The art of dance is a unique form of expression that uses a universal body language that everyone can understand. From ballet to modern dance, from hip-hop to salsa and from oriental dance to flamenco - dance in lately has become a pleasure which is a kind of rebirth.
But if we talk about individual dancers, which of them has best moves? The best posture, strength and sharpness? Below are ten of the greatest dancers of the twentieth century - chosen by their fame, popularity and influence on world art dance.
10. Vaslav Nijinsky
Vaslav Nijinsky was one of the most talented ballet dancers in history, perhaps even the greatest. Unfortunately, there is no clear footage of his incredible talent in motion, which is the main reason why he only ranks tenth on this list.
Nijinsky was well known for his amazing ability defying gravity with his magnificent leaps, as well as his ability to fully inhabit the role he was playing. He is also known for dancing in pointe shoes, a skill not often seen in dancers. Nijinsky danced in the lead roles paired with the legendary ballerina Anna Pavlova. Then Tamara Karsavina, founder of London's Royal Academy of Dancing, became his partner. They were described with Karsavina as “the most exemplary artists of that time.”
Nijinsky left the stage in 1919, at the relatively young age of twenty-nine. His retirement is believed to have been due to a nervous breakdown, and he was also diagnosed with schizophrenia. Nijinsky spent recent years their lives in psychiatric hospitals and asylums. IN last time he danced in public during the final days of World War II, impressing a group of Russian soldiers with his complex dance moves. Nijinsky died in London on April 8, 1950.
9. Martha Graham
Martha Graham is considered the mother of modern dance. She created the only fully codified technique of modern dance, produced over one hundred and fifty works during her life as a choreographer, and had a huge influence on all areas of modern dance.
Her technique's departure from classical ballet, and her use of specific body movements such as contraction, release and spirals, had a profound influence on the world dance art. Graham even went so far as to create a “language” of movement based on the expressive capabilities of the human body.
She danced and choreographed for over seventy years. During this time, she became the first dancer to perform at the White House; the first dancer to travel overseas as a cultural ambassador and the first dancer to receive the highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. As the mother of modern dance, she will be immortalized in the memory of people for her incredibly emotional performances, her unique choreography, and especially for her homegrown dance technique.
8. Josephine Baker
Although Josephine Baker's name is primarily associated with the Jazz Age, her fiery dances still have an impact on dance world, almost one hundred and ten years after her birth, as it was before.
Many decades before Madonna, Beyoncé, Janet Jackson, Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez, there was Josephine Baker, one of the world's first celebrities of African descent. Josephine went to Paris in 1925 to dance in La Revue Nègre. She made a lasting impression on French audiences with her perfect combination of exotic charm and talent.
The following year she performed at the Folies Bergère, and this was the true beginning of her career. She appeared in a banana skirt and wowed the crowd with her dancing style. She later added singing to her performances, and remained popular in France for many years. Josephine Baker responded to the adoration of the French people by becoming a French citizen herself in 1937.
In France, she did not feel the same level of racial prejudice that was present in the United States at the time. Toward the end of her life, Josephine Baker hoped to create a "world village" on her estate in France, but these plans were dashed by financial difficulties. To raise funds, she returned to the stage. Her return was short, but it was a triumph on Broadway in the 1970s, and in 1975 she opened a retrospective show in Paris. She died that year from a cerebral hemorrhage, a week after the show opened.
7. Gene Kelly
Gene Kelly was one of the biggest stars and greatest innovators during the golden age of musicals in Hollywood. Kelly considered his own style, something of a hybrid of different approaches to dance, he took his movements from modern dance, ballet, and tap.
Kelly brought dance to the theater, using every inch of his set, every surface, and every wide camera angle to break out of the two-dimensional confines of film. And in doing so, he changed the way filmmakers looked at their cameras. Thanks to Kelly, the camera became a living instrument, and even the dancer it was filming.
Kelly's legacy permeates the music video industry. Photographer Mike Salisbury photographed Michael Jackson for the cover of "Off The Wall" wearing "white socks and lightweight leather Gene Kelly loafers" - which have become the movie star's trademark. It was this image that after some time became his own recognizable brands singer
Paula Abdul, originally known for her dancing and choreography, referenced Kelly's famous dance with Jerry the Mouse in her kitschy video for "Opposites Attract," which ends with a tap dance. Usher was another top-selling artist who paid tribute to Kelly's legacy. There will never be another dancer like Kelly, and his influence continues to resonate through generations of American dancers.
