The word "ballet" sounds magical. Closing your eyes, you immediately imagine burning lights, chilling music, the rustle of tutus and the light click of pointe shoes on the parquet. This spectacle is inimitably beautiful, it can be safely called a great achievement of man in the pursuit of beauty.
The audience freezes, staring at the stage. The ballet divas amaze with their ease and flexibility, apparently performing complex steps with ease.
The history of this art form is quite deep. The prerequisites for the emergence of ballet appeared in the 16th century. And already from the 19th century, people saw real masterpieces of this art. But what would ballet be without famous ballerinas who made him famous? Our story will be about these most famous dancers.
Marie Ramberg (1888-1982). Future star born in Poland, into a Jewish family. Her real name is Sivia Rambam, but it was later changed for political reasons. girl with early age I fell in love with dancing and devoted myself wholeheartedly to my passion. Marie takes lessons from dancers from the Parisian opera, and soon Diaghilev himself notices her talent. In 1912-1913, the girl danced with the Russian Ballet, taking part in the main productions. Since 1914, Marie moved to England, where she continued to study dance. In 1918, Marie got married. She herself wrote that it was more for fun. However, the marriage turned out to be happy and lasted 41 years. Ramberg was only 22 years old when she opened her own ballet school in London, the first in the city. The success was so stunning that Maria first organized her own company (1926), and then the first permanent ballet troupe in Great Britain (1930). Her performances become a real sensation, because Ramberg attracts the most talented composers, artists, dancers. The ballerina took an active part in the creation of the national ballet in England. And the name Marie Ramberg forever entered the history of art.
Anna Pavlova (1881-1931). Anna was born in St. Petersburg, her father was a railway contractor, and her mother worked as a simple laundress. However, the girl was able to enter the theater school. After graduating, she entered the Mariinsky Theater in 1899. There she received parts in classical productions - “La Bayadère”, “Giselle”, “The Nutcracker”. Pavlova had excellent natural abilities, and she constantly honed her skills. In 1906, she was already the leading ballerina of the theater, but real fame came to Anna in 1907, when she shines in the miniature “The Dying Swan”. Pavlova was supposed to perform at a charity concert, but her partner fell ill. Literally overnight, choreographer Mikhail Fokin staged a new miniature for the ballerina to the music of San-Saens. Since 1910, Pavlova began touring. The ballerina gains worldwide fame after participating in the Russian seasons in Paris. In 1913, she performed within the walls for the last time Mariinsky Theater. Pavlova gathers her own troupe and moves to London. Together with her charges, Anna tours the world with classical ballets by Glazunov and Tchaikovsky. The dancer became a legend during her lifetime, having died on tour in The Hague.
Matilda Kshesinskaya (1872-1971). Despite her Polish name, the ballerina was born near St. Petersburg and has always been considered a Russian dancer. About Us early childhood declared her desire to dance, no one in her family even thought of stopping her from this desire. Matilda brilliantly graduated from the Imperial Theater School, joining the ballet troupe of the Mariinsky Theater. There she became famous for her brilliant performances of the parts of “The Nutcracker”, “Mlada”, and other performances. Kshesinskaya was distinguished by her signature Russian plastic art, into which notes of the Italian school were wedged. It was Matilda who became the favorite of the choreographer Fokine, who used her in his works “Butterflies”, “Eros”, “Eunice”. The role of Esmeralda in the ballet of the same name in 1899 sparked new star on stage. Since 1904, Kshesinskaya has been touring Europe. she is called the first ballerina of Russia and is honored as the “Generalissimo of Russian ballet.” They say that Kshesinskaya was the favorite of Emperor Nicholas II himself. Historians claim that in addition to talent, the ballerina had an iron character and a strong position. It is she who is credited with the dismissal of the director of the Imperial Theaters, Prince Volkonsky. The revolution had a hard impact on the ballerina; in 1920 she left the exhausted country. Kshesinskaya moved to Venice, but continued to do what she loved. At 64, she was still performing in London's Covent Garden. And the legendary ballerina was buried in Paris.
