There are a lot of all sorts of “Emerald” on “Gossip Man”.) I wanted to make a post about a real ballerina.
I discovered this ballerina three years ago, at a concert for the opening of the renovated Bolshoi Theater. She danced just gorgeously there, with such drive and such incredible technology! Then she took part in the First Channel project “Balero” with Roman Kostomarov, and took second place there. I think she has a great future. And by the way, her husband, Ivan Vasiliev, is also a great dancer.
Biography, photos and videos.
Natalya Petrovna Osipova- genus. May 18, 1986, Moscow. From the age of five I studied gymnastics, but in 1993 she was injured and had to stop playing sports. The coaches recommended that the parents send their daughter to ballet. She studied at the Moscow State Academy of Choreography (class of rector Marina Leonova). After graduating in 2004, she joined the Bolshoi Theater ballet troupe, making her debut on September 24, 2004. Since October 18, 2008 - leading soloist, since May 1, 2010 - prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater. She rehearsed under the guidance of People's Artist of the USSR Marina Kondratyeva.
In 2007, on tour of the Bolshoi Theater in London on the stage of the Covent Garden theater, the ballerina was warmly received by the British public and received the British National Dance Award, awarded by the Society of Critics ( Critics" Circle National Dance Awards) for 2007 - as the best ballerina in the “classical ballet” section.
In 2009, on the recommendation of Nina Ananiashvili, she became a guest ballerina at the American Ballet Theater (New York), performing on the stage of the New York Metropolitan Opera in the title roles of the ballets “Giselle” and “La Sylphide”; in 2010, she again took part in ABT performances on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera in the roles of Kitri in the ballet Don Quixote, Juliet in the ballet Romeo and Juliet by Prokofiev (choreography by K. MacMillan), Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty by Tchaikovsky (production by K. . McKenzie; partner David Hallberg).
In 2010, she made her debuts at the Grand Opera (Clara in The Nutcracker, Ballerina in Petrushka) and La Scala (Kitri in Don Quixote), and performed at the London Royal Opera (Medora in Le Corsaire).
In 2011, she performed the role of Katarina in the ballet “The Taming of the Shrew” to the music of D. Scarlatti (choreography by J. Cranko) with the ballet of the Bavarian State Opera. Twice she took part in the Mariinsky International Ballet Festival, performing the roles of Kitri in the ballet Don Quixote and Giselle in the ballet of the same name.
Since December 2012, she has been a guest soloist with the London Royal Ballet, having danced in this capacity three Swan Lakes with Carlos Acosta. Also in October, she - the only guest ballerina among the full-time artists of the Royal Company - participated in a gala concert in honor of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.
Currently together she is a prima ballerina of the American ballet theatre.
In April 2013, Natalya Osipova signed a permanent contract with the London Royal Ballet.
With her husband, Ivan Vasiliev.
Natalya Osipova is one of the five best ballerinas in the world who managed to conquer the famous European stages. The girl’s career developed rapidly; at the age of 24, Natasha was already a prima dancer at the Bolshoi Theater. IN Lately the ballerina worked in Europe and America, but in 2017 she decided to work in her homeland, and not just anywhere, but in provincial Perm. Her role called her there.
Childhood and youth
Natasha was born into a Muscovite family in 1986. When the girl was 5 years old, her parents took her to gymnastics, but her relationship with this area did not work out. Point at sports biography caused by a severe back injury. The coaches advised me to try my hand at dancing, so Natasha ended up in ballet.
Osipova has the Moscow Academy of Choreography behind her. From the walls educational institution the girl went straight to the troupe of the legendary Bolshoi Theater, where she first appeared on stage in the fall of 2004.
Ballet
The capital's public fell in love with young ballerina. Ballet connoisseurs never ceased to admire the brilliant jumps and flights, the lyricism of the image and the perfect technique of performance. In the very first season, Natasha began to be trusted with solo roles. The actress lasted seven years at the Bolshoi.
In 2007, Natalya Osipova, as part of a grand tour, performed for the first time on the stage of the famous London Covent Garden. The audience warmly welcomed the ballerina, who also received the British national award in the category “classical ballet”. A year later, her native theater awarded the talented girl the title of leading dancer.
Natasha tried on the images of Kitri in the production of Don Quixote, La Sylphide in the ballet of the same name, and Medora in The Corsair. The role of Giselle caused a storm of admiration. However, the brilliant performance is understandable, because this is Osipova’s favorite character of all that she had the chance to embody. The girl admitted to journalists that every time she went on stage, she tried to convey emotions and experiences fairy tale.
In the spring of 2010, the ballerina reached the pinnacle of her career in Bolshoi Theater, becoming his prima. At the same time, the dancer received offers from the leaders of foreign temples of Melpomene. The American Ballet Theater turned out to be particularly persistent; at the invitation, Natalia shone several times at the New York Metropolitan Opera, dancing in Giselle and La Sylphide.
In 2011, Russian ballet fans were surprised by the news that Osipova and her partner had left the Bolshoi. Star couple went to St. Petersburg, where Natalya was appointed prima singer of the Mikhailovsky Theater.