6. Sylvie Guillem
At forty-eight years old, Sylvie Guillem continues to defy the laws of ballet and gravity. Guillem changed the face of ballet with her uncanny talents, which she always used with intelligence, integrity and sensitivity. Her natural curiosity and courage led her to the most daring paths, beyond the usual boundaries of classical ballet.
Instead of spending her entire career on "safe" performances, she made bold decisions, equally capable of performing the role of "Raymonda" at the Paris Opera, or being part of an innovative dance performance based on the work of Forsythe. In The Middle Something Elevated.” Almost no other dancer has such range, so it is not at all surprising that she has become the standard for most dancers around the world. Like Maria Callas in opera world, Guillem was able to change the popular image of the ballerina.
5. Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson was exactly the man who could do music videos trend and he is, without a doubt, the one who made dancing an important element of modern pop music. Jackson's moves have already become standard vocabulary in pop and hip-hop dances. Most of today's pop icons such as Justin Bieber, Usher, Justin Timberlake admit that Michael Jackson's style had a strong influence on them.
His contribution to the art of dance was original and unusual. Jackson was an innovator who was primarily self-taught, designing new dance moves without the common effects of formal training that limit one's imagination. His natural grace, flexibility and amazing rhythm contributed to the creation of the “Jackson style.” His employees called him a "sponge." This nickname was given to him for his ability to absorb ideas and techniques wherever he found them.
Jackson's biggest inspirations were James Brown, Marcel Marceau, Gene Kelly, and perhaps this will surprise many people, various classical ballet dancers. What many of his fans don't know is that he initially tried to "pirouette like Baryshnikov" and "tap dance like Fred Astaire" but failed miserably. However, his dedication to his own unique style brought him the fame he sought, and today his name stands alongside other giants of popular music such as Elvis and the Beatles, and he is considered one of the greatest pop icons of all time.
4. Joaquin Cortés
Joaquin Cortez is the youngest dancer on this list, but despite the fact that he is still in the process of shaping his legacy, he is one of the few dancers in history who managed to become phenomenal sex symbols, beloved by both women and men. and men. Elle Macpherson described it as "walking sex"; Madonna and Jennifer Lopez have publicly expressed their adoration for him, while Naomi Campbell and Mira Sorvino are among the women whose hearts he has (rumored) broken.
It is safe to say that Cortez is not only one of greatest dancers flamenco throughout history, but also precisely those who secured flamenco’s place in popular culture. His male admirers include Tarantino, Armani, Bertolucci, Al Pacino, Antonio Banderas, and Sting. Many of his fans call him the Flamenco God or simply the Sex God and if you get a chance to watch one of his shows, you will understand why. However, at the age of forty-four, Cortez remains a bachelor, declaring that "dance is my wife, my only woman."
3. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers
Astaire and Rogers, of course, were a unique pair of dancers. They say that “he gave her charm, and she gave him sex appeal.” They made dancing much more appealing to the masses in a rather prudish time. This was partly due to Rogers using her acting skills in dancing, and created the impression that dancing with Astaire were the happiest moments of her life.
The era also contributed to the rise of their popularity; during the Great Depression, many Americans were trying to make ends meet - and these two dancers gave people a chance to forget about the depressing reality for a while and have fun.
2. Mikhail Baryshnikov 
Mikhail Baryshnikov is one of the greatest ballet dancers of all time, considered by many critics to be the greatest. Born in Latvia, Baryshnikov studied ballet at the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in St. Petersburg (then called Leningrad) before he began performing at the Mariinsky Theater in 1967. Since then, he has performed leading roles in dozens of ballets. He played a key role in bringing ballet into popular culture back in the late 1970s and early 80s, and he was the face of the art form for over two decades. Baryshnikov is perhaps the most influential dancer of our time.
