She is called the best “swan” since Maya Plisetskaya. And also “Divine” and “Wings of the Dove”. That's right, with a capital letter. Ulyana Lopatkina feels uneasy from these words...
Titles rained down on Lopatkina in her early twenties. They began to “go to it,” as they say in the theater, and even ride. Balletomanes from Belokamennaya, having forgotten about the stars of the Bolshoi, first bought a ticket to the Red Arrow, and then to a performance with the participation of a young star, so that in the evening, on the eve of the Swan, they could animatedly discuss in the foyer of the Mariinsky Theater whether Lopatkina is really the spitting image of Plisetskaya and has "dove's wings" And is she as divine as the British press writes about her? In London, by the way, critics never doubted this. In Paris, Milan, Tokyo and New York, the name of Ulyana Lopatkina on the poster is a reason for real excitement. "She's flawless!" - balletomanes talk about her with a breath and don’t miss a single performance. Only friends allow themselves to make fun of Ulyana, referring to the unusually high height (175 cm) and graceful hands of the ballerina: “Of course, it’s not easy for Ulyana to do all sorts of rotations, she has a large windage, like the wings of a dove...”
Since Ulyana turned four, caring about her daughter’s future, her mother took her to a wide variety of children’s clubs and sections, trying to understand what the girl’s real abilities were for. She had no doubt that her daughter was talented. And she was right. One day Lopatkina found herself in a ballet studio, whose teachers, after observing the girl for some time, advised her to try her hand at the world of big ballet.
She entered the Leningrad (now Vaganova, more precisely, the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet) ballet school after failure in Moscow (where Ulyana did not pass the third round) with a “conditional” rating on all points. This means “C”, Ulyana explained in an interview about ten years ago. Nowadays people no longer ask “Divine” Lopatkina about her unknown ballet youth. Who would believe that during the second round of entrance exams at Vaganovsky, or rather, at the medical commission, the impeccable star of the Mariinsky Theater “found several flaws.” Nevertheless, the applicant tried very hard to make a good impression on the stern teachers. In the third round she had to dance a pole dance, “smiling a lot.” Fortunately, the girl was familiar with this dance. And ten-year-old Ulyana was accepted.
School has begun. Eight years of daily overcoming oneself, fighting fears, complexes, and self-doubt. And also children's loneliness and weekends in the family best friend- Ulyana’s parents continued to live in Kerch. But young Lopatkina seemed to take what was happening for granted. Ballet is a cruel profession, and it just so happens that people start doing it very early, simply sacrificing their childhood. But they also finish. Which means you need to enjoy every moment, she told herself. Even if it is filled with pain, the most real, physical one.
Once, the already established prima of the Mariinsky Theater, Ulyana Lopatkina, was asked to tell about the most memorable incidents and absurdities that happened to her on stage. In response, the ballerina, without embarrassment, gave an example from her ballet youth: “The most trivial thing is how I fell at the graduation in choreography. I did a rotation and didn’t calculate the balance. She collapsed backwards towards the audience.” Do you want to know what endurance you should have? future star ballet - put yourself in the place of that girl in the exam. What about the public? “In such cases, the audience screams out to the whole audience: “Ah!” and begins to applaud the artist vigorously for support,” Lopatkina explained with a smile.
St. Petersburg is a place of stunning beauty, style, and culture. But this city is a test for life
It seems that even her hairstyle, so uncharacteristic for a ballerina, speaks of strength of character. Today her hair is cut short, like a boy's. The collar of an elegant white shirt is buttoned up to the chin. There is a restrained half-smile on his face. Modesty and the closeness characteristic of Ulyana from her earliest youth are often mistaken for arrogance. But when she begins to speak, her gentle voice shows you sincere goodwill and willingness to communicate.
BETWEEN TOKYO, MOSCOW AND NEW YORK
- Ulyana, you had the opportunity to become independent very early, moving from your native Kerch to another city, and today it is another country. How did you get used to Northern Palmyra? And how has this city changed you?
I was really born in Kerch, but I lived there for only ten years. I spent the rest of my life in St. Petersburg. And “retrained”. (Laughs.) St. Petersburg is a city of stunning beauty, aesthetics, style, philosophy, culture, history. He greatly influenced me and my creativity. But this city is a test for life to this day. It's no secret what the ecology of the city is like, the history of its creation. The city was built on blood. On set lives lost. The city stands on a swamp. And this explains a lot. Harsh climate, high humidity. The dancer feels the influence of these places very clearly. In this regard, there are absolutely humorous situations. When Bolshoi Theater artists come from Moscow, for the first three days they very briskly and energetically come to the morning class, and, looking at our artists, they are surprised: “You are all kind of sleepy here, you are moving at a kind of slow pace. Although, by the way, it’s already 11 o’clock in the morning!” And at the Bolshoi Theater, I note, the lesson, class (the classic hour-long or one-and-a-half-hour warm-up at the barre, with which every ballet dancer’s day begins. - Ed.) begins at 10 and 11 o’clock in the morning. But three days pass, and Muscovites suddenly take on a completely St. Petersburg appearance. And, coming to class in the morning, they casually ask: “Listen, are you okay, do you get up easily in the morning?” To which we usually answer: “Welcome to St. Petersburg!” That is, from the moment of condemnation to understanding, exactly three days pass, as a rule. Then everything falls into place.