Later, the actress told the press that in Moscow she was “overstayed at being young”, her repertoire froze in one place - the girl did not want to remain the eternal Kitri. And in the St. Petersburg theater the field for unlocking potential turned out to be wider. The dancer transformed into Odette in Swan Lake, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, and the princess in Sleeping Beauty.
Every year Osipova's star burned brighter. Soon the girl was invited to the London Royal Ballet (Coven Garden), and in 2012 she already performed at a grand concert in honor of the 60th anniversary of the reign. The invited soloist managed to dance three “Swan Lakes”, and Carlos Acosta became her working partner. In the future, the theater signed a permanent contract with the artist.
Behind short term Natalia managed to become a world celebrity, performing with the best troupes on the planet on the stages of Milan, Berlin, Paris, and New York. She became the prima of the American ballet theater. Plus, Natalya Osipova is the winner of numerous awards. In her piggy bank " Golden mask", Leonid Massine Prize, Benois de la dance prize, Grand Prix of the International Ballet Award "Dance Open".
There was a time when Natalya betrayed classical ballet. The girl tried her hand at modern dance.
Personal life
Ballet fans admired beautiful novel, which flared up between Natalya Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev almost from the moment they graduated from the choreographic academy. Fans were convinced that the couple would definitely go down the aisle, but they were overtaken by disappointment. The Bolshoi Theater prima and Vasiliev broke up. The reason was love young man to the dancer Maria Vinogradova, who later became his wife.
At the Italian La Scala theater during a rehearsal for the production of Giselle, Natalya met already famous actor ballet Before this, the man managed to appear at social events with his colleague Yulia Stolyarchuk, but one day fans suddenly noticed a tattoo of the inscription “Natalia” on the dancer’s hand. The couple later admitted at a London press conference that they were in love.
The ballet stars first appeared on stage together in 2016, performing the roles of Blanche and Stanley in the play A Streetcar Named Desire. In May 2017, rumors spread that the ballet actors had broken up; Natalia allegedly preferred an unknown conductor to Sergei, although the couple still published joint photos on Instagram.
In every interview, journalists do not forget to take an interest in the actress’s personal life, but Osipova is not verbose on this matter. In one of her last conversations with representatives of the press, she noted:
“We communicate very well, we still have a good and even wonderful relationship.”
Natalya Osipova now
In 2017, on the official website of Perm opera house there was good news that Natalya was becoming his prima. It was Osipova's decision. The girl told media representatives that one evening she thought that she had not danced “Romeo and Juliet” for a long time, a performance in which the actress brings great pleasure to work. Having looked through all the world's theaters, I did not find the production anywhere, only in the Russian provinces. A call from a ballerina of such magnitude surprised and incredibly pleased Alexey Miroshnichenko, director Perm Ballet.
Osipova’s first performance as a prima singer was the play “The Nutcracker,” or rather, its original version. In a non-trivial production, the authors tried to convey the depth and tragedy of the music. The work is also notable for the fact that, unlike the original, it has a happy ending. On February 1, 2018, the premiere of “The Nutcracker” took place at the Moscow State Kremlin Palace. Natalya dances in a play with actor Nikita Chetverikov.
In the spring, the ballet star performed at the Mariinsky Theater in the role of Queen Mekhmene Banu in the play “The Legend of Love.” Together with choreographer Vladimir Varnava, he is preparing “Cinderella” for the August premiere in America, after which the production will come to Russia.
Trailer for the film "Dancer"On May 26, Channel One showed documentary film about Sergei Polunin “Dancer”. Director Stephen Cantor presented a study of the dancer’s life, combining family chronicles, archival materials and interviews with friends and relatives. Natalya Osipova also took part in the creation of the film.
Parties
- Spanish bride, " Swan Lake»
- Marie, "The Nutcracker"
- Queen Mekhmene Banu, “The Legend of Love”
- Anna Anderson, "Anastasia"
- Giselle, "Giselle"
- La Sylphide, "La Sylphide"
- Medora, "Corsair"
- Esmeralda, "Esmeralda"
- Princess Aurora, Sleeping Beauty
- Juliet, "Romeo and Juliet"
- Laurencia, "Laurencia"
- Kitri, Don Quixote
- Aegina, Spartak
- Firebird, "Firebird"
- Carmen, "Carmen Suite"
Russian ballerina Natalia Osipova, known as a prima ballerina of the Mikhailovsky Theatre, the London Royal Ballet and the American Ballet Theatre.
Natalya was born in Moscow in 1986. Masterfully controlling her body, she became interested in gymnastics from the age of five, but after two years she had to give up this type of self-development - seven-year-old Natasha received a serious injury that precluded further training. On the advice of the coach, the parents took the girl to a ballet school, where Natalya found herself and her business in long years. She later received professional training at the Moscow State Academy of Choreography.