1. Rudolf Nureyev
Baryshnikov won the hearts of critics and fellow dancers, and Rudolf Nureyev was able to charm millions of ordinary people around the world. The Russian-born dancer became a soloist at the Mariinsky Theater at the age of 20. In 1961, when his personal life made him the subject close attention by the Soviet authorities, he asked for political asylum in Paris, and then toured with the Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas ( Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas).
In the 1970s, he broke into the film industry. Most critics argue that he was not as good technically as Baryshnikov, but Nureyev still managed to captivate the crowds with his amazing charisma and emotional performances. The ballet of the couple Nureyev and Fonteyn “Romeo and Juliet” remains to this day one of the most powerful and emotional duet performances in the history of ballet.
Unfortunately, Nureyev was one of the first victims of HIV infection, and died of AIDS in 1993. Twenty years later, we can still see the incredible legacy he left behind.
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Donnie Burns 
Donnie Burns is a Scottish professional performer ballroom dancing, who specializes in Latin dances. Him and him ex-partner Dancer Gaynor Fairweather has been World Champion in Professional Latin Dance a record sixteen times. On at the moment he is the President of the World Dance Council, and also appeared on the twelfth season of Dancing with the Stars.
He is considered the greatest ballroom dancer of all time, and his championship dances with his partner are now considered classics. But things didn't always go so well for Burns. During an interview with the Daily Sun, he admitted: "I never thought that little boy from Hamilton will be able to experience at least some of what I have experienced in my life. I was teased relentlessly at school and often got into fights because I wanted to prove that I was not a “dancing queen.”
It is safe to say that today he would not object to such an epithet, since Donnie Burns is currently considered the “King of Dance”.
On April 18, the famous dancer, choreographer, choreographer, theater director and actor, teacher and People's Artist USSR Vladimir Vasiliev will celebrate his 75th anniversary. The role of Spartacus, created by Yuri Grigorovich specifically for Vasiliev, became a symbol of the national ballet of the Bolshoi Theater in the second half of the 20th century. “At the age of 28, he made a role that immediately stood in that select series of general cultural and timeless significance, where Anna Pavlova’s Swan, Galina Ulanova’s Juliet, Maya Plisetskaya’s Carmen,” wrote Asaf Messerer, ballet dancer, choreographer and uncle of the unrivaled Maya Plisetskaya .
Even at the chreographic school, a unique duet of Vladimir Vasiliev and Ekaterina Maksimova formed -
his wife and constant partner, a ballerina, for whom he created ballets, concert performances and films. This duet has been repeatedly recognized as “golden”, “the best in the world”, and called “a legend of the 20th century”. But does everyone remember that, in addition to television recordings of ballet performances in which Vasiliev participated, such as “Spartacus”, “Romeo and Juliet”, “The Nutcracker”, “The Stone Flower”, “Cinderella”, there were also art paintings, films-ballets? These are “The Tale of the Little Humpbacked Horse”, “Spartacus”, “Gigolo and Gigoletta”. Since 1971, Vasiliev acted as a choreographer, staged a number of ballets on the Soviet and foreign stage, as well as the television ballets “Anyuta” and “House by the Road” to the music of V. A. Gavrilin. In the film “Fouette,” Vladimir Vasiliev acted both as a choreographer and as a co-director. Well, the great Franco Zeffirelli himself invited Vasiliev and Maksimova to the film version of La Traviata!
Mikhail Baryshnikov
But to another the most famous dancer, one of the most famous representatives of male dance in the 20th century, born in the USSR - Mikhail Baryshnikov - Joseph Brodsky himself dedicated several poems: “Classical ballet is a castle of beauty...” and “We used to water the lawn from a watering can...”. Baryshnikov’s name is even mentioned in the book “Needful Things” by Stephen King.
In cinema, Mikhail Nikolaevich had the opportunity to play several roles. But in his biography there is interesting story, associated with the teleplay “Fiesta”, staged by Sergei Yuryevich Yursky, based on the novel “The Sun Also Rises” by Ernest Hemingway. When Baryshnikov made his debut on the stage of the Kirov Theater,
It turned out that the stage had not seen such a dancer for a long time. There was talk in the city that this young student was perhaps equal in talent to Vaslav Nijinsky and Rudolf Nureyev. And Sergei Yursky took an unexpected step - he invited the ballet dancer to dramatic role Matadora in his performance "Fiesta". How can a dramatic artist prove that he is a bullfighter? Of course, the issue here is primarily one of plastic. A ballet actor was what was needed. It was Baryshnikov who could best play real Spain. But in 1974, Mikhail Baryshnikov did not return from a tour in Canada and became a defector. As was then expected, everything connected with his name had to be destroyed. In particular, there was a film with a recording of the play “Fiesta”, but on Leningrad television, editor Elena Nisimova hid the film, thanks to which the recording was preserved in the archive.