A dancer has so many reasons to be unhappy, you can’t even imagine!
- Ulyana, where do you find it easiest to dance - on your own stage of the Mariinsky Theater or on tour?
On tour, oddly enough. Mariinsky stage for some reason incredibly responsible for me. Every time going out there is accompanied by insane excitement and trepidation. And then, the audience on tour seems to love you, and you feel it. Bathing in this love. The home public is strict and very demanding. As for the physical aspect, I experienced the difference in sensations between working in St. Petersburg and in the conditions of the same capital myself when I was on tour in Moscow. In ten days I danced four performances. In St. Petersburg, we usually don’t work in this mode due to the fact that there are many of us. Nevertheless, there is no heaviness, no lethargy in the morning, so you can’t lift yourself... A completely different feeling in the muscles, a different fit, ease of work. But since this happens very rarely, it does not seriously confuse us. (Laughs.) We return to our city, theater, climate without problems.
- There are real legends about the dancers' lifestyle, cruel regime and daily routine. What do you think is the most difficult thing in the life of a ballet dancer?
The complexity of the life of ballerinas lies more in the absence of a regime than in its presence. (Smiles.) Due to the theater’s touring and personal tour schedule, changes in time zones, and the associated need for late or even night rehearsals. When you have only three days between America and Japan, you have a hard time finding that hour or two or three in a day when you even understand where you are. Physically mobilize your instrument - in in this case it's your body and brain - it's very difficult in such conditions.
HEIRE OF MIAMI
This is how they started talking about Lopatkina when she danced in Swan Lake. This title became a heavy burden for the ballerina. When Lopatkina included “Carmen Suite” to the music of Wiese - Shchedrin into her repertoire, criticism did not spare her, comparing her with the great Plisetskaya (in the photo Maya Mikhailovna congratulates Ulyana on the premiere of the play at the X International Mariinsky Ballet Festival in April 2010). Plisetskaya personally added the finishing touches to the acting drawing of another role of Ulyana - Anna in the ballet “Anna Karenina”. At the dress rehearsal she said: “Your love for Vronsky is not enough for me, I did not have time to feel how strong your feelings are.” “I had to be extremely open in all episodes... Then Maya Mikhailovna hugged me and said: “Now everything is as it should be.” I felt that I had come to life..."
You fly to, say, Japan, and the very next day you have a rehearsal and a performance. As a rule, there is no time for adaptation at all. This is in contrast to the world of sports, where the athlete is usually given time for some kind of acclimatization. When, after ten days, that same adaptation finally occurs, you are rebuilt, you begin to feel better, at least you don’t fall asleep during intermissions in “Swan Lake”, when you sit down on a chair and realize that you are passing out, and you have a “black swan” ahead of you... So at this moment it turns out that it’s time to return to Russia in order to immediately go to America. This is probably the most difficult thing. When you experience not loads, but overloads. And then you return from America and don’t understand anything at all... (Laughs.)
- How do you recover in such cases?
The recipe is simple. Dream, proper nutrition, as an auxiliary measure - massage. Sometimes it's just gymnastics. Plus a swimming pool and sauna. But the most important thing is not to quit classes. Continue to attend class every day, changing combinations in the ballet exercise itself in such a way as to help the body restore its previous shape. A properly structured class either heals, trains, or prepares the body for stress and physical work. One to one and a half hours in the morning at the machine is the most important time in the coming working day. You can leave the lesson absolutely devastated and exhausted, with the desire to immediately quit everything. Or you can be winged like a bird. Relaxing on the sofa here is not at all helpful for the ballerina.
REASON FOR HAPPINESS
The physical costs of an artist are sometimes incomparable with the energy, mental...
The public makes up for them. But... sometimes you need silence, loneliness. Sometimes, on the contrary, there are fresh impressions and emotions. Music, painting, just a walk. Sometimes it’s enough to be in nature or focus on the child. And the temple also disciplines very well... In general, the most difficult thing in the life of a ballerina is to maintain the desire for creativity. Do not go astray during the time allotted to you in the profession. Still, the lifespan of ballet is short - only 15-20 years. Sometimes 30. Combine good shape, performing arts and at the same time inspiration and the ability to create as often as necessary. Do not retreat into the formal performance of your duties when creativity evaporates, disappears like sand through your fingers. You keep yourself in shape, do what is necessary, you dance, but... you don’t dance. You are working. But that's all. This is difficult.
- Have you ever been unhappy on stage?