The creative path of Natalya Osipova / Natalya Osipova
Ten years after her first exercise at the barre, Osipova has already been accepted into the Bolshoi Theater ballet troupe. Four years later she plays leading roles, and in 2010 she becomes a prima ballerina. However, wanting to develop further, in 2011 Natalya moved to St. Petersburg and there became the prima of the Mikhailovsky Theater.
At the same time, the ballerina takes part in foreign productions: she is increasingly invited to perform at the Grand Opera, La Scala, the Royal Opera of London, the American Ballet Theater, and the London Royal Ballet.
However, despite the great demand in classical ballet, Natalya is increasingly looking away modern dance. According to the artist, her injuries and the routine of ballet rehearsals led to this decision.
Into the modern world dance shows yesterday's ballerina enters not alone, but with her partner, scandalous Sergei Polunin. Together they perform in a production of three one-act ballets on the stage of Sadler's Wells Theater in London.
Natalya Osipova: “When we united, many thought that I had gone crazy. They immediately began to give me all sorts of advice. But I always did what I wanted. And if my heart tells me that I should do just that, then that’s what I will do.”
Critics still assess Osipova’s new style as controversial and in need of improvement, but at the same time they do not lose faith that Natalya will still win the favor of the public in modern dance.
Elena FEDORENKO
The marathon of Christmas fairy tales ends on February 1 at the State Kremlin Palace. The Perm Opera and Ballet Theater named after Tchaikovsky will present the premiere of “The Nutcracker,” staged on the eve of the New Year holidays by the theater’s chief choreographer Alexei Miroshnichenko. In the role of Marie is the favorite of Muscovites, world star Natalya Osipova.
She once fled from the Bolshoi Theater, stayed briefly at the Mikhailovsky Theater, four years ago became a prima ballerina at Covent Garden, and since the beginning of this season she has also been a prima ballerina at the Perm Opera. The long-awaited guest will not stay in Moscow for long - immediately after the performance she will go to St. Petersburg, where on February 16 at the Mariinsky Theater she will dance for the first time in Yuri Grigorovich’s play “The Legend of Love.” “Culture” asked the ballerina about new performances, immediate plans, partners and hobbies.
culture: You haven’t appeared in Moscow for a long time, but she loves you so much.
Osipova: Not because I don’t want to, I have a great desire, I miss you. But now my place of life and work is London, subject to the strict rehearsal schedule of the Royal Ballet. Unfortunately, almost never did the schedule coincide with the opportunity to prepare and dance a full-fledged performance in Moscow. It finally worked out - and happily: I was free in the first half of February. So the invitation to speak at hometown received it with great joy.
culture: You will dance the new “Nutcracker” of the Perm Theater for the first time. The Ural viewers were a little offended that you did not participate in the premiere screenings.
Osipova: I’m sorry that I couldn’t do this, but my December plans were interrupted by a rather serious injury. After the difficult performance “Sylvia”, problems with the Achilles began, and I had to treat my leg for four weeks.
culture: What choreographic versions of The Nutcracker have you already danced?
Osipova: Ballet by Vasily Vainonen, Nureyev's version at the Paris Opera, Peter Wright's performance at the Royal Ballet. Unfortunately, it was not possible to perform at the Bolshoi Theater in Yuri Grigorovich’s “The Nutcracker”.
culture: Chief choreographer Perm Theater Alexey Miroshnichenko always inserts mini-quotes from famous productions into his choreographic texts - he respects the classics and loves roll calls of times. Is there stylization in his “Nutcracker” too?
Osipova: The performance was created in classical traditions, due credit is given to many predecessors. Alexey put his feelings and imagination into the ballet. He's a great dreamer, and I always admire how great his plots are and how respectful he is of detail.
At the beginning of the Perm performance, the story of Princess Pirlipat, who rejected the Nutcracker, is “told”, which makes a strong impression on Marie. She doesn’t understand how someone so good can literally be kicked away. Then, when the Prince invites Marie to stay in fairy tale kingdom and practically lays his heart at her feet, the heroine is overcome by doubts for a brief moment. This is what destroys love: the Nutcracker again becomes ugly and wooden. The girl is ready to run after him and ask for forgiveness, but it’s too late. He disappeared, the world was destroyed. This is how the choreographer explains Tchaikovsky’s tragic music in the duet of happiness. His idea is close to me. When I rehearse, I think about life, and, indeed, in true and full-fledged love, especially when it arises, even the smallest injustice hurts deeply and is perceived as a universal betrayal. If we relate this poignant scene to the usual theme of growing up in The Nutcracker, we can grasp the moment of transition from youthful dreams to adulthood.
culture: So the ending is sad?
Osipova: No, no, wonderful. Marie returns to reality, runs out into the winter streets of St. Petersburg in the 19th century, where she meets Drosselmeyer, meets his nephew, recognizes him as the Nutcracker whom she saw in her dream. At the rehearsal, I shouted to Lesha: “No, don’t - they will get married, then they will get divorced, and it will be the way it most often happens...” And then I thought: can’t a fairy tale exist in reality?
culture: Your Prince - Nikita Chetverikov, remembered by viewers from the television competition “ Bolshoi Ballet" Are you happy with the duet?