And abroad, Mikhail Baryshnikov played in several films, such as “White Nights”, “Jack Ryan: Chaos Theory”. He was nominated for an Oscar for his supporting role in The Turning Point. The film was submitted to eleven award nominations, but received none. In one of the scenes of this film, Mikhail Baryshnikov performs Vladimir Vysotsky’s song “The Crystal House.” The dancer also starred in the last episodes of the last season of the series “Sex in big city"in the role of Carrie Bradshaw's next lover - Russian artist Alexander Petrovsky. Immediately after their meeting in the story, Petrovsky invites the journalist to the Russian Samovar restaurant in New York, which, by the way, is owned by Baryshnikov.
Maya Plisetskaya
A whole era in our art, outstanding personality, brilliant ballerina, talented actress and an interesting woman - that's all about Maya Plisetskaya. She is always modern. And during its active creative life ballerinas, and now they are the standard in everything. It is Maya Mikhailovna who personifies the Russian Ballet for many. And it is difficult to find a person in the world who does not know this name. Otherwise, an asteroid would not have been named after Plisetskaya, and the Moscow musical rock group “Klyuchevaya” would not have composed a song called “Maya Plisetskaya,” which became a hit and business card groups for many years. And there is no more symbolic name, inextricably linked with ballet and choreography. And even with cinema.
For the first time on the silver screen famous ballerina appeared in 1951 in Vera Stroeva’s film “ Big concert" And then, of course, there were filming of ballet films “ Swan Lake" and "The Tale of the Little Humpbacked Horse." I'll accept Bolshoi Theater invited to the film-opera “Khovanshchina”. She took an active part in the television adaptation of the ballets Bolero and Isadora, The Seagull and The Lady with the Dog. In 1974, Maya Plisetskaya and Bolshoi Theater soloist Alexander Bogatyrev starred for television in the number “Nocturne” to the music of F. Chopin, from the ballet “In the Night” by the outstanding American choreographer Jerome Robbins.
In the very famous film adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's novel Anna Karenina directed by Alexander Zarkhi in 1967, Maya Plisetskaya played the role of Betsy. Then Maya Plisetskaya starred as singer Desiree in the film “Tchaikovsky” directed by Igor Talankin. In 1976, director Anatoly Efros invited the ballet star to the television film “Fantasy” based on Ivan Turgenev’s story “Spring Waters”. The ballerina brilliantly played the role of Polozova. The action of the film was “commented” by choreographic duets staged by choreographer Valentin Elizariev. And director Jonas Vaitkus in 1985 invited her to his film “Zodiac”, where Maya Mikhailovna played the muse of Mikalojus-Konstantinas Čiurlionis. In addition, the Bolshoi Theater prima starred in many documentaries.
Galina Ulanova
And, of course, one cannot even remember the “goddess of dance” Galina Ulanova. Until now, the phenomenon of the ballerina's talent remains a mystery. She received almost all the awards that existed in the USSR, as well as awards from other countries. Among the unofficial awards are various titles that critics and viewers awarded her:
“the soul of Russian ballet”, “an ordinary goddess”. And composer Sergei Sergeevich Prokofiev called Galina Sergeevna “the genius of Russian ballet, his elusive soul and his inspired poetry.” In her dance there was always reticence, understatement, detachment and self-absorption. Ulanova was the same in life - she rarely appeared in public and kept to herself.
After finishing her ballet career, she began working as a teacher. IN different years she studied with such famous dancers as Ekaterina Maksimova and Vladimir Vasiliev, Lyudmila Semenyaka, Nikolai Tsiskaridze and many others. During her career, she starred in six films, most of which were documentary in nature: “Ballet Soloist”, “Masters of the Russian Ballet”, “Romeo and Juliet”, “Giselle” and documentaries.