Certainly! And terribly unhappy. (Laughs.) I wondered when this would end. There she did something wrong, she tripped there. Here the partner pushed, the stage suddenly moved in the other direction, for some reason she tilts so much, and I fall so quickly... The dancer has so many reasons to be unhappy, you can’t even imagine! Internal self-criticism is developed so strongly and strikes so quickly. Just lightning fast... Like the gaze of the Gorgon Medusa. You become numb at the moment when you need to continue doing something. And your inner voice screams at you: “This is a terrible mistake! Just a disaster! And all this in parallel with movement and music. All artists suffer from this without exception. Especially at the beginning creative path. Learning to put up with the critic living inside you is very difficult. In such cases, video recording of the performance comes to the rescue. You sit down, watch the film, see that everything was not as terrible as you thought, and you calm down. And you almost died on stage! I stumbled a little. The face turned sour, and the audience saw that everything was bad. Although no one understood what exactly was bad. But for some reason the ballerina became sad and stopped dancing. She simply “lives out” her variation on stage. So it’s easy to be unhappy on stage. You just have to feel sorry for yourself. (Smiles.) But happy too.
- Today, success in any type of activity is determined by material things. Ballet is no exception...
Yes, wealth and luxury are a certain defining criterion of our lives, dividing people into those to whom they are available and those who are not. For some, this is a reason to rejoice and feel like a superman, but for others, it is a reason to always be depressed, always dream and never achieve luxury. I have great respect for wealthy people who do not spend their wealth and the opportunities given to them to “please” only themselves. I respect those who adhere to asceticism in everyday life. There are examples of very wealthy people who know how to use their wealth for the benefit not only of themselves, but also of those around them. They understand that wealth is given to a person as a test.
- Do you need luxury yourself?
Time is a luxury for me. A distraction from the usual daily rehearsals and training. Lack of stress, when I allow myself to do nothing in terms of profession. Two, three or four days, no more. When it comes to ten days, it becomes too expensive. We have to pay.
- In 2002, you became a mother, risking leaving the stage for a while and interrupting your career as a ballerina. But the opinion that a dancer cannot have children without damaging the dance is still alive...
This is one way to read the idea of the need for self-sacrifice for the sake of art. But I think this is a very stereotypical statement. Yes, ballet really takes a lot of time and effort. Regular training, rehearsals, learning your parts, rest - the profession absorbs you, it seems, without a trace. But I think completely subordinating your life to work is a mistake. Otherwise, a woman would not be gifted with the ability to bear children. And I always wanted children. And I want to. And the most fantastic time for me was when my daughter Masha was very little. Yes, it's very difficult. At first I completely lost my bearings: where is the night, where is the day? How to get enough sleep?! When will this all end?! But when your child looks at you and smiles at you, such moments are unforgettable.
- Have you ever thought about what you would do if you had not become a ballerina? After all, as a child you were seriously interested in drawing...
You know, in childhood, every child has some kind of enlightenment. (Laughs.) He suddenly understands what he wants to become. I dreamed of becoming a teacher kindergarten junior group. But my childhood is connected with the end Soviet era when life was very different from today. And the range of professions from which you could choose, too. But if I was a child today, I would most likely be fascinated by design or foreign languages. But in any case, the profession would be creative. I also had a funny dream. More precisely, two! Be a painter and hairdresser. I cut and combed all the dolls I had. And even some of my aunts (and I have a lot of them on both my father’s and mother’s side) risked putting themselves into my hands. And to this day, when they do my hair before a performance, I try to intervene in the process. They tell me: “Take your hands away!” - and I: “I’ll just fix it here!” (Laughs.) Well, painting - the very process of how the paint lays on the surface, what mark the brush leaves - all this fascinated me, and I could spend hours, as if spellbound, watching the painting of dishes, say. But life is not over yet. Who knows what I'll do in the future. (Smiles.)
- By the way, you definitely have a chance to become a teacher...
I even had teaching experience at the Vaganova School - I was asked to substitute for classes. And with teenagers and small children. And I'm interested in them. This is what I was afraid of when my daughter was born - something that would be hard for me to find common language with a child, the interests of adults and children are too different. How many times have I watched adults endlessly telling their children, “Don’t disturb the adults.” Do something of your own! And I asked myself: will I really do this to my child?.. This has always hurt me very much. But my daughter took me with her to childhood. And when it’s hard for me to concentrate, I just try to imagine how, through what eyes she looks at this world, to tune into this look. And it immediately becomes interesting!..
- You don't like to make plans out loud. Share what plans and dreams have already come true?
Daughter. I didn’t expect that her birth would be such a revelation for me. I was left completely bewildered by how this was possible! While I was carrying a child within me, I had the feeling that no one understood what was happening inside me. The thought of what is being created inside new person, in principle, was not processed by the brain. I walked around shocked all nine months: how could this be?! Here is the head, and here is the arm, and there is the leg - this is something incredible! Miracles happen to us and around us every day. You just need to see.
FACTS ABOUT ULYANA LOPATKINA
When at a performance I perform movements of terrible complexity, for which I have to prepare since childhood and wipe off a hundred sweats, these are exactly the conditions where I can find inner freedom. Music provokes me to discover things
- Born in Kerch (Ukraine) on October 23;
- Graduated from the Academy of Russian Ballet. A. Ya. Vaganova (class of Prof. Dudinskaya);
- In 1991 she was accepted into the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater. She started in the corps de ballet. In August 1994 she made her debut in the ballet " Swan Lake"in the role of Odette-Odile. A year later she was appointed prima ballerina;
- In 2001, due to injury and pregnancy, she left the stage. In February 2003, she decided to undergo surgery and returned to the theater;
- She got married in 2001. Husband - businessman, architect, writer Vladimir Kornev. The couple are raising a daughter, Masha (9 years old).