Osipova: We danced Giselle and Romeo and Juliet together. Nikita is a reliable partner and an excellent dancer - both in technique, and in the purity of performance, and in fullness. He feels me, at rehearsals he sets the right tone. They say that I am bright on stage and often adjust my partners to suit me. It’s hard for boys with me, not because I do something incredible, but because I have such a character and such emotions. Nikita and I dance in contrast, and at the same time he always understands what I want to say and immediately responds.
culture: Aren't you afraid of the stage of the Kremlin Palace - huge as a training ground?
Osipova: I don’t really like it, although I danced there many times when I worked at the Bolshoi Theater. I have a difficult impression of not hearing the audience, not feeling their reaction. As well as an incredible space that needs to be filled with your energy. But it’s a long-awaited event: I’m finally dancing a full performance in Moscow to wonderful music, one of my favorites. In general, I have somehow hardened myself and am no longer afraid of anything in terms of creativity. By and large, I don’t care what they say or write about me, who perceives me and how. I myself get great pleasure, and that means the audience does too.
culture: Why did you, a world-class star, need to become a prima ballerina of the Perm Theater?
Osipova: We have developed warm relations with the artists, with the choreographer Alexei Miroshnichenko, with the conductor Teodor Currentzis. I fell in love with the open, sincere people working in Perm. Ballet troupe amazing, I did not expect and was even surprised at such a high professional level. It’s good and pleasant for me to dance here, but I don’t manage to do it very often. I sincerely love coming here, although the journey is long and inconvenient and takes a lot of time. I didn’t calculate anything, I acted as my heart told me. I can’t answer more clearly.
culture: How did you end up in Perm? Have you known Alexey Miroshnichenko for a long time?
Osipova: Once upon a time, many years ago, we saw each other at the Bolshoi Theater at the rehearsals of the first workshop (shows of the works of beginning choreographers. - "Culture"). Lesha staged his own, I was busy in another room, we just crossed paths. We met in Perm when I came to dance Romeo and Juliet on my own initiative in December 2016.
culture: Like this?
Osipova: My favorite ballet is “Romeo and Juliet” by Kenneth MacMillan, I often perform it with pleasure, for the first time at the American Ballet Theater almost eight years ago. But there was a season when the play was not on in London, and I really wanted to dance. With great surprise I found him in Perm poster. I then dreamed of performing in a duet with David Hallberg, who, as it seemed to him, had recovered from an injury. But he was in a hurry. I came, met Alexey and the troupe, the performance took shape and left an amazing feeling. It’s good that you were active then and agreed to perform.
Don’t be surprised, I also applied to the Mariinsky Theater with a request to dance Mekhmene Banu in “The Legend of Love” by Yuri Grigorovich. I'm glad that I was given this opportunity. After Perm I’m going to St. Petersburg to rehearse.
culture: Have you always wanted to dance this ballet by Yuri Grigorovich?
Osipova: You could say since childhood. I was so delighted with the performance and the role that at the choreographic school for the final exam acting prepared a monologue by Mehmene Banu. Unfortunately, at the Bolshoi Theater I was never able to perform this role; there was a lot of things I couldn’t do there: they didn’t trust me with the responsible repertoire.
culture: Who will be your Ferkhad?
Osipova: Volodya Shklyarov. The first time we met was at the Royal Ballet during rehearsals for the play “Margarita and Armand”. He helped me a lot as a human being during the period when I was left without a partner. I like his warm energy - not like that of a brutal macho, but somehow gentle, intelligent. I think our duet in “Margarita and Arman” is one of the most successful in my career.
culture: Will we never see you at the Bolshoi?
Osipova: I plan to come to the gala in honor of Marius Petipa and take part in the Benois de la Danse concert.
culture: I know that you answer “no” to almost all proposals, but it turns out that sometimes you come up with own initiatives.
Osipova: To be honest, I've been giving up a lot lately. I balance interest and time. I always need careful rehearsals, immersion in work - only then can I do the role well. It’s already quite awkward just to come and dance something that has long been in my repertoire. I don't care where I dance, the choice is determined unusual role, the performance I dreamed of, or a partner. There are fewer performances on the side, but each one is special for me. Of course, we, artists, work for the public, they give us a lot of energy, but it’s still a great pleasure to do what inspires you. For example, I don’t dance “Don Quixote” anymore.
culture: But “Don Quixote” brought you world fame, after which you and Ivan Vasiliev were called “child prodigies of the Bolshoi Theater.” You'll probably want to return to Kitri.
Osipova: No doubt. I’ll just wait for the inner impulse when, upon hearing this name, my heart will beat and my soul will respond.
culture: There are legendary duets in the history of ballet: Fontaine - Nureyev, Maksimova - Vasiliev. Many thought that the pair Osipova - Vasiliev or Osipova - Polunin would take place. Did not happen. Why?