They are airy, slender, light. Their dance is unique. Who are these outstanding ballerinas of our century?
Agrippina Vaganova (1879-1951)
One of the most important years in the history of Russian ballet is 1738. Thanks to the proposal of the French dance master Jean-Baptiste Lande and the approval of Peter I, the first school was opened in St. Petersburg ballet dance in Russia, which exists to this day and is called the Academy of Russian Ballet. A.Ya. Vaganova. It was Agrippina Vaganova in Soviet era systematized the traditions of classical imperial ballet. In 1957, her name was given to the Leningrad Choreographic School.
Maya Plisetskaya (1925)
An outstanding dancer of the second half of the 20th century, who went down in the history of ballet with her phenomenal creative longevity, Maya Mikhailovna Plisetskaya was born on November 20, 1925 in Moscow.
In June 1934, Maya entered the Moscow Choreographic School, where she consistently studied with teachers E. I. Dolinskaya, E. P. Gerdt, M. M. Leontyeva, but she considers Agrippina Yakovlevna Vaganova, whom she met already at the Bolshoi Theater, to be her best teacher , where she was accepted on April 1, 1943.
Maya Plisetskaya is a symbol of Russian ballet. She performed one of her main roles as Odette-Odile from Swan Lake on April 27, 1947. It was this Tchaikovsky ballet that became the core of her biography.
Matilda Kshesinskaya (1872-1971)
Born into the family of dancer F.I. Kshesinsky, a Pole by nationality. In 1890 she graduated from the ballet department of the St. Petersburg Theater School. In 1890-1917 she danced at the Mariinsky Theater. She became famous in the roles of Aurora (The Sleeping Beauty, 1893), Esmeralda (1899), Teresa (Rest of the Cavalry), etc. Her dance was distinguished by its bright artistry and cheerfulness. In the early 1900s she was a participant in M. M. Fokine’s ballets: “Eunika”, “Chopiniana”, “Eros”, and in 1911-1912 she performed in the Diaghilev Russian Ballet troupe.
Anna Pavlova (1881-1931)
Born in St. Petersburg. After graduating from the St. Petersburg Theater School, in 1899 she was accepted into the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater. Danced the part in classical ballets“The Nutcracker”, “The Little Humpbacked Horse”, “Raymonda”, “La Bayadère”, “Giselle”. Natural abilities and constant improvement of performing skills helped Pavlova to become the leading dancer of the troupe in 1906.
Pavlova had a huge influence on identifying new opportunities in Pavlova’s performing style. collaboration with innovative choreographers A. Gorsky and, especially, M. Fokin. Pavlova performed the main roles in Fokine's ballets Chopiniana, Armida's Pavilion, Egyptian Nights, etc. In 1907, at a charity evening at the Mariinsky Theater, Pavlova first performed the choreographic miniature The Swan (later The Dying Swan) staged for her by Fokine "), which later became a poetic symbol of Russian ballet of the 20th century.
Svetlana Zakharova (1979)
Svetlana Zakharova was born in Lutsk, Ukraine, on June 10, 1979. At the age of six, her mother took her to a choreographic club, where Svetlana studied folk dances. At the age of ten she entered the Kiev Choreographic School.
After studying for four months, Zakharova left the school as her family moved to East Germany in accordance with the new assignment of her military father. Returning to Ukraine six months later, Zakharova again passed the exams at the Kiev Choreographic School and was immediately accepted into the second grade. At the Kiev School she studied mainly with Valeria Sulegina.
Svetlana performs in many cities around the world. In April 2008, she was recognized as the star of the famous Milan theater La Scala.
Galina Ulanova (1909-1998)
Galina Sergeevna Ulanova was born in St. Petersburg on January 8, 1910 (according to the old style, December 26, 1909), in a family of ballet masters.
In 1928, Ulanova graduated from the Leningrad Choreographic School. Pretty soon she joined the troupe of the Leningrad State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater (now the Mariinsky).
Ulanova had to leave her beloved Mariinsky Theater during the siege of Leningrad. During the Great Patriotic War Ulanova danced in theaters in Perm, Almaty, Sverdlovsk, performing in hospitals in front of the wounded. In 1944 Galina Sergeevna moves to the Bolshoi Theater, where she has performed periodically since 1934.