Ulyana Lopatkina was born on October 23, 1973 in the city of Kerch, Republic of Crimea. WITH early childhood the girl was dancing. IN school years she entered the Academy of Russian Ballet named after A.Ya. Vaganova, where in junior classes Ulyana's teacher was Galina Novitskaya, and in the senior years Natalia Dudinskaya. In 1991, after graduating from the Academy, Ulyana Lopatkina became a laureate of the International Vaganova-Prix Prize.
Immediately after graduation, she was accepted into the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. Three years later, the girl became one of the leading ballerinas of the theater; she was entrusted with the role of Odette Odile in the ballet Swan Lake, and her debut in this role brought the young ballerina the Golden Spotlight. And a year later, Lopatkina was appointed prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater.
Today, Ulyana Lopatkina’s repertoire includes many leading roles. She danced in these famous ballets, like “Giselle”, “Corsair”, “La Bayadère”, “Sleeping Beauty”, “Swan”, “Scheherazade”, “Bakhchisarai Fountain”, “Legend of Love”, “ Leningrad Symphony" In addition to the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, Lopatkina performs on other famous stages around the world, among them: Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, Royal opera house in London, Grand Opera in Paris, La Scala in Milan, Metropolitan Opera in New York, National Theater Opera and Ballet Theater in Helsinki, NHK Hall in Tokyo. Her stage teacher today is Irina Chistyakova.
Ulyana Lopatkina’s talent has been recognized with numerous awards and titles. In 1997 she received " Golden Mask"and the Benois de la Danse prize, in 1998 the Evening Standard London critics award, in 1999 - the State Prize of Russia. In 2000 she was awarded the title of Honored Artist of Russia, and in 2006 the title of People's Artist of Russia.
Ulyana Lopatkina performed at the closing ceremony in 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada, and soon after that, at the invitation of the Grand Opera, she danced in Swan Lake with Manuel Legris. In May 2010, Lopatkina took part in a gala concert Russian Ballet Icons, dedicated to the memory of Galina Ulanova, held in London. Ulyana Lopatkina herself considers the birth of her daughter Masha to be the main achievement of her life.
In his free time from stage creativity famous ballerina enjoys drawing, cinema and interior design.
Repertoire of Ulyana Lopatkina
"Pavlova and Cecchetti", fragment from John Neumeier's ballet "The Nutcracker"
Ophelia, monologue from Konstantin Sergeev’s ballet “Hamlet”
"Giselle" (Giselle, Myrtha)
Medora, "Corsair"
Grand Pas from the ballet Paquita
Lilac Fairy, The Sleeping Beauty by Marius Petipa
Kitty, “Anna Karenina” to music by P. I. Tchaikovsky
Maria Taglioni, Pas de Quatre by Anton Dolina
Death, "Goya Divertimento"
Nikiya, La Bayadère by Marius Petipa
Odette and Odile, Swan Lake by Lev Ivanov and Marius Petipa
Clémence, Raymonda, "Raymonda"
"The Swan" by Mikhail Fokin
Zobeide, "Scheherazade"
Zarema, “Bakhchisarai Fountain” by Rostislav Zakharov
Mekhmene Banu, “The Legend of Love” by Yuri Grigorovich
Girl, “Leningrad Symphony” by Igor Belsky
Fairy, "Fairy's Kiss"
"Poem of Ecstasy"
"The Sound of Blank Pages" by John Neumeier
"Serenade" by George Balanchine
"Piano Concerto No. 2" by George Balanchine
Symphony in C major", 2nd movement, George Balanchine
"Waltz" by George Balanchine
“Diamonds”, III part of the ballet “Jewels”
3rd duet, "In the Night" by Jerome Robbins
"Youth and Death" by Roland Petit
Anna Karenina, "Anna Karenina" by Alexei Ratmansky
Ulyana Lopatkina's awards
1991 - laureate ballet competition Vaganova-Prix (Academy of Russian Ballet, St. Petersburg)
1995 - Golden Soffit Award (for best debut)
1997 - Golden Mask Award
1997 - Benois Dance Prize (for performing the role of Medora in the ballet Le Corsair)
1997 - Baltika Prize (1997 and 2001)
March 1998 - Evening Standard London Critics Award
1999 - State Prize of Russia
2000 - Honored Artist of Russia
2006 - People's Artist of Russia
2015 - Prize of the Government of the Russian Federation
2015 - Golden Soffit Award (for performing the role of Margarita in the ballet Margarita and Arman)
Family of Ulyana Lopatkina
She was married to the artist, writer and entrepreneur Vladimir Kornev - they got married on July 5, 2001, and on July 25 of the same year they were married in the St. Sophia Church in the village of Vartemyagi. A year later, on May 24, 2002, she gave birth to a daughter, Maria, in an Austrian clinic. In 2010, the couple divorced.