Osipova: Vanya Vasiliev and I did a lot together. It was a wonderful period, then our paths diverged. He needed one thing, I needed another. Everything happened naturally, and I don’t have any regrets about it. And with Sergei Polunin we continue to dance. Not much, but this season they have already staged “The Taming of the Shrew” and “Giselle” in Munich. Sergei has his own schedule, plans, interests, priorities.
culture: After Sergei’s confessions about a painful love affair with ballet in the film “Dancer,” it’s even surprising that he performs the classics.
Osipova: He's in amazing shape. A sought-after talented person who does many things besides dance: acts in films, carries out his own projects. I'm very happy for him. Limiting both yourself and him to the fact that we must dance together is stupid. The more partners and different performances, the better. It is still a great happiness for me to dance with Sergei, he is an outstanding artist.
culture: Are you used to life in London?
Osipova: Yes, I settled down in the city and in the troupe. In the team I am a little on my own, a kind of separate person. I come, do my rehearsals and performances, I don’t really know what’s going on among the artists, who communicates with whom. with their own dramatic roles I’m very passionate, the repertoire is interesting to me, every season gives me new works. I feel good and comfortable, but I don’t rule out the possibility that I’ll rush somewhere else.
culture: Is this season busy for you?
Osipova: Yes, like the previous ones. Already took place world premiere ballet "Wind". Choreographer Arthur Pita staged this performance for me. She danced the technically difficult “Sylvia” by Frederick Ashton. These are two great work at the Royal Ballet. After “The Nutcracker” in Moscow and “The Legend of Love” in St. Petersburg - a wonderful cascade of performances at Covent Garden: “Giselle” and “Manon” with my beloved partner David Hallberg, “Swan Lake” with Matthew Ball - a young artist, server big hopes, with Vladimir Shklyarov - “Margarita and Arman”. The whole palette female characters! With David, and I was so looking forward to his recovery, I will dance “Giselle” again at the American Ballet Theater on May 18, our common birthday.
culture: Isn’t it sad because you fanatically devote your life only to work?
Osipova: You see, I'm pleased with this. Dancing makes me happy, gives me joy and energy. And besides him, of course, there are parents, friends and a lot of hobbies.
culture: Friends from the world of ballet?
Osipova: Among my colleagues, I would only name ballerina Lauren Cuthbertson as my friend. The rest of our close friends are non-ballet people, but they love our art very much, it once introduced us.
Unfortunately, I don’t have a husband or children, but I really hope that I will have my own family, which is missing, of course. I always tell myself: if not, then it’s not time yet, it will appear a little later, but now I need to do something else. Everything comes naturally and in due time.
culture: On stage you are flight and temperament. What about in life?
Osipova: No, in life I’m probably not temperamental and by nature I’m a maximalist. I'm difficult to be around. Especially for men, because I react to everything subtly and emotionally, and this is hard to endure. I feel like I’m changing; five years ago I was completely different. Now, it seems, I have become smarter and learned to take everything calmer. Previously, every smallest incident became a drama for me.
culture: You mentioned hobbies - what are they?
Osipova: Painting, literature, music, although I can’t say that everything free time I spend it in museums and at concerts. I fell in love with communication, I wouldn’t call it social life, but I like being around people now. It’s interesting with those who are older and smarter. Until recently, I was a completely closed person.
But I have no goal to change anything in my destiny - to take up photography or modeling. I have a kind of unambiguous love and one for the rest of my life - this is dance. Not ballet, but dance. The more I look at it, the more deeply I understand how much you can express with this amazing language, how much you can give to people. I am far from politics, and in our difficult times, although they are always difficult, I am glad that the audience can come and enjoy the peace reigning on stage. I constantly catch myself thinking: what a blessing that I am in dance and I have no plans not related to the theater. It’s just that the ideas in my head have become more global and large-scale.
culture: Which of them will be implemented in the near future?
Osipova: My busy program at Sadler's Wells is planned. Choreography by Anthony Tudor, Jerome Robbins, Alexei Ratmansky, Ohad Naharin and Ivan Perez. Five solos and duets - different styles and choreographers. In addition to the well-known ones, a number of numbers will be staged specifically for me.
I am preparing a one-woman show, Two Feet, about Olga Spesivtseva, composed by Australian choreographer Meryl Tenkard. We are waiting for confirmation from the Old Vic - excellent, one of the best English drama theaters. This is a serious production, new for me, where you will need to talk a lot in English language, and not just dance. Two sections, one and a half hours. I will talk about the fate of Spesivtseva and my life as a ballerina.
culture: Spesivtseva is a tragic figure, her life ended in a psychiatric clinic, and you rhyme her image with your fate, which is quite successful.
Osipova: From my life - only real facts and reasoning. How I came into the profession, what I encountered, specific cases, both funny and dramatic. Many people believe that the path of a ballerina is thorny, consisting of diets and grueling exercises. I don’t agree with the idea that this is some kind of terrible life devoid of many joys. So I’m talking about what we do, what we don’t allow ourselves, how our days go. In fact, ballet is a great happiness, not only the performances, but also our everyday life is beautiful and amazing. It’s just that childhood and the beginning of a career are connected with the fact that you invest a lot of physical and emotional strength into an unknown future.
culture: Why don’t you talk about the play “Mother”?
