They are airy, slender, light. Their dance is unique. Who are these outstanding ballerinas of our century.
Agrippina Vaganova (1879-1951)
One of the most important in history Russian ballet years is 1738. Thanks to the proposal of the French dance master Jean-Baptiste Lande and the approval of Peter I, the first ballet dance school in Russia was opened in St. Petersburg, which exists to this day and is called the Academy of Russian Ballet. AND I. Vaganova. It was Agrippina Vaganova in Soviet time systematized the traditions of classical imperial ballet. In 1957, her name was given to the Leningrad Choreographic School.
Maya Plisetskaya (1925)
An outstanding dancer of the second half of the 20th century, who entered the history of ballet with her phenomenal creative longevity, Maya Mikhailovna Plisetskaya was born on November 20, 1925 in Moscow.
In June 1934, Maya entered the Moscow Choreographic School, where she successively studied with teachers E. I. Dolinskaya, E. P. Gerdt, M. M. Leontieva, but considers Agrippina Yakovlevna Vaganova, whom she met already at the Bolshoi Theater, to be her best teacher. , where she was admitted on April 1, 1943.
Mayai Plisetskaya is a symbol of Russian ballet. She performed one of her main parts of Odette-Odile from Swan Lake on April 27, 1947. It was this ballet by Tchaikovsky that became the core of her biography.
Matilda Kshesinskaya (1872-1971)
Born in the family of a dancer F. I. Kshesinsky, a Pole by nationality. In 1890 she graduated from the ballet department of the St. Petersburg Theater School. In 1890-1917 she danced at the Mariinsky Theatre. She became famous in the roles of Aurora ("Sleeping Beauty", 1893), Esmeralda (1899), Teresa ("Cavalry Halt"), etc. Her dance was distinguished by bright artistry and cheerfulness. In the early 1900s she was a member of M. M. Fokine’s ballets: Evnika, Chopiniana, Eros, in 1911-1912 she performed in the Diaghilev Russian Ballet troupe.
Anna Pavlova (1881-1931)
Born in St. Petersburg. After graduating from the St. Petersburg Theater School, in 1899 she was accepted into the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater. She danced roles in the classical ballets The Nutcracker, The Little Humpbacked Horse, Raymonda, La Bayadère, Giselle. Natural data and constant improvement of performing skills helped Pavlova to advance in 1906 to the leading dancers of the troupe.
Collaboration with innovative ballet masters A. Gorsky and, especially, M. Fokin had a huge impact on the identification of new opportunities in Pavlova's performing style. Pavlova performed the main roles in Fokine's ballets Chopiniana, The Pavilion of Armida, Egyptian Nights, and others. "), which later became poetic symbol Russian ballet of the 20th century.
Svetlana Zakharova (1979)
Svetlana Zakharova was born in Lutsk, Ukraine on June 10, 1979. At the age of six, her mother took her to a choreographic circle, where Svetlana studied folk dances. At the age of ten, she entered the Kiev Choreographic School.
After studying for four months, Zakharova left the school, as her family moved to East Germany in accordance with the new appointment of her father, a military man. Returning six months later to Ukraine, Zakharova again passed the exams at the Kiev Choreographic School and was accepted immediately into the second grade. At the Kiev School, she studied mainly with Valeria Sulegina.
Svetlana performs in many megacities of the world. In April 2008, she was recognized as the star of Milan's famous theater La Scala.
Galina Ulanova (1909-1998)
Galina Sergeevna Ulanova was born in St. Petersburg on January 08, 1910 (December 26, 1909 according to the old style), in a family of ballet masters.
In 1928, Ulanova graduated from the Leningrad Choreographic School. Pretty soon she joined the troupe of the Leningrad State academic theater opera and ballet (now the Mariinsky).
Beloved Mariinsky Ulanova had to leave during the years of the siege of Leningrad. During the Great Patriotic War Ulanova danced in the theaters of Perm, Alma-Ata, Sverdlovsk, performing in hospitals in front of the wounded. In 1944 Galina Sergeevna moves to Grand Theatre, in which she periodically performed since 1934.