The height of Ulyana Lopatkina, like her other main parameters, has always been of interest to fans and ballet connoisseurs. After all, this is one of the most popular modern ballerinas which completed creative career just last year. Since 1995, almost without interruption, Lopatkina performed brilliantly at the Mariinsky Theater. In 2006, she became the owner of the title of People's Artist of Russia, and previously became a laureate of the State Prize.
Biography of a ballerina
Height is one meter 75 centimeters. She was born in Kerch on the territory of the Ukrainian SSR on the Crimean Peninsula in 1973. Her childhood, spent on the shores of the Black Sea, was eventful and joyful.
The parents of the heroine of our article were teachers. Vyacheslav Ivanovich and Elena Georgievna taught at the school. Ulyana grew up in a family not alone, but with her brother, who always supported her in everything. Lopatkina's brother's name is Evgeniy.
While still at school, the girl became interested in ballet; Ulyana Lopatkina’s height was conducive to practicing this particular art form. In parallel with her studies, she studied in dance clubs, as well as sports sections to maintain good physical fitness.
Creative education
Ulyana Lopatkina's parameters (height and weight) were ideal for the stage. Perhaps that is why she entered the Agrippina Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet, from which she graduated in 1991. The heroine of our article studied in the creative workshop of the People's Artist of the USSR Natalya Dudinskaya, who shone in the ballet “Swan Lake” in the 50s.
Throughout her studies, Ulyana Lopatkina’s height and weight were optimal for performing in ballet. And the experts appreciated it. By the way, the weight of 52 kilograms and the height of the ballerina Ulyana Lopatkina were optimal for the Mariinsky Theater troupe, where she was accepted.
Successful debut
Ballerina Ulyana Lopatkina, whose height and weight were ideal for dancing, began to captivate the public from her first performances. Soon she began to be assigned complex solo parts, and then leading roles. Already in 1995, the artistic director of the Mariinsky Theater appointed her as a prima ballerina in the troupe.
In total, during her career at the Mariinsky Theater, Ulyana Lopatkina (height, weight, foot size, by the way, 40th, are known to her many fans) performed several dozen first roles in key productions.
In the ballet “Hamlet” by Konstantin Sergeev, Lopatkin dances Ophelia, in “The Sleeping Beauty” by Marius Petipa - the Lilac Fairy, in “Anna Karenina” by Pyotr Tchaikovsky - Kitty, in “Pas de Quatre” by Anton Dolin - Maria Taglioni, in “Swan Lake” "Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov - Odette and Odile, in Rostislav Zakharov's "The Fountain of Bakhchisarai" - Zarem, in Yuri Grigorovich's "Legend of Love" - Mekhmene Banu, in Igor Belsky's "Leningrad Symphony" - a Girl. Over time, in the ballet “Anna Karenina”, already in the production, she got the title role instead of the image of Kitty.
Annoying injury
In 2000, a real professional tragedy occurred in the fate of Lopatkina. In the ballet La Bayadère by Marius Petipa, she traditionally danced Nikia. During the performance, the ballerina received an unfortunate ankle injury. But she overcame the pain and managed to complete the performance, despite quite serious damage.
All this had a negative impact on her future fate. The ankle injury turned out to be so serious that she had to leave the stage for several years, devoting them to a long and difficult recovery.
At the beginning of 2003, Lopatkina underwent surgery, only after which she was able to finally recover and return to her perfect shapes to perform on stage again.
Collaboration with Tsiskaridze
In 2013, Lopatkina, unexpectedly for many, was recommended for the post of artistic director of the Agrippina Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet. This initiative was taken by the newly appointed acting rector of the academy, Nikolai Tsiskaridze.
The very appointment of Tsiskaridze to the academy turned out to be very scandalous. Tsiskaridze had recently left the Bolshoi Theater after the management of the cultural institution refused to renew his contract with the artist. employment contract. Tsiskaridze himself came to the academy in October 2013 along with the Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky. The head of the department introduced the new acting rector to the teaching staff, which directly violated the charter of the educational institution.
Vera Dorofeeva, who had served as rector before, was transferred to work at the Mikhailovsky Theater, although, as experts noted, she was exclusively involved in economic affairs at the academy. After Tsiskaridze was appointed rector, the ballerina, who had worked in this position for 13 years, resigned from the position of artistic director. She did not work well with Tsiskaridze, who was also an artist and actually turned out to be her boss.
The contract has not been signed
It was proposed to replace Asylmuratova with Lopatkina, who at that time had not yet finished her dance career, but continued to perform at the Mariinsky Theater. At the Academy of Russian Ballet itself, many were dissatisfied with the current state of affairs. In November, an appeal was even drawn up to the Ministry of Culture, which was signed by the majority of representatives of the teaching staff. In it, the academy staff demanded to reconsider the undoubtedly controversial appointment of Tsiskaridze and Lopatkina. At the same time, the ballerina herself, to whom our article is dedicated, did not comment on what was happening.