Agrippina Vaganova (1879-1951). Agrippina's father was a theater conductor at the Mariinsky Theater. However, he was only able to enroll the youngest of his three daughters in ballet school. Soon Yakov Vaganov died, the family had only hope for a future dancer. At school, Agrippina showed herself to be mischievous, constantly receiving bad grades for her behavior. After completing her studies, Vaganova began her career as a ballerina. She was given many third-rate roles in the theater, but they did not satisfy her. The ballerina was spared solo parts, and her appearance was not particularly attractive. Critics wrote that they simply did not see her in the roles of fragile beauties. The makeup didn't help either. The ballerina herself suffered greatly about this. But through hard work, Vaganova achieved supporting roles, and newspapers began to occasionally write about her. Agrippina then took a sharp turn in her fortunes. She got married and gave birth. Returning to ballet, she seemed to rise in the eyes of her superiors. Although Vaganova continued to perform second roles, she achieved mastery in these variations. The ballerina managed to rediscover images that seemed to have been erased by generations of previous dancers. Only in 1911 did Vaganova receive her first solo part. At the age of 36, the ballerina was sent into retirement. She never became famous, but she achieved a lot given her data. In 1921, a choreography school was opened in Leningrad, where Vaganova was invited as one of the teachers. The profession of a choreographer became her main one until the end of her life. In 1934, Vaganova published the book “Fundamentals of Classical Dance.” The ballerina devoted the second half of her life to the choreographic school. Nowadays it is the Dance Academy, named in her honor. Agrippina Vaganova did not become a great ballerina, but her name will forever go down in the history of this art.
Yvette Chauvire (born 1917). This ballerina is a truly sophisticated Parisian. At the age of 10 she began to seriously study dancing at the Grand Opera. Yvette's talent and performance were noted by directors. In 1941, she already became prima of the Opera Garnier. Her debut performances brought her truly worldwide fame. After this, Chauvire began to receive invitations to perform in various theaters, including the Italian La Scala. The ballerina became famous for her role as the Shadow in Henri Sauguet's allegory; she performed many roles choreographed by Serge Lifar. Among the classical performances, the role in “Giselle” stands out, which is considered the main one for Chauvire. Yvette demonstrated true drama on stage, without losing all her girlish tenderness. The ballerina literally lived the life of each of her heroines, expressing all emotions on stage. At the same time, Shovira was very attentive to every little detail, rehearsing and rehearsing again. In the 1960s, the ballerina headed the school where she once studied. And Yvette’s last appearance on stage took place in 1972. At the same time, a prize named after her was established. The ballerina repeatedly went on tour to the USSR, where she was loved by the audience. her partner was repeatedly Rudolf Nureyev himself after his flight from our country. The ballerina's services to the country were rewarded with the Order of the Legion of Honor.
Galina Ulanova (1910-1998). This ballerina was also born in St. Petersburg. At the age of 9 she became a student at the choreographic school, from which she graduated in 1928. Immediately after the graduation performance, Ulanova joined the troupe of the Opera and Ballet Theater in Leningrad. The young ballerina’s very first performances attracted the attention of connoisseurs of this art. Already at the age of 19, Ulanova danced the leading role in Swan Lake. Until 1944, the ballerina danced at the Kirov Theater. Here she became famous for her roles in “Giselle”, “The Nutcracker”, “The Fountain of Bakhchisarai”. But her role in Romeo and Juliet became the most famous. From 1944 to 1960, Ulanova was a leading ballerina Bolshoi Theater. It is believed that the peak of her creativity was the scene of madness in Giselle. Ulanova visited London in 1956 on a tour of the Bolshoi. They said that such success had not happened since the days of Anna Pavlova. Ulanova's stage activity officially ended in 1962. But for the rest of her life, Galina worked as a choreographer at the Bolshoi Theater. She received many awards for her work - she became the People's Artist of the USSR, received the Lenin and Stalin Prizes, became a twice Hero of Socialist Labor and a laureate of numerous awards. The great ballerina died in Moscow, she was buried on Novodevichy Cemetery. her apartment became a museum, and a monument was erected in Ulanova’s native St. Petersburg.