The real achievement of Galina was the image of Juliet in Prokofiev's ballet Romeo and Juliet. Her the best dances are also the role of Masha from "The Nutcracker" by Tchaikovsky, Mary from the "Fountain of Bakhchisaray" and Giselle Adam.
Tamara Karsavina (1885-1978)
Born in St. Petersburg in the family of the dancer of the Mariinsky Theater Platon Karsavin, great-niece Alexei Khomyakov, a prominent philosopher and writer of the 1st half of XIX century, sister of the philosopher Lev Karsavin.
She studied with A. Gorsky at the Peturburg Theater School, from which she graduated in 1902. While still a student, she performed the solo part of Cupid at the premiere of the ballet Don Quixote directed by Gorsky.
She began her ballet activity during the crisis of academicism and the search for a way out of it. Admirers of academic ballet found many flaws in Karsavina's performance. The ballerina improved her performing skills with the best Russian and Italian teachers
The remarkable gift of Karsavina manifested itself in the work on the productions of M. Fokine. Karsavina was the ancestor of fundamentally new trends in the art of ballet at the beginning of the 20th century, later called "intellectual art".
The talented Karsavina quickly achieved the status of a prima ballerina. She performed leading roles in the ballets Carnival, Giselle, Swan Lake”, “Sleeping Beauty”, “The Nutcracker” and many others.
Ulyana Lopatkina (1973)
Ulyana Vyacheslavna Lopatkina was born in Kerch (Ukraine) on October 23, 1973. As a child, she studied at dance clubs and in the gymnastics section. At the initiative of her mother, she entered the Academy of Russian Ballet. AND I. Vaganova in Leningrad.
In 1990, as a student, Lopatkina participated in the Second All-Russian Competition. AND I. Vaganova for students of choreographic schools and received the first prize.
In 1995, Ulyana became a prima ballerina. On her track record best roles in classical and modern productions.
Ekaterina Maksimova (1931-2009)
Born in Moscow on February 1, 1939. From childhood, little Katya dreamed of dancing and at the age of ten she entered the Moscow Choreographic School. In the seventh grade, she danced her first role - Masha in The Nutcracker. After college, she entered the service at the Bolshoi Theater, and immediately, practically bypassing the corps de ballet, she began to dance solo parts.
Of particular importance in the work of Maximova was participation in television ballets, which revealed a new quality of her talent - a comedic talent.
Since 1990, Maksimova has been a teacher-repetiteur of the Kremlin Ballet Theatre. Since 1998, he has been a choreographer-repetiteur of the Bolshoi Theatre.
Natalya Dudinskaya (1912-2003)
She was born on August 8, 1912 in Kharkov.
In 1923-1931 she studied at the Leningrad Choreographic School (a student of A.Ya. Vaganova).
In 1931-1962 she was the leading dancer of the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theatre. CM. Kirov. She performed the main roles in the ballets Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty by Tchaikovsky, Cinderella by Prokofiev, Raymonda by Glazunov, Giselle by Adam and others.
We admire the craftsmanship of these brilliant ballerinas. They made a huge contribution to the development of Russian ballet!
Famous ballerinas of the Russian school of ballet of the 19th century
The history of ballet in Russia begins in the 30s of the 18th century. In 1731, the land gentry corps was opened in St. Petersburg. Since the graduates of the corps in the future had to occupy high government positions and needed knowledge of secular manners, the study of fine arts, including ballroom dance, a significant place was allotted in the body.
Jean-Baptiste Lande, who is considered the founder of Russian ballet art, became the dance master of the corps in 1734.
Jean Baptiste Lande, unknown
In 1738 Jean Baptiste Landet the first ballet school in Russia was opened - Dance Eya Imperial Majesty school (now the Academy of Russian Ballet named after A. Ya. Vaganova). Ballet in Russia gradually developed and in 1794 began productions of the first Russian choreographer by nationality Ivan Walberg.