As a result, Lopatkina refused the position of artistic director, and the contract with the academy was not signed. Artistic director Zhanna Ayupova became a teacher at the Mikhailovsky Theater. In parallel with this, she received the position of first vice-rector of the academy. But Tsiskaridze was approved as rector. In the election he received 227 votes, with 17 against.
On June 16, 2017, Lopatkina officially announced the end of her career as a ballerina: she dedicated 26 years of her life to the Mariinsky Theater.
Personal life
The height of Ulyana Lopatkina, whose photos are presented in the article, has become the standard of a real ballerina for many of her fans.
The heroine of our article was married to a wealthy entrepreneur, writer and artist, whose name was Vladimir Kornev. They got married in July 2001, and a few weeks after official registration got married in church. The ceremony took place in the village of Vartemyagi, in the St. Sophia Church located there.
Already in 2002 in the Austrian private clinic Lopatkina gave birth to a daughter, Maria. Naturally, she could not perform on stage for some time. But the ratio of weight and height of Ulyana Lopatkina quickly returned to normal.
However, the marriage did not turn out to be happy. After some time, the couple realized that there was no point in continuing to be together, and in 2010 they divorced.
Interesting facts about the life of a ballerina
Surprisingly, Ulyana was independent beyond her years from the first days of her life. Already at two and a half years old, the parents calmly left the girl alone at home, and when she was ten years old, they sent her to study ballet in St. Petersburg, where she lived completely independently, since the parents did not have the opportunity to move with their daughter.
It is interesting that in the ballet class in which the future prima of the Mariinsky Theater studied, all the mirrors were divided into two categories. Some made everyone look slimmer, no matter who looked at them, while others visually plumped a person up, adding a few extra pounds in the most unexpected places. Naturally, no one wanted to stand at the second category of mirrors, so Ulyana, like all the students in her class, tried to come to class as early as possible in order to take a place at the “slender” mirrors and not get upset in vain.
While the girl was studying at the academy, she had a very strict daily and nutritional regimen, because it is very important for ballerinas to monitor their appearance. But even in this situation, the young dancers managed to find small joys for themselves. For example, a special delicacy for them was a piece of sliced loaf with butter, which was pressed on both sides with an iron to make an impromptu toast, because future ballerinas were not allowed to eat a lot of bread.
Height is not a problem
It’s interesting that now many people admire Lopatkina’s measurements, but when she first started studying ballet, her height was considered not quite standard. For example, at school she was not the tallest among her peers.
Moreover, previously small height did not bother anyone. For example, Ulanova was 65 centimeters tall, and she performed while still a centimeter shorter. But in recent years Taller ballerinas began to be valued, which allowed Lopatkina to make a brilliant career.
Now she is 44. It has been a year since she left the stage.
Famous Russian ballerina, prima of the Mariinsky Theater since 1995.
Ulyana Vyacheslavovna Lopatkina born on October 23, 1973 in the city of Kerch (Ukraine). From early childhood, the future ballerina studied in dance clubs and gymnastics sections.
At the age of 10, Ulyana, on the initiative of her mother, decided to enroll in Academy of Russian Ballet named after. A.Ya. Vaganova in Leningrad. Lopatkina was lucky with her teachers: she got into the class N.M. Dudinskaya- prima ballerinas of the Kirov Theater in the 30-50s.
Natalya Mikhailovna Dudinskaya (1912-2003) was one of the most popular ballerinas of her generation. Student of Agrippina Vaganova, People's Artist of the USSR, winner of four Stalin Prizes of the second degree. Since the 50s, Dudinskaya has been engaged in teaching work.
In 1990 Ulyana Lopatkina took first place in All-Russian competition named after A.V. Vaganova for students of choreographic schools (Vaganova-Prix). She performed the variation " Sylphide", variation of the Queen of the Waters from the ballet "The Little Humpbacked Horse" and pas de deux from the second act of the ballet " Giselle».
Lopatkina graduated from the Academy in 1991, after which she was accepted into the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater.
At the graduation performance, the ballerina performed a fragment from the ballet “The Nutcracker” (miniature “Teacher and Student”, staged by J. Neumeier) and “Shadows” from “La Bayadère”.
At the beginning of his career Ulyana Lopatkina She danced in the corps de ballet, but soon she was assigned solo roles. Her first roles were as a street dancer in " Don Quixote" and the Lilac Fairy in " Sleeping Beauty».
In 1994, the premiere of the ballet program took place at the Mariinsky Theater Mikhail Fokin. In one of the premiere performances, Ulyana Lopatkina danced the role of Zobeida in “ Scheherazade", and later appeared on stage in the role of Zarema in " Bakhchisarai fountain».
In the same year, Lopatkina made her debut in the role of Odette-Odile in the ballet Swan Lake. Her partners in the play were Alexander Kurkov (Siegfried) and Evgeny Neff (Rothbart). Lopatkina's performance in Swan Lake became a notable event; she was promised success in the romantic and academic repertoire.
In 1994, Ulyana Lopatkina received a prize from the magazine “Ballet” in the category “ Rising Star" A year later she was awarded the St. Petersburg theater award“Golden spotlight” for “Best debut on the St. Petersburg stage.”