Galina's real achievement was the image of Juliet in Prokofiev's ballet Romeo and Juliet. Her the best dances are also the role of Masha from “The Nutcracker” by Tchaikovsky, Maria from “The Fountain of Bakhchisarai” and Gisele Adana.
Tamara Karsavina (1885-1978)
Born in St. Petersburg in the family of Mariinsky Theater dancer Platon Karsavin, great-niece Alexei Khomyakov, a prominent philosopher and writer of the 1st half of the 19th century, sister of the philosopher Lev Karsavin.
She studied with A. Gorsky at the Peturburg Theater School, which she graduated in 1902. While still a student, she performed the solo part of Cupid at the premiere of the ballet Don Quixote staged by Gorsky.
She began her ballet activity during a period of academic crisis and the search for a way out of it. Fans of academic ballet found many flaws in Karsavina’s performance. The ballerina improved her performing skills with the best Russian and Italian teachers
Karsavina’s remarkable gift was manifested in her work on M. Fokin’s productions. Karsavina was the founder of fundamentally new trends in the art of ballet at the beginning of the 20th century, later called “intellectual art.”
The talented Karsavina quickly achieved the status of a prima ballerina. She performed leading roles in the ballets Carnival, Giselle, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker and many others.
Ulyana Lopatkina (1973)
Ulyana Vyacheslavna Lopatkina was born in Kerch (Ukraine) on October 23, 1973. As a child, she studied in dance clubs and in the section artistic gymnastics. On the initiative of her mother, she entered the Academy of Russian Ballet. A.Ya. Vaganova in Leningrad.
In 1990, as a student, Lopatkina participated in the Second All-Russian Competition named after. A.Ya. Vaganova for students of choreographic schools and received first prize..
In 1995, Ulyana became a prima ballerina. On her track record best roles in classical and modern productions.
Ekaterina Maksimova (1931-2009)
Born in Moscow on February 1, 1939. Since childhood, little Katya dreamed of dancing and at the age of ten she entered the Moscow Choreographic School. In the seventh grade, she danced her first role - Masha in The Nutcracker. After college, she joined the Bolshoi Theater and immediately, practically bypassing the corps de ballet, began dancing solo parts.
Of particular importance in Maximova’s work was her participation in television ballets, which revealed a new quality of her talent - comedic talent.
Since 1990, Maksimova has been a teacher and tutor at the Kremlin Ballet Theater. Since 1998 - choreographer-tutor of the Bolshoi Theater.
Natalya Dudinskaya (1912-2003)
Born on August 8, 1912 in Kharkov.
In 1923-1931 she studied at the Leningrad Choreographic School (student of A.Ya. Vaganova).
In 1931-1962 - leading dancer of the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater. CM. Kirov. She performed the main roles in the ballets “Swan Lake” and “The Sleeping Beauty” by Tchaikovsky, “Cinderella” by Prokofiev, “Raymonda” by Glazunov, “Giselle” by Adam and others.
We admire the skill of these brilliant ballerinas. They made a huge contribution to the development of Russian ballet!
Correspondent at the Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater of Belarus Naviny . by I learned first-hand what ballet dancers wear under tights and why it is believed that many of them are gay.Read about the pregnancy of ballerinas and one day off a week in our 10 facts.
To figure out which rumors about the Belarusian ballet are true and which are pure fiction, let the correspondent Naviny. by theater artist helped Gennady Kulinkovich with ballerina assistants.
1. Are ballet dancers fragile and fluffy?
Hearing: During one performance, a ballet dancer lifts and carries about 2 tons of weight.
Is it true: Physical activity really big. On stage - it depends on the production, of course - a ballet dancer, a man lifts the ballerina many times. In modern productions all you do is lift and set, lift and set, lift, circle, set. If you count the number of lifts, then yes, two tons is a real number.
In addition, ballet dancers rehearse and train a lot. This is also a burden. We have rehearsals every day, except for the day off, which is once a week. Plus performances.
2. Ballet dancers get sick more often
Hearing: Due to heavy workloads and constant diets, ballet dancers get sick more often than others.