Pushkin Petersburg. A.M. Gordin
Under Paul I were published special rules for ballet - it was ordered that there should not be a single man on the stage during the performance and male roles at that time were performed by women, for example, Evgenia Ivanovna Kolosova (1780-1869). Kolosova was one of the first to perform Russian dances on the ballet stage. Another of her innovations was that she changed her puffy stylized costume for an antique chiton.
Evgenia Kolosova (1782-1869), Alexander Grigorievich Varnek
Ballet dancer and choreographer Adam Glushkovsky wrote about Kolosova: "For more than forty years I have followed dance art, I saw many well-known ballet dancers coming to Russia, but I did not see in any of them such a talent as Yevgenia Ivanovna Kolosova, a dancer in the St. Petersburg theater, possessed. Every movement of her face, every gesture was so natural and understandable that they definitely replaced speech for the viewer. "Evgenia Kolosova was on stage from 1794 to 1826, after which she took up teaching.
Evgenia (Evdokia) Ivanovna Kolosova (1782-1869)
One of the students of Evgenia Kolosova was Avdotya (Evdokia) Ilyinichna Istomina (1799-1848), sung by Pushkin in "Eugene Onegin":
Avdotya Ilyinichna Istomina (1799-1848)
Avdotya Ilyinichna Istomina (1799-1848), Henri-Francois Riesener
The theater is already full; lodges shine;
Parterre and armchairs, everything is in full swing;
In heaven they splash impatiently,
And, having risen, the curtain rustles.
Brilliant, half-air,
obedient to the magic bow,
Surrounded by a crowd of nymphs
Worth Istomin; she,
One foot touching the floor
Another slowly circles
And suddenly a jump, and suddenly it flies,
It flies like fluff from the mouth of Eol;
Now the camp will soviet, then it will develop,
And he beats his leg with a quick leg.
Portrait of A.I. Istomina. Pushkin Museum, A (?). Winterhalter.
Another famous ballerina of those years was Maria Ivanovna Danilova (1793-1810), whose creative way cut short death from tuberculosis at the age of 17 years.
Maria Ivanovna Danilova
Historians are still arguing which Russian ballerina was the first to dance en pointe (relying only on the tips of her toes). Some believe that it was Maria Danilova, others are of the opinion that it was Avdotya Istomina.
Another student of Evgenia Kolosova was Ekaterina Alexandrovna Telesheva (1804-1857).
Portrait of E.A. Telesheva in the role of Louise from the ballet "The Deserter" to music by P.A. Monsigny, Pietro de Rossi Pietro de Rossi (1761-1831)
One of her contemporaries wrote about her: "With the most charming appearance, she had so many feelings and play that she captivated the most impassive spectator." Patron and lover, in fact civil husband Teleshova, was Count, Governor-General of St. Petersburg Mikhail Miloradovich.
Count Mikhail Andreevich Miloradovich, George Doe
Ekaterina Telesheva. Portrait by Orest Kiprensky
Zephyr and Flora
A famous Russian ballerina of the 19th century was (1836-1882). The ballerina's husband was the ballet dancer Marius Petipa.
Maria Sergeevna Surovshchikova-Petipa
Maria Sergeevna Surovshchikova-Petipa
"Adele Dumilâtre as Myrtha in Giselle", Bouvier, Jules (1800-1867)
Marius Petipa in The Pharaoh's Daughter
Marius Petipa.
The fruit of the union of the artistic couple Maria Surovshchikova - Marius Petipa was the daughter Maria Mariusovna Petipa (1857-1930), who, like her parents, became famous artist ballet. Ballet historian Mikhail Borisoglebsky wrote about her: "Happy „ stage destiny“, a beautiful figure, the support of a famous father made her an indispensable performer character dances, a first-class ballerina, diverse in her repertoire".