Since 1995, Ulyana Lopatkina has become a prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater. Each of her new role attracts enthusiastic attention from both viewers and critics. Lopatnik is interested not only in classical music, but also modern choreography. One of the ballerina’s favorite roles was the role of Queen Mekhmene Banu in “The Legend of Love” (staged by Yu.N. Grigorovich). She is especially good at portraying mysterious, infernal heroines.
Among contemporary choreographers, Lopatkina singles out the famous Czech director Jiri Kylian.
Today the ballerina’s repertoire includes main and solo roles in a variety of productions, including the ballets “Corsair”, “Raymonda”, “The Fountain of Bakhchisarai”, “The Fairy’s Kiss”. Lopatkina actively tours with the Mariinsky Theater troupe throughout Russia, Europe, America and Asia. Among her partners are Igor Zelensky, Farukh Ruzimatov and Andrey Uvarov.
In 2006, Ulyana Lopatkina was awarded the People's Artist of Russia. The ballerina is the winner of numerous Russian and foreign theater awards.
Due to a serious injury, Lopatkina left the stage for several years. In 2001, Ulyana married an artist, writer and entrepreneur in 2001 Vladimir Kornev. During this period, the ballerina did not perform at the Mariinsky Theater due to a leg injury. A year later in Austria, she gave birth to a daughter, Masha, but in 2010 the couple divorced.
In 2003, after surgery on her leg, Lopatkina again appeared on stage, performing the part "The Dying Swan" at the Stars of the White Nights festival at the Mariinsky Theater.
In 2004 Ulyana Lopatkina took part in international festival ballet, premiere of the play "Offerings to Balanchine". She also became Russian Prize"Triumph" in the field of literature and art. That same year, Lopatkina danced La Bayadère for the first time after her injury.
Ulyana Lopatkina's repertoire:
- "Pavlova and Cecchetti", fragment from John Neumeier's ballet "The Nutcracker"
- Ophelia, monologue from Konstantin Sergeev’s ballet “Hamlet”
- "Giselle" (Giselle, Myrtha)
- Medora, "Corsair"
- Grand Pas from the ballet Paquita
- Lilac Fairy, The Sleeping Beauty by Marius Petipa
- Kitty, “Anna Karenina” to music by P. I. Tchaikovsky
- Maria Taglioni, Pas de Quatre by Anton Dolina
- Death, "Goya Divertimento"
- Nikiya, La Bayadère by Marius Petipa
- Odette and Odile, Swan Lake by Lev Ivanov and Marius Petipa
- Clémence, Raymonda, "Raymonda"
- "The Swan" by Mikhail Fokin
- Zobeide, "Scheherazade"
- Zarema, “Bakhchisarai Fountain” by Rostislav Zakharov
- Mekhmene Banu, “The Legend of Love” by Yuri Grigorovich
- Girl, “Leningrad Symphony” by Igor Belsky
- Fairy, "Fairy's Kiss"
- "Poem of Ecstasy"
- "The Sound of Blank Pages" by John Neumeier
- "Serenade" by George Balanchine
- "Piano Concerto No. 2" by George Balanchine
- 2nd movement, “Symphony in C” by George Balanchine
- "Waltz" by George Balanchine
- “Diamonds”, III part of the ballet “Jewels”
- 3rd duet, "In the Night" by Jerome Robbins
- "Youth and Death" by Roland Petit
- Anna Karenina, "Anna Karenina" by Alexei Ratmansky
Ulyana Lopatkina's awards:
- 1991 - laureate of the Vaganova-Prix ballet competition (Academy of Russian Ballet, St. Petersburg)
- 1995 - Golden Soffit Award
- 1997 - Golden Mask Award
- 1997 - Benois Dance Prize (for performing the role of Medora in the ballet Le Corsair)
- 1997 - Baltika Prize (1997 and 2001)
- 1998 - Evening Standard London Critics Award
- 1999 - State Prize of Russia
- 2000 - Honored Artist of Russia
- 2005 - People's Artist of Russia
- 2015 - Prize of the Government of the Russian Federation
- 2015 - Golden Soffit Award (for the ballet “Margarita and Arman”)
One day Elena Georgievna Lopatkina I came home from work earlier than usual and saw interesting picture: daughter Ulyana waltzed to the music Bach in my mother's pink peignoir. Taken by surprise, the girl was afraid that she would be reprimanded for taking things without asking, but Elena Georgievna did not scold the child. She made a fateful decision - her daughter’s talent must be developed. At the age of 10, the young dancer moved from her native Kerch to St. Petersburg, where she entered the Academy of Russian Ballet. A. Ya. Vaganova. And although today the name of Ulyana Lopatkina is known all over the world, we don’t know much about her. For the artist’s birthday, AiF.ru collected interesting facts from the biography of the prima of the Mariinsky Theater.
No. 1. Mature beyond her years
The ballerina was independent from an early age; at 2.5 years old, her parents calmly left her alone at home. And from the age of 10, Ulyana lived in St. Petersburg and was brought up in a boarding school at the Academy. Vaganova. Alas, the parents did not have the opportunity to move to the northern capital with their daughter.
