one.
- Do you admit the idea that a person not from the ballet sphere will be next to you? Isn't this an obstacle, because dancers travel a lot and are rarely at home.
Life is long, so I don't see it as a problem.
- What is in second place for you after ballet?
In the first place I have love, and ballet is a different life. No, ballet stands apart for me. This is self-affirmation, probably, growth in human and professional terms. But he is not in first or second place.
- If you like a man, can you take the first step towards?
I can, but it will be very neat and a person may not even notice it.
Has there ever been unrequited love in your life?
No never.
- How quickly can you understand that this is "your" person?
I guess I need a day for this.
- And what should happen during this day?
Just a chatting. Yes, anything can happen. The main thing is that when the day comes to an end, I do not want to part with this person or I would like to meet him again tomorrow.
What is the craziest thing your fans have done for you?
Well, huge baskets of flowers are a pretty common sight. A lot of people follow me around the world. They come to the embassy for a visa and when asked where the invitation is, they say: “And we are at the performance of Diana Vishneva.” They get a visa right away.
- Do you communicate with these people?
As far as. I wouldn't say it's communication. Rapprochement is not necessary for me or them.
I am grateful to the men with whom we were close
- With what feeling do you now remember the men who were with you before?
I have no regrets and I am grateful to them.
- Do you think that friendship between a man and a woman is possible?
Possible, but rare. But perhaps there are exceptions.
- Do you have male friends?
Yes, but there are very few of them.
- On the stage you are a volcano of passions, but what are you like in life?
You know, this is too general a phrase - "volcano of passions"... I have completely different roles, repertoire, I can't say that about myself. And in life I'm quite closed. Probably, I am not a very sociable person, but I am very open in the circle of friends and relatives.
- In one of your recent interviews, you said that you recently broke up with your loved one. What should a man be like so that you pay attention to him, perhaps you would like to be with him?
I don't even know how to say. Probably, you immediately feel compatibility when you are infinitely comfortable, cozy with this person, when he gives you joy in life, the concept of the meaning of life, which you want to feel together.
- Have you ever had situations when your decisions on a personal level did not find support from your parents?
My parents never interfered in my fate. Even if they don't like something, they always rely on me or on my head, on my feelings. I know that even if I have difficult conditions, they will still help and support me. But in principle, always in difficult moments, on the contrary, I leave and retire.
I accept my mistakes as well as victories
- Have you often had to make mistakes in your personal life?
Make mistakes... I don't consider any of my actions to be wrong. Whatever is done - all for the better. I have always understood and known this. There are feelings and there is reason, they sometimes diverge in different directions. From everything you draw your own conclusions and get to know yourself better. I do not regret anything, because anyway I do everything very openly, with all my heart, first of all I do not lie to myself. And my mistakes, even if they were, I accept, as well as my victories.
- Is it necessary that the person who would go to your premieres with you be interested in ballet?
This is necessary, but I should be interested in his life as well as he is in mine, otherwise we will quickly disperse.
- Now the idea of free love is very popular, and children are not necessarily born in marriages. How do you feel about such an idea?
No, it's not for me. I grew up in a normal family and I believe that children should be born in marriage.
- That is, free love is unacceptable for you?
No, it's acceptable. But this is not a family.
- There must have been and are quite a lot of people around you who are ready to buy your love, have you been approached with such indecent proposals?
Yes, it can be both as gifts and as flowers, but for my part it ends very quickly.
- What do you think destroys relationships between loving people?
I guess relationships die when mutual respect is lost.
- Could you just be a wife, or do you think that you could open your own business in the future?
No, I just never wanted to be a wife, I am a freedom-loving person.
- Do you know how to obey?
- What is happening in your personal life now?
Everything is fine. But I don't want to talk about it. Let it stay personal.
I'm not ready to support my husband
- Do you admit the idea that a man can live at your expense, at least for a while?
It can't be, because for me it's just not a man.
Does that mean he has to make more money?
He has to provide for his family. What I earn can help the family, but in no way be the main source of income. Maybe if I was 18, I would think differently. And at 18, that's fine. This has not happened to me, so now I am more strict about financial stability. A man must be absolutely self-sufficient both professionally and financially. I have such a level that a man will simply feel uncomfortable in my shadow. And the relationship ends quickly.
- What is money for you?
Money is comfort, coziness, the ability to afford to create coziness in the house, to buy beautiful outfits.
- What are the most pleasant gifts you made for yourself with your own money, realizing that this is an obvious whim?
I rarely indulge myself, because I have to earn money both for an apartment and for certain things that I would like to have. But I don’t consider this to be dominant, it’s another matter that I don’t know how to count money or somehow manage it. That's when I received my first cash prize at a competition in Lausanne, I was asked about two hours after the end of the banquet: “Where is your prize?” It was only then that I remembered that I had left my bag on the table. Oddly enough, the bag with the money was in the place where I forgot it. Such is the miracle. Very typical for me.
- Do you happen to humiliate yourself in order to get some kind of monetary contract?
No. I have so many offers that such a problem does not exist for me.
- Have you ever humiliated yourself in ballet?
No, I have so much work that I, on the contrary, do not even have time to implement everything.
- And what can make you refuse to work together?
Mutual misunderstanding. If I see that a person is not close to me, that we do not have enough time to implement his creative idea, or it seems to me that the professional level of the choreographer is not high enough. There are plenty of reasons why I won't go for it.
Only a loving person can criticize me
- Many artists say that the directors, in order to achieve the desired “color” from the artist, sometimes behave harshly and even cruelly at rehearsals. Have you ever had such situations and with what heart do you remember such directors, if it was?
Such situations happened, I was even removed from the premiere, the same Forsyth, but I don’t think that he acted harshly or somehow wrong. It's just the way things were. And it didn't affect my worldview. It seems to me that more often than not, I behave harshly at rehearsals. I am a very demanding person, especially in the profession. I am not so demanding in life, in everyday life I am quite soft and not conflict, but in the profession, if something does not suit me, I cannot restrain it and not talk about it. Therefore, it is very difficult to work with me.
There are quite a lot of people, I can’t tell you that someone is an idol for me, but there are a lot of people that you want to emulate, that you respect.
- Who can criticize you?
The person who has known and loved me for a long time. For example, my teacher.
- Do you have any time frame regarding the length of a ballerina's career?
Of course, you want to dance more and longer, but still it is important to understand that you are not just going out on your own behalf, but really meeting the set high bar. When I get the feeling that my professional level does not reach my name, then I will understand that I need to leave.
- And how do you imagine your life after the ballet? Many sports stars who also end their careers go on to higher education in their prime. Do you have such plans?
Probably, if my career had not been so stellar, I would, of course, have gone to study. And when you are so “torn apart” in all the theaters of the world, when you give all your best in ballet, I am afraid that it will be too late for me to go to study after the end of my career. I think that I will definitely study foreign languages. I dream of learning French, Italian. But I’m unlikely to study any fundamentally new profession. It seems to me that when I leave the stage, I will do so much during my career that I will want to just relax later, if there is such an opportunity. Or maybe I'll open my own ballet school.
- Is there any area in which you feel deeply mediocre?
No, I won’t be mediocre in any area, it’s another matter that I don’t have enough time for everything. I have a computer, but I don't even turn it on, it stands by itself, like a piece of furniture. However, I am a layman in the computer field only because I do not do it.