Maria Mariusovna Petipa
Maria Mariusovna Petipa
For 17 years (from 1861 to 1878) she performed on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater Matilda Nikolaevna Madaeva(stage name Matryona Tikhonovna). big scandal Petersburg society was her marriage to Prince Mikhail Mikhailovich Golitsyn, a representative of one of the most noble Russian births, an officer who rose to the rank of Adjutant General of His Majesty's Retinue.
Prince Mikhail Mikhailovich Golitsyn (1840-1918) - cavalry general
This marriage was considered a misalliance, since the spouses came from different classes, and according to the laws of the 19th century, officers of the imperial army could not be officially married to people from the lower classes. The prince chose to retire, having made a choice in favor of the family.
Scenery and costumes by A. Benois for the ballet Giselle
A prominent representative of the Moscow ballet school of the 19th century was Praskovia Prokhorovna Lebedeva (1839-1917), who was the leading dancer of the Bolshoi Theater for 10 years.
Cambon, Charles-Antoine (1802-1875). Dessinateur
Another famous ballerina Bolshoi Theater was Lydia Nikolaevna Geiten (1857-1920).
For two decades, Gaten danced almost all the female roles, having no Big rivals on stage. In 1883, the Bolshoi Ballet Company was significantly reduced, but Gaten turned down offers to move to St. Petersburg theaters in order to preserve the traditions of Moscow ballet. After leaving the stage, Gaten taught at the Moscow Choreographic School.
Coppélia 1870 decor
For 30 years (from 1855 to 1885) she worked on the stage of the imperial theaters of St. Petersburg Lyubov Petrovna Radina (1838-1917). Contemporaries wrote about her: "She had outstanding success in characteristic dances, requiring fire and passion, but she also excelled in mimic roles."
Bayadere -Decor Design -Act II -K Brozh -1877
In the 60s of the 19th century, she shone on the stages of St. Petersburg, Moscow and Paris Marfa Nikolaevna Muravyova (1838-1879). Italian choreographer Carlo Blasis wrote that “diamond sparks fall from under her feet during the dances” and that her “fast and constantly changing pas can involuntarily be compared to a string of pearls pouring”.
Giselle (A. Benois)
Giselle Queen of the Vintage
From 1859 to 1879 she performed at the Bolshoi Theater Anna Iosifovna Sobeshchanskaya (1842-1918). Yuri Bakhrushin in the book "The History of Russian Ballet" wrote: "Being a strong dancer and a good actress, Sobeshchanskaya was the first to deviate from generally accepted rules and, speaking in ballet parts, began to apply a characteristic make-up. Blazis, who observed Sobeshchanskaya at the beginning of her activity, wrote that she was “delightful as a dancer and mimeist” and that in her dances “a soul is visible, she is expressive” and sometimes even reaches “frenzy”. Later, another contemporary argued that “it is not the difficulty of jumps and the speed of turns that makes the best impression on the viewer, but the whole creation of a role in which the dance is the interpreter of facial expressions.”
http://commons.wikimedia.org
Spectacular performances, stunning costumes, fluttering nymphs - this is how the ballet of the 19th century draws the imagination. But in order to get on stage, the girls had to live from hand to mouth, endure hardship and beatings from teachers.
In the 19th century, one of the most prestigious institutions for the training of future ballerinas was considered the St. theater school. His pupils were supposed to be fully provided. However, looking at the pictures of ballerinas, it is impossible to imagine that behind the stage magnificence were hidden the terrible conditions in which the girls were forced to be.
The pupils ate very little. For breakfast they were given tea with sugar and milk and a quarter of a French roll. For the second breakfast at noon, the girls again received a roll and a piece of black bread. As an encouragement, the excellent students were given a glass of sherry and potatoes with a steak.
At 5:00 pm everyone went to dinner. The quality of the food left much to be desired. Pupils literally choked vermicelli soup, potatoes with tough beef and rice cake. Dinner also lacked variety. On Sunday, some students were taken home, so the rest got double portions.