No. 2. The struggle for beauty
In the class where the ballerina studied, all the mirrors were divided into two categories: some made her look slimmer, others visually added extra pounds. Naturally, standing near the latter was a real grief for any girl, so the students, and among them Ulyana, tried to come to class early in order to take the most advantageous places.
No. 3. Little joys
Despite the discipline and strict diets, the ballerinas also had their own little joys. Sometimes the girls prepared an unusual delicacy: they spread a sliced loaf of bread with butter, and then pressed it with an iron on both sides. With an impromptu toast, they delighted not only themselves, but also the high school students, because it was impossible to eat a lot of bread.
Ulyana Lopatkina, 1999. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
No. 4. Contrary to standards
At school, Ulyana was far from the tallest among her peers. She stretched out greatly only in the last three years of study. Today, according to media reports, her height is 175 centimeters. Once upon a time, such parameters were considered absolutely not ballet. But times Ulanova with its 1.65 cm or Pavlova, which was only a centimeter shorter than Galina Sergeevna, are long gone. Lopatkina was never hampered by her own growth. Moreover, over time it became her calling card.
No. 5. Corps de ballet
Ulyana did not enter the school with the highest grades and throughout her studies she was more of a good student than an excellent student, and yet after graduating from the academy in 1991, she was accepted into the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater. She started with the corps de ballet. Participation in crowd scenes gave Lopatkina invaluable experience, which helped the ballerina when she began to dance leading roles.
No. 6. Faith
Ulyana grew up in an atheistic family, but at the age of sixteen she and her friend decided to be baptized. From that moment, according to the ballerina herself, a “new starting point” began in her life.
No. 7. Debut
Lopatkina performed her first solo part in 1992, when the main part of the troupe went on tour. It was Giselle. Helped Ulyana get a difficult role Olga Nikolaeva Moiseeva, who believed in the student. The teacher’s professional instincts did not deceive her; the ballerina coped with the task.
No. 8. The first “swan”
The ballerina showed her first “swan” to the public in 1994. She took the stage on the last day of the season. In addition to the audience, teachers and colleagues came to watch Lopatkina’s performance. The excitement was off the charts. While performing one of the elements, the artist’s legs even gave way a little, but she remembered the advice of the professionals: “if it’s very scary, immerse yourself in the movements themselves, in the work of the body and the music.” Ulyana did just that. As a result, the artist’s debut in this role was celebrated with the prestigious Golden Soffit award.
No. 9. Legend of love
Despite the fact that “Swan Lake” performed by the ballerina is called the standard, the dancer’s favorite part is not at all Odette-Odile, A Mehmene Banu from "Legend of Love".
No. 10. Marriage
The legendary dancer tied the knot only once. Her husband was an artist and writer Vladimir Kornev. The wedding and wedding of the newlyweds took place in a narrow family circle. In 2002, the couple had a daughter Masha. The question - family or career - did not confront Lopatkina. She dreamed of a child and wanted to become a mother, although she understood that her schedule and tours would not allow her to give her daughter the attention she deserved.
Despite the fact that for many years the ballerina carefully protected her personal life from prying eyes, in 2010 it became known that the Lopatkin-Kornev union had broken up. Naturally, the couple did not give any comments regarding the divorce.
Photo: www.globallookpress.com
No. 11. Old injuries
After giving birth, the ballerina's career was in jeopardy. During pregnancy, a long-standing foot injury became even worse. When Lopatkina returned to the barre, she realized that she could not dance. After two hours of practice, the leg became so swollen that the dancer could hardly walk. Conservative treatment did not produce results and it seemed that the scene would have to be forgotten, but the situation was saved Mikhail Baryshnikov.
They did not know each other personally, but when a colleague of the ballerina turned to the legendary dancer for help, he unnecessary words gave me his phone number. It was Baryshnikov who advised Lopatkina to a surgeon who had worked with the troupe for many years Balanchine and specialized in such injuries. The complex operation was performed in New York. When Ulyana opened her eyes, the first person she saw was Baryshnikov. He sat by the ballerina's bed and read a newspaper. This was their first personal meeting.
Ulyana Lopatkina performs "The Dying Swan". Photo: RIA Novosti / Ekaterina Chesnokova
No. 12. Rest for the soul
The ballerina's second hobby after the stage is drawing. IN free time she attends classes in the art studio, but at the same time she draws solely for the soul and does not plan to exhibit her work.
No. 13. Not only classics
Despite the fact that Lopatkina is considered a classical ballerina, her repertoire includes many works with modern choreographers. The number “Saturday Night Fever” to the music of the Bee Gees was very atypical for the artist.
This is not just a dance, but an improvisation by a choreographer Roland Petit, Ulyana herself and her partner, which they fortunately filmed during rehearsal and were able to reproduce and bring to life from the recordings. The act turned out to be easy, although for Lopatkina this kind of experiment is always a challenge to herself: will it work or not? This is the profession - eternal doubts and the struggle with one’s own fears. But the ballerina is not one of those who give up without a fight.