Is it true: The ballet rehearsal halls of the Bolshoi Theater of Belarus are equipped with bactericidal lamps, like in a hospital. In winter, when the flu begins and other viruses appear, then individual employee turns on these lamps for half an hour to disinfect the room. This is very important so that diseases do not spread: we all work in close contact, train and rehearse for many hours. If someone brought a disease, then it is neutralized.
3. Occupational diseases in ballet
Hearing: Feet are the most painful place on a dancer’s body.
Is it true: This is partly true. Occupational diseases of dancers are diseases of the joints. Ballet dancers have protruding bones at their big toes, their joints become inflamed and naturally hurt. Women also have this disease, but it is caused by uncomfortable, tight shoes that deform the foot. For ballet masters, there is constant stress on the toes and forefoot: many movements in ballet are performed on the toes.
The second common class of health problems is prolapse of internal organs from constant jumping. Everything is individual, but often the kidneys, heart, and other internal organs drop, which subsequently put pressure on the bladder.
4. Young pensioners
Hearing: Some people think that ballerinas retire too early.
Is it true. By law, ballet dancers retire after having 23 years of work experience. Maternity leave time is not counted towards length of service. As a result, ballet dancers become young pensioners. However, many of them do not actually retire: depending on their state of health, retired dancers work as tutors, teachers, stage managers, stage workers, costume designers, etc.
To the interlocutor Naviny. by Gennady Kulinkovich has two years left until retirement. In the future, the dancer also plans to engage in teaching.
5. Abnormal operation
Hearing: Ballet theater artists have two days off a week, just like ordinary citizens
Is it true. Ballet dancers work 6 days a week. There is only one day off - Monday. During the summer, due to the fact that spectators migrate to dachas and to the sea, the day off at the Bolshoi Theater is moved to Saturday. The female part of the troupe is happy about this: finally there is an opportunity to spend time with their family. Men grumble: when Monday is a day off, you can at least relax and not do household chores.
The working day of ballet masters is also abnormal in understanding ordinary person: from 10:00 to 15:00, then a three-hour break, after the break work resumes at 18:00 due to evening performances. The official working day for ballet workers ends at 21:00.
A long break is necessary so that after morning training and rehearsals the body has time to rest and recover before evening work.
This is convenient for young dancers: they can study during the break. Gennady Kullinkovich, for example, received a higher choreographic education this way. But now he sees few advantages in this schedule.
“With such a schedule it is very difficult to arrange a personal life. Look at me: 38 years old, and no family, no children. My whole life is in the theatre,”- says Gennady.
6. Are ballet and children incompatible?
Hearing: Due to requirements for appearance, ballerinas have to give up motherhood.
Is it true: Having a family and children at the height of their career is indeed more difficult for ballet dancers than for representatives of other professions: both the work schedule and the fact that postpartum restoration of shape requires time and effort. So girls use two strategies: either start a family and children immediately after college/university, or postpone it until they retire.
Despite the unfavorable circumstances, there are ballerinas in the Bolshoi Theater of Belarus who have two, and some even three, children.
“We, just like doctors and teachers, combine work and pregnancy. We plan, go on maternity leave, recover and continue working. This is a matter for each individual artist, but during pregnancy, the sooner you leave dancing, the better for you and your unborn child. This is associated with risks: here you need to bend, jump, you can fall and get hurt,”- told website ballerinas of the Bolshoi.
“We are the best mothers, wives, and we also know how to dance and tiptoe around the kitchen,”- ballerinas joke in response to a question about the specifics of family life.
7. If he dances in ballet, that means he’s gay.
Hearing: There are many gays among ballet dancers.
Is it true: This is a common stereotype, says ballet dancer Gennady Kullinkovich. We no longer react to it. This is what they say about all men who dance. It is born out of a misunderstanding on the part of the viewer: how can men remain indifferent and calm surrounded by so much beauty and nudity. Spectators often find themselves behind the scenes, and men are shocked: here everyone changes clothes, intimate parts of their bodies are at arm's length... But we are already accustomed to this and react as if it were something normal. So the viewer thinks that the men in the ballet are gay.
8. What does a dancer wear under his tights?
Hearing: Dancers don’t wear panties.
Photo pixabay.com
Is it true: There is more talk about the underwear of male artists than about the underwear of ballerinas: the viewer under a snow-white tights, to his surprise, does not see the expected outlines of the panties.