Once, a real scandal erupted at the school when a green worm was found in the plate of one of the students. The person responsible for food was fired, but the quality of the food did not improve. Often the girls bought gingerbread secretly from the hawkers in a clubbing.
In her memoirs, ballerina Anna Petrovna Natarova recalled that the biggest delicacy for the pupils was herring with caviar. In the strictest secrecy, she was carried to the school grounds and divided by the number of participants in the meal. They pricked the pieces not with forks, but with hairpins.
With all the meager diet, the weight of each and the students was monitored very carefully. If one of the ballerinas lost kilograms, then she was immediately given milk, eggs, butter in an increased volume, because the audience was not supposed to see the unfortunate exhausted dancers.
If on the stage the ballerinas fluttered in beautiful costumes, then everyone was given old worn-out clothes for classes. Skirts and leotards had to be hemmed to fit desired length. Quality casual wear also left much to be desired: the dresses were made of cheap fabric, and their style did not change for decades.
The St. Petersburg Theater School was famous for its graduates, but behind the doors of choreographic classes, in addition to exhausting classes, ballerinas were often awarded with bruises and abrasions. If the choreographer thought the student was not trying hard enough, he could pull her hair or beat her with a stick. It happened that a happy ballerina would just go backstage after the performance was over, when the choreographer immediately began to shower her with cuffs and abuse, and a second later he pushed her back onto the stage for the final bow.
The difficult conditions at the ballet school tempered the graduates, who often went to their goal in spite of everything and became the best ballerinas in various theaters.
Today, ballet is no less hard work. But morals are still not so cool. Recently . And what happened - see for yourself.
The word "ballet" sounds magical. Closing your eyes, you immediately imagine burning fires, permeating music, the rustle of packs and the light clatter of pointe shoes on the parquet. This spectacle is inimitably beautiful, it can be safely called a great achievement of man in the pursuit of beauty.
The audience freezes, gazing at the stage. Ballet divas amaze with their lightness and plasticity, apparently at ease performing complex "pas".
The history of this art form is quite deep. The prerequisites for the emergence of ballet appeared in the 16th century. And since the 19th century, people have seen real masterpieces of this art. But what would ballet be without famous ballerinas who glorified him? Our story will be about these most famous dancers.
Marie Ramberg (1888-1982). Future star was born in Poland, in Jewish family. Her real name is Sivia Rambam, but it was later changed for political reasons. Girl with early age fell in love with dancing, surrendering to her passion with her head. Marie takes lessons from dancers from the Parisian opera, and soon Diaghilev himself notices her talent. In 1912-1913, the girl danced with the Russian Ballet, taking part in the main productions. Since 1914, Marie moved to England, where she continued to study dancing. Marie got married in 1918. She herself wrote that it was more for fun. However, the marriage was happy and lasted 41 years. Ramberg was only 22 years old when she opened her own ballet school, the first in the city. The success was so overwhelming that Maria first organized her own company (1926), and then the first permanent ballet troupe in Great Britain (1930). Her performances become real sensation, because Ramberg attracts the most talented composers, artists, dancers to work. The ballerina took an active part in the creation of the national ballet in England. And the name Marie Ramberg entered the history of art forever.
Anna Pavlova (1881-1931). Anna was born in St. Petersburg, her father was a railway contractor, and her mother worked as a simple laundress. However, the girl was able to enter the theater school. After graduating from it, in 1899 she entered the Mariinskii Opera House. There she received roles in classical productions - "La Bayadère", "Giselle", "The Nutcracker". Pavlova had excellent natural data, besides, she constantly honed her skills. In 1906, she is already the leading ballerina of the theater, but real glory came to Anna in 1907, when she shines in the miniature "The Dying Swan". Pavlova was supposed to perform at charity concert but her partner got sick. Literally overnight, choreographer Mikhail Fokin staged a new miniature for the ballerina to the music of San Sans. Since 1910, Pavlova began touring. ballerina acquires world fame after participating in the Russian Seasons in Paris. In 1913 she last time performs at the Mariinsky Theatre. Pavlova collects her own troupe and moves to London. Together with her wards, Anna tours the world with classical ballets Glazunov and Tchaikovsky. The dancer became a legend during her lifetime, having died on tour in The Hague.