Osipova: We named him "Mom". I cannot announce this project, but since you ask... In England it is very a big problem with the location of the show - the theater plans, including the one we have in mind, are scheduled in advance for a long time. I hope they find us free days, and we’ll probably show the premiere this summer at the Edinburgh festival.
It is based on Andersen’s fairy tale “The Story of a Mother”, the choreographer is Arthur Pita, the partner is the actor and wonderful contemporary dancer Jonathan Godard. He plays many roles - from Death and the Old Woman to the Lake and the Flower - everything that gets in the way of the mother.
culture: Andersen's tale is dark and heartbreaking.
Osipova: A very sad story - terrible, tragic. She made an indelible impression on me.
culture: Did you find it yourself?
Osipova: Arthur Pita. But he knows me so well that he immediately understood that I couldn’t pass by. We quickly assembled a wonderful team: Arthur, musician, producer, costume designer. We've already had several rehearsals. The fairy tale attracted me because I had never seen such roles before. I played with different feelings, but the love of a mother, who will go to the very end and sacrifice everything she has, was not necessary, so I wanted to try. The choreographer is close to me not only in the language of dance, but also because he masters the skill of directing. All our work seems successful to me. Both the surreal grotesque ballet Facada, which Moscow saw, and the recent “Wind” at Covent Garden, which was controversially received in England, and I consider my role in this performance one of the best.
culture: Several years ago you admitted to our newspaper that you dreamed of dancing Cinderella. Didn't come true?
Osipova: A wonderful project is planned with choreographer Vladimir Varnava and producer Sergei Danilyan. A new version“Cinderella” is my biggest dream. I hope there will be a premiere soon, and next season we will show it in Russia.
In June, “Marguerite and Armand” was shown at the London Royal Opera House. This is a special production for the British, which premiered at Covent Garden more than half a century ago. For the first time in history, both roles were performed by Russians: prima ballerina of the Royal Opera House Natalya Osipova and the prime minister Mariinsky Theater Vladimir Shklyarov. ZIMA attended the rehearsal. For Osipova this was the last production of the season, and we will soon see Shklyarov again in London with.
Almost an hour of rehearsal takes place in one breath. It’s scary to the last that the dancers will no longer have the strength to do the interview, but when they leave the hall and wipe off their sweat, they look quite cheerful. “Let’s have a snack and talk at the same time?” - Natalya suggests. Vladimir presses the elevator button: “We’re going to the buffet!” The voice recorder turns on in the elevator:
– How long have you been in London?
Vladimir: A week.
- How do you like it here?
Q: London is wonderful. Although I don’t know what it would be like if I danced without Natasha.
Natalya: Say that you would be disgusted!
Q: I'll say anything for you!
They both laugh. We arrive at the buffet. Vladimir takes yoghurts, bananas and soda. We sit down at the table.
N: Sorry that we are constantly making fun of you. I haven’t danced with Russians for so long, and I’m so pleased. Volodya and I have a lot in common in terms of humor. There is a good emotional connection: we can joke, talk, discuss everything.
– Is it harder with foreigners?
N: I have to feel more physically partners who don’t speak Russian; we still have some kind of boundary. Although, for example, I have a wonderful American partner, David Hallberg - this is just my love. I feel him so much in my heart that I don’t even need to talk to him.
– Tomorrow is your first joint performance with Shklyarov?
N: We have already danced one performance, we had a premiere on June 5, tomorrow there will be a second one. This is the end of the season. Honestly, I'm very glad that this is the end. Although then I have a tour... A very busy season.
– How many performances did you have this season?
N: I don’t count how many performances, but over the last month I have had three new roles. It's very hard. Not so much physically, but psychologically - each role requires development...
Q: And Natasha is a very emotional person...
N: And Volodya is such a psychoanalyst!
-Have you known each other for a long time?
N: Yes, since childhood.
B: Well, no! Although it already seems so. We met at the age of 18 at the Mariinsky Theater.
N: We are of the same generation. This is very noticeable - both in work and in communication.
– Is working with Russian dancers very different from working with foreigners?
N: I would say that ballet schools differ from each other. But I have become so cosmopolitan that I would no longer call myself a Russian ballerina. I worked in almost all companies: both in England and in America. I study everywhere, master new techniques, it helps a lot.
– You have been living in London for four years. Are you used to it? Are you bored here?
N: No. I'm never bored. I am a person who lives for work. Our century is not that long. A career may well end at 40. Or an unexpected injury may occur and your career will be interrupted. Therefore, I seize every moment and try to use the talent that is given to me to the fullest.
– But do you rest sometimes? What do you do when you're not dancing?