Gennady Kulinkovich said that dancers have their own secrets. Manufacturers of dancewear meet the expectations of artists and produce seamless models of special underwear that is invisible under the costume - bandages. A store located near the Bolshoi sells special clothes for dancers.
9. Meat in pointe shoes
Hearing: Ballerinas put meat in their pointe shoes to reduce injury to their feet.
Is it true: No meat is included. There are more modern methods leg protection. Ballet companies produce special half shoes that cover only the toes. They are silicone. Some people don’t add anything - it’s already convenient for them. Silicone inserts for pointe shoes are not produced in Belarus; they are made in the USA, China, and Russia.
Photo pixabay.com
Over the course of a year, a ballerina wears out 5-10 pairs of pointe shoes, depending on the load. Some artists have their own lasts - three-dimensional copies of feet made by masters, from which pointe shoes are made to order.
10. Dancing pays well.
Hearing: Artists earn a lot.
Is it true: Everything is relative. The earnings of ballet dancers depend on their position in the troupe: leading stage master, soloist or corps de ballet dancer. The number of scenes worked in productions also affects. For each performance, points are awarded, which are kept by a special theater employee. The amount of points for each dance is different, standard for all artists, it depends on the complexity and duration of the performance. The amount of points received affects the bonus. Thus, the salary of a corps de ballet dancer is around 120 rubles, and the bonus awarded for performances can exceed it several times.
Photo by Sergei Balay
The myths about only female parts in dance have long gone into oblivion. Today men rightfully occupy the leading roles, without them we cannot imagine modern ballet.
Top 5 most famous ballet dancers
Vaslav Fomich Nijinsky
The founder of male ballet of the 20th century. Born into a family of dancers in 1890. In 1907, after graduating from college, he began performing with Mariinsky Theater, almost immediately playing the main roles. Nijinsky had a technique that was unique at that time, especially inconspicuous in life, he completely transformed into his hero. His bird-like jumps and flights were inimitable. Nijinsky's innovations and experiments were not always successful; he seemed to be ahead of his time and the public did not understand him. In 1919 it was last performance artist. Later, the ballet adopted his expressionist style and completely new plastic movements. Despite the short period of creativity (10 years), he was and remains an idol.
Vasiliev Vladimir Viktorovich
Born in 1940 into a working-class family. In 1947, for company, I went to a dance club with a friend. And 2 years later, in 1949, he was admitted to the choreographic school, where he amazed his teachers with his skill and virtuosity. After college, in 1958 he was invited to join the Bolshoi Theater ballet troupe, where he almost immediately began playing leading roles. The most enchanting part was the part of Spartak, after which Vasilyev was nicknamed “the god of dance.” With his movements he conveyed the slightest accents in the music, merging with it into a single whole. Vasiliev was awarded several awards and became a laureate of many competitions, winning first prizes and gold medals.
Gorsky Alexander Alekseevich
In 1889 he began dancing in the corps de ballet, and 11 years later he became the premier of the troupe. Author teaching aid systems dance moves Stepanova. Dance theory teacher at a ballet school. Gorsky is a ballet reformer. He introduced the laws of drama and a sense of authenticity into ballet. His production of Don Quixote is still staged in theaters, although at that time it did not cause delight among critics. As a choreographer, Gorsky made a great contribution to the development and improvement. Many famous ballets, staged by Gorsky according to his interpretation, began to live a new life.
Ermolaev Alexey Nikolaevich
As a 16-year-old college graduate, Ermolaev plays the god of the wind - his first role in the ballet “Talisman”. The theater's choreographer immediately saw the guy's unbridled energy and strength and created images to suit his character. A fan of ballet, he rearranged all the parts to suit himself, rehearsing at night by candlelight. Ermolay changed his usual image male role in ballet, his virtuoso movements - triple rounds in the air, double revolts - are still not being repeated by dancers.
Fokin Mikhail Mikhailovich
Italian, born into a family of ballet dancers in 1850. Studied at the Florentine Dance Academy G. Lepri. Since 1870 he performed on the stage of La Scala. Master of facial expressions and pas de deux. Author of the development methodology dance technique ballet