Matilda Kshesinskaya (1872-1971). Despite its Polish name, a ballerina was born near St. Petersburg and has always been considered a Russian dancer. About Us early childhood declared her desire to dance, none of their relatives thought to interfere with her in this desire. Matilda brilliantly graduated from the Imperial Theater School, joining the ballet troupe of the Mariinsky Theater. There she became famous for her brilliant performances of the parts of The Nutcracker, Mlada, and other performances. Kshesinskaya was distinguished by her trademark Russian plasticity, into which notes were wedged Italian school. It was Matilda who became the favorite of the choreographer Fokin, who used her in his works "Butterflies", "Eros", "Evnika". The role of Esmeralda in the ballet of the same name in 1899 ignited new star on the stage. Since 1904, Kshesinskaya has been touring Europe. she is called the first ballerina of Russia, honored as the "generalissimo of Russian ballet". They say that Kshesinskaya was the favorite of Emperor Nicholas II himself. Historians say that in addition to talent, the ballerina had iron character, firm position. It is she who is credited with the dismissal of the director of the Imperial Theaters, Prince Volkonsky. The revolution had a hard impact on the ballerina, in 1920 she left the exhausted country. Kshesinskaya moved to Venice, but continued to do what she loved. At 64, she was still performing at London's Covent Garden. And the legendary ballerina is buried in Paris.
Agrippina Vaganova (1879-1951). Agrippina's father was a theater conductor at the Mariinsky. However, he was able to identify only the youngest of his three daughters to the ballet school. Soon Yakov Vaganov died, the family had only hope for a future dancer. At school, Agrippina proved to be a mischievous person, constantly getting bad grades for her behavior. After graduating, Vaganova began her career as a ballerina. She was given many minor roles in the theater, but they did not satisfy her. Solo parties bypassed the ballerina, and her appearance was not particularly attractive. Critics wrote that they simply do not see her in the roles of fragile beauties. Makeup didn't help either. The ballerina herself suffered a lot about this. But through hard work, Vaganova achieved supporting roles, they began to write about her occasionally in newspapers. Then Agrippina abruptly turned her fate around. She got married, gave birth. Returning to the ballet, she seemed to have risen in the eyes of her superiors. Although Vaganova continued to perform the second parts, she achieved mastery in these variations. The ballerina managed to rediscover images that seemed to have been worn out by generations of previous dancers. Only in 1911 did Vaganova receive her first solo part. At 36, the ballerina was retired. She never became famous, but she achieved a lot given her data. In 1921, a choreography school was opened in Leningrad, where she was invited as one of Vaganov's teachers. The profession of a choreographer became her main one until the end of her life. In 1934, Vaganova published the book "Fundamentals classical dance". The ballerina devoted the second half of her life to the choreographic school. Now it is the Academy of Dance, named after her. Agrippina Vaganova did not become a great ballerina, but her name entered the history of this art forever.
Yvet Shovire (born 1917). This ballerina is a real sophisticated Parisian. From the age of 10, she began to seriously engage in dancing at the Grand Opera. The talent and performance of Yvette were noted by the directors. In 1941, she already became the prima ballerina at the Opéra Garnier. Debut performances brought her truly worldwide fame. After that, Shovire began to receive invitations to perform in various theaters, including the Italian La Scala. The ballerina was glorified by her part of the Shadow in the allegory of Henri Sauge, she performed many parts staged by Serge Lifar. Of the classic performances, the role in Giselle stands out, which is considered the main one for Chauvire. Yvette on stage demonstrated true drama, without losing all her girlish tenderness. The ballerina literally lived the life of each of her heroines, expressing all the emotions on stage. At the same time, Shovire was very attentive to every little thing, rehearsing and rehearsing again. In the 1960s, the ballerina headed the school in which she herself had once studied. A last exit Yvette took the stage in 1972. At the same time, an award named after her was established. The ballerina has repeatedly been on tour in the USSR, where she fell in love with the audience. Rudolf Nureyev himself was repeatedly her partner after his flight from our country. The merits of the ballerina before the country were rewarded with the Order of the Legion of Honor.