N: Of course, I’m resting. I have wonderful friends with whom I can spend time. I love being alone. I really like to read. It is a great pleasure for me to sit on the balcony and read a book - honestly, one of the most pleasant moments. I'm currently reading Salman Rushdie's book The Ground Beneath Her Feet. I would like to use the plot of this book in my work, for a ballet performance. I also really love my area, Maida Vale. I spend almost all my free time there: in my favorite cafes, on ponds, in Regent’s Park. We also often gather with friends at someone's apartment. And recently Volodya and I watched a ballet on the embankment! Completely unexpected! We went to Trafalgar Bridge and there was a live broadcast from the Royal Opera House, the same ballet we were dancing. It was very funny. We caught familiar music, I thought: “God, and here it is!” It turned out it was a Live Cinema broadcast. The Royal Opera House installed screens on the streets and broadcast their best productions. We sat and looked from the side. It was great.
– Are your friends Russian? Are they from the ballet world?
N: My friends are mostly Russian. Of course they love ballet, but they are not from the ballet world. Among my close friends there are only a couple of dancers.
– Natasha, Vladimir, you are dancing “Margarita and Armand” - a very difficult plot. Is it easy for you to deal with it?
Q: This is a stylized performance in which Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn shone many years ago. It was staged at the Royal Opera especially for them, and then for a long time no one was allowed to touch this masterpiece. The first was Sylvie Guillem... But Natasha is a unique ballerina. You are the first Russian at the Royal Opera who was entrusted with this role?
N: Yes. It is so accepted that this is also an age group. When this ballet was staged, Margot Fonteyn was almost 20 years older than Nureyev. Probably not every ballerina will be able to convey all the feelings that the heroine experiences on stage. When girls are 17–18 years old, they cannot feel this range of emotions so deeply. It is believed that the older the ballerina, the better she does. And ballet girls always look good. Often at 40 they look barely 25. Such nice trick! I am probably the first in the theater who is 30 years old and who was entrusted with this role. It was even scary to touch her. It was not clear how to do it, how I would succeed. In the end, I decided that I would act intuitively, and I think I did a decent job.
– Were you immediately paired with Vladimir?
N: No, I had to dance with another partner (Sergei Polunin. - ZIMA note). Unfortunately, due to certain circumstances it didn’t work out, and I urgently had to look for another partner. There was no one there because in England no one is allowed to dance this ballet anymore. It is still performed in Russia, but there are practically no good dancers who could dance it. Volodya was the only suitable candidate for this role, and also a brilliant dancer. First we waited for a visa. As a result, Volodya arrived five days before the performance. It was the premiere. The fact that we managed to prepare is still a shock to me. And they didn’t disgrace themselves on stage, which is an even greater achievement. This ballet is very special for the British. There is just ballet, and there is Marguerite and Armand. The two of us are also Russian, so it was especially scary.
Q: What was difficult was that acting is treated differently in Russia and England. We usually try to find individuality, and this is probably the exact opposite of the performances of Frederick Ashton (director of the play at ROH - ZIMA note). He does everything clearly, absolutely according to the rules, no acting liberties are allowed. This is how it should be done. If you clench your fists on the count of “six,” you should do it on “six,” not “five.” It is very difficult to put personal emotion into it so that it reaches the viewer.
N: And we only had five days. We learned the procedure in two days. Volodya had already danced this part, and I danced it for the first time. I was completely shocked. I decided that I had nothing to lose: I just had to go out in five days and dance the most special role for the British. We rehearsed for two days and went on stage to the audience. This was the first time in my life that this happened. I was terribly worried. But when we went on stage, it felt like we were completely ready.
– You have been performing in the leading theaters of the world for so many years! Doesn't the excitement go away with experience?
N: What are you talking about! Sometimes the anxiety becomes even greater. It comes with responsibility. Sometimes it is very difficult for me to work and perform here. When I was invited, I had to constantly prove that I was worthy of it. From the very beginning, I had to prepare each role like some kind of miracle. And I did it, and I got used to it.
Now tickets for my performances are sold out immediately, within two hours. You understand that people expect a miracle from your performance, and you have to keep the bar, and it’s hard.
– How do you recover?
B: A cigarette, a bottle of wine... (laughs)
N: Volodya! (Strictly.) Well, maybe in your case!..
- Natasha, is it true? Do you have a diet?
N: I don’t have a diet. We have such a crazy workload that I eat absolutely everything. I don’t know which ballet dancers are on a diet. With such hard work, dieting is very difficult.
– Today’s rehearsal lasted 45 minutes. Is this standard time? How long do rehearsals usually last?
N: It depends. Today it was 45 minutes. Sometimes an hour. Classical ballet Sometimes we rehearse for two hours. Sometimes we can come at ten in the morning and work until six in the evening, rehearsing without stopping. Depends on the repertoire. Most often I spend the whole day here. I also have to perform in other places, and I go there to rehearse. I don’t have a family yet, so I’m “dedicated to art.”
– There is no desire to relax and not dance?
N: Yes. I'll be on vacation now. I was recently so tired that I literally screamed: “Soon I won’t do anything for two months!” And I really hope I don't. I'll travel. Really want to. I want to go to South America: Peru, Brazil, to be there. Well, I also want to be with my parents, I don’t see them very often.