Galina Ulanova (1910-1998). This ballerina was also born in St. Petersburg. At the age of 9, she became a student of the choreographic school, from which she graduated in 1928. Immediately after the graduation performance, Ulanova joined the troupe of the Opera and Ballet Theater in Leningrad. The very first performances of the young ballerina attracted the attention of connoisseurs of this art to her. Already at the age of 19, Ulanova dances the leading part in Swan Lake. Until 1944, the ballerina danced at the Kirov Theater. Here she was glorified by her roles in "Giselle", "The Nutcracker", "The Fountain of Bakhchisaray". But the most famous was her part in Romeo and Juliet. From 1944 to 1960 Ulanova was the leading ballerina of the Bolshoi Theatre. It is believed that the scene of madness in Giselle became the pinnacle of her work. Ulanova visited in 1956 with a tour of the Bolshoi in London. It was said that there had not been such a success since the time of Anna Pavlova. stage activity Ulanova officially ended in 1962. But for the rest of her life, Galina worked as a choreographer at the Bolshoi Theater. For her work, she received many awards - she became the People's Artist of the USSR, received Lenin and Stalin Prize, became twice a Hero of Socialist Labor and a laureate of numerous awards. The great ballerina died in Moscow, she was buried on Novodevichy cemetery. her apartment became a museum, and a monument was erected in her native St. Petersburg Ulanova.
Alicia Alonso (b. 1920). This ballerina was born in Havana, Cuba. She began to study the art of dance at the age of 10. Then there was only one on the island private school ballet, led by Russian specialist Nikolai Yavorsky. Then Alicia continued her studies in the USA. Debut on big stage took place on Broadway in 1938 in musical comedies. Then Alonso works in New York's Balle Theatre. There she gets acquainted with the choreography of the world's leading choreographers. Alicia, with her partner Igor Yushkevich, decided to develop ballet in Cuba. In 1947 she danced there in "Swan Lake" and "Apollo Musageta". However, at that time in Cuba there was no tradition of ballet, no stage. And the people did not understand such art. Therefore, the task of creating the National Ballet in the country was very difficult. In 1948, the first performance of the Alicia Alonso Ballet took place. It was ruled by enthusiasts who put their numbers themselves. Two years later, the ballerina opened her own ballet school. After the 1959 revolution, the authorities turned their attention to ballet. Alicia's troupe has turned into a coveted National Ballet Cuba. The ballerina performed a lot in theaters and even squares, went on tour, she was shown on television. One of the most vivid way Alonso as Carmen in the ballet of the same name in 1967. The ballerina was so zealous about this role that she even forbade staging this ballet with other performers. Alonso has traveled the world, receiving many awards. And in 1999, she received the Pablo Picasso medal from UNESCO for her outstanding contribution to the art of dance.
Maya Plisetskaya (born 1925). It is difficult to dispute the fact that she is the most famous Russian ballerina. And her career turned out to be a record long one. Maya absorbed her love for ballet as a child, because her uncle and aunt were also famous dancers. At the age of 9, a talented girl enters the Moscow Choreographic School, and in 1943 a young graduate enters the Bolshoi Theater. There, the famous Agrippina Vaganova became her teacher. In just a couple of years, Plisetskaya went from corps de ballet to soloist. Significant for her was the production of "Cinderella" and the role of the Autumn Fairy in 1945. Then there were the already classic productions of "Raymonda", "Sleeping Beauty", "Don Quixote", "Giselle", "The Little Humpbacked Horse". Plisetskaya shone in the "Fountain of Bakhchisarai", where she was able to demonstrate her rare gift - literally hang in a jump for some moments. The ballerina took part in three productions of Khachaturian's Spartacus at once, performing the parts of Aegina and Phrygia there. In 1959, Plisetskaya became the People's Artist of the USSR. In the 60s, it was believed that Maya was the first dancer of the Bolshoi Theater. The ballerina had enough roles, but creative dissatisfaction accumulated. The output was "Carmen Suite", one of the main milestones in the biography of the dancer. In 1971, Plisetskaya also took place as a dramatic actress, playing in Anna Karenina. Based on this novel, a ballet was written, which premiered in 1972. Here Maya tries herself in a new role - a choreographer, which becomes her new profession. Since 1983, Plisetskaya has been working at the Rome Opera, and since 1987 in Spain. There she leads the troupe, puts her ballets. Last performance Plisetskaya took place in 1990. great ballerina showered with many awards not only in her homeland, but also in Spain, France, Lithuania. In 1994 she organized international competition by giving it your name. Now "Maya" gives an opportunity to break through to young talents.
Ulyana Lopatkina (born 1973). The world-famous ballerina was born in Kerch. As a child, she did a lot of not only dancing, but also gymnastics. At the age of 10, on the advice of her mother, Ulyana entered the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in Leningrad. There, Natalia Dudinskaya became her teacher. At the age of 17, Lopatkina won the all-Russian competition named after Vaganova. In 1991, the ballerina graduated from the academy and was accepted into the Mariinsky Theater. Ulyana quickly achieved solo parts for herself. She danced in "Don Quixote", "Sleeping Beauty", "The Fountain of Bakhchisarai", "Swan Lake". The talent was so obvious that in 1995 Lopatkina became the prima of her theater. Each of her new role delights both viewers and critics. At the same time, the ballerina herself is interested not only in classical roles, but also in the modern repertoire. So, one of Ulyana's favorite roles is the part of Banu in the "Legend of Love" staged by Yuri Grigorovich. Best of all, the ballerina succeeds in the role of mysterious heroines. Its distinctive feature is its refined movements, its inherent drama and high jump. The audience believes the dancer, because she is absolutely sincere on stage. Lopatkina is a laureate of numerous domestic and international awards. She - People's Artist Russia.
Anastasia Volochkova (b. 1976). The ballerina recalls that her future profession she determined already at the age of 5, which she announced to her mother. Volochkova also graduated from the Vaganova Academy. Natalia Dudinskaya also became her teacher. Already in her last year of study, Volochkova made her debut at the Mariinsky and Bolshoi Theaters. From 1994 to 1998, the ballerina's repertoire included leading roles in Giselle, The Firebird, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, La Bayadère and other performances. With the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater Volochkova traveled half the world. At the same time, the ballerina is not afraid to perform solo, building a career in parallel with the theater. In 1998, the ballerina received an invitation to the Bolshoi Theater. There she brilliantly performs the part of the Swan Princess in new production Vladimir Vasiliev "Swan Lake". In the main theater of the country, Anastasia receives the main roles in La Bayadère, Don Quixote, Raymond, Giselle. Especially for her, choreographer Dean creates a new part of the Carabosse fairy in Sleeping Beauty. At the same time, Volochkova is not afraid to perform modern repertoire. It is worth noting her role as the Tsar Maiden in The Little Humpbacked Horse. Since 1998, Volochkova has been actively touring the world. She receives the Golden Lion award as the most talented ballerina in Europe. Since 2000, Volochkova has left the Bolshoi Theater. She begins performing in London, where she conquered the British. Volochkova returned to the Bolshoi for a short while. Despite the success and popularity, the theater administration refused to renew the contract for the usual year. Since 2005, Volochkova has been performing in her own dance projects. her name is constantly on hearing, she is the heroine of gossip columns. Talented ballerina recently she sang, and her popularity grew even more after Volochkova published her nude photos.