– Do they come to London to see you?
N: Yes, mom comes quite often. Dad less often. They like it in London. But they still prefer Moscow.
– Vladimir, what do you prefer? Would you like to live in London?
Q: I love London. But... how to put it correctly... I am very worried about the events that are happening. Just the other day there was the Champions League final. We watched football in the pub. Natasha supported Real Madrid. It was near London Bridge station. When we went out and heard the news about the terrorist attack, it was out of the blue. There was a shock.
N: Well, this is happening not only in London now... Unfortunately.
– How do you both feel about risk? Your work is connected with him. They pulled a ligament, broke their leg - and it was the end of their career.
Q: You never need to think about this!
N: Firstly, you will never predict it. Injuries happen absolutely out of the blue, no matter what you do... You went and slipped and tore a ligament. He took care of his leg and then fell down the stairs.
Q: Personally, I attacked everywhere possible. Fear goes away when you crash for the first time. I remember we were rehearsing “Young Man and Death”, there were chairs and a table on the stage. Then I fell off everything at once: from tables and chairs. I don't know what's cooler.
N: It seems to me that I’m actually a record holder. Nobody fell more than me. At the Bolshoi Theater I danced the ballet “Bright Streams” and within 40 seconds I fell three times. There is a part where you have to jump high - and I love that. She jumped out so much that someone even later said to me with sarcasm: “Like Nijinsky flies.” Well, she fell. The pain is severe. But I got wound up: “How?! Did I fall?!” That means we need to jump even harder. I started the jump in this state and fell again. Then she finally jumped, got down on her knee, and fell off her knee again. In 40 seconds, can you imagine? Our choreographer later said to me: “Are you crazy? Are you really crazy?!” And I say: “Yes, I’m probably crazy.”
– Is it built into your character: I need to prove to everyone that I can?
N: Over time, I dealt with it. My energy used to be so crazy: I was so wound up that sometimes I couldn’t control my body. Now there is no such thing. But once even in Covent Garden the curtain was closed. I danced Don Quixote at the premiere and fell so hard that I couldn’t get up. People in the theater are now even asking me not to rehearse before premieres so that nothing happens to me.
– Today Russian teacher Alexander Agadzhanov taught you. Is he only preparing you for this performance?
N: He has been working at the Royal Opera as a teacher for 30 years. I work with him all the time, although there are some roles that I do not rehearse with him. He is my closest person in the theater. At first it was hard for me alone, and, of course, he was very supportive. He is an incredible professional, he taught me so much during this time: manners, culture. It's nice to be with him; he has such a confident energy. He inspires the desire to work and study.
– Is he different from foreign teachers?
N: All my teachers are people close to me. I can't say that the British are very different from the Russians. Maybe there are differences between working with a woman and a man. Sasha is a man: he’s tougher, he doesn’t react to my fatigue, doesn’t get into my soul, doesn’t tell me how a woman should feel. At the same time, he always controls my movements and sees me from a male point of view. He will always tell you what is wrong. Women are a little different: they all love you, adore you, they will cry with you, they will calm you down. It's nice to be with women, especially when they were also amazing ballerinas in the past. They can teach you not only technique, but also how to convey certain emotions.
– Is the language difference painful for you? How is your English now?
N: I understand everything in English, but my social circle is mostly Russian. I wouldn’t sit down to give an interview in English now without a translator. I'm just starting to speak English normally one on one. I tried to take lessons, but I realized that sometimes I just physically don’t have time, and sometimes I’m too tired. But I think I will definitely do this. I want to become a citizen, so I'll have to take exams.
– Do you want to stay and live in England?
N: I don’t know how fate will turn out. But now this is my hometown and my home theater.
Although it is unknown what will happen. And personal life - it also influences.
– I really want to ask about my personal life. And about Sergei Polunin.
N: Well, ask.
- Are you OK?
N: I wouldn’t like to go into details, but now I’m free. And I feel great. I'm going through a transition period. This good time when you can be alone with yourself and enjoy it.
It's great to be alone sometimes. When something ends, a new door always opens.
I'm generally an optimist. For me, everything bad that happens ultimately leads to something very good. I have useful property- learn from your mistakes and bad things.
- Oh, wow. Natasha, I wish you even greater success! Thank you very much for the honest interview and for the opportunity to see the rehearsal. Vladimir, thanks too. It was an incredible pleasure to see you today.
Q: Well, today at rehearsal Natasha was a “motor”. The material is about her, and I thought that two “engines” cannot fit in one issue.
– Where else can we see you?
Q: Next there will be two performances at the Mariinsky Theater with my participation, and then our theater will come on tour to Covent Garden, from July 24 to August 12. Be sure to come. We will try not to disappoint the London public.
PS. A couple of weeks after this interview, we learned that in support of the Gift of Life Foundation, Vladimir Shklyarov is providing two tickets to London performances with his participation, as well as a tour of the backstage of ROH, a book and a photo shoot. – on the foundation’s website.