Alicia Alonso (born 1920). This ballerina was born in Havana, Cuba. She began studying the art of dance at the age of 10. At that time there was only one private ballet school on the island, headed by Russian specialist Nikolai Yavorsky. Alicia then continued her studies in the USA. Debut on big stage premiered on Broadway in 1938 musical comedies. Alonso then works at the Ballet Theater in New York. There she gets acquainted with the choreography of the world's leading directors. Alicia and her partner Igor Yushkevich decided to develop ballet in Cuba. In 1947 she danced there in Swan Lake and Apollo Musagete. However, at that time in Cuba there were no traditions of ballet or stage. And the people did not understand such art. Therefore, the task of creating the National Ballet in the country was very difficult. In 1948, the first performance of "Ballet of Alicia Alonso" took place. It was ruled by enthusiasts who staged their own numbers. Two years later, the ballerina opened her own ballet school. After the 1959 revolution, the authorities turned their attention to ballet. Alicia's company evolved into the coveted National Ballet of Cuba. The ballerina performed a lot in theaters and even squares, went on tour, and was shown on television. One of the most bright way Alonso - the role of Carmen in the ballet of the same name in 1967. The ballerina was so jealous of this role that she even forbade staging this ballet with other performers. Alonso has traveled all over the world, receiving many awards. And in 1999, she received the Pablo Picasso Medal from UNESCO for her outstanding contribution to the art of dance.
Maya Plisetskaya (born 1925). It is difficult to dispute the fact that she is the most famous Russian ballerina. And her career turned out to be record long. Maya absorbed her love for ballet as a child, because her uncle and aunt were also famous dancers. At the age of 9, the talented girl entered the Moscow Choreographic School, and in 1943, the young graduate entered the Bolshoi Theater. There the famous Agrippina Vaganova became her teacher. In just a couple of years, Plisetskaya went from corps de ballet to soloist. A landmark for her was the production of “Cinderella” and the role of the Autumn Fairy in 1945. Then there were the classic productions of “Raymonda”, “The Sleeping Beauty”, “Don Quixote”, “Giselle”, “The Little Humpbacked Horse”. Plisetskaya shone in “The Fountain of Bakhchisaray”, where she was able to demonstrate her rare gift - literally hanging in a jump for some moments. The ballerina took part in three productions of Khachaturian's Spartacus, performing the roles of Aegina and Phrygia. In 1959, Plisetskaya became People's Artist of the USSR. In the 60s, it was believed that Maya was the first dancer of the Bolshoi Theater. The ballerina had enough roles, but creative dissatisfaction accumulated. The solution was “Carmen Suite”, one of the main milestones in the dancer’s biography. In 1971, Plisetskaya also established herself as a dramatic actress, playing in Anna Karenina. A ballet was written based on this novel, which premiered in 1972. Here Maya tries herself in a new role - a choreographer, which becomes her new profession. Since 1983, Plisetskaya has worked at the Rome Opera, and since 1987 in Spain. There she leads troupes and stages her ballets. Plisetskaya's last performance took place in 1990. The great ballerina was showered with many awards not only in her homeland, but also in Spain, France, and Lithuania. In 1994 she organized international competition, giving him his name. Now “Maya” gives young talents the opportunity to break through.
Ulyana Lopatkina (born 1973). The world-famous ballerina was born in Kerch. As a child, she did a lot of not only dancing, but also gymnastics. At the age of 10, on the advice of her mother, Ulyana entered the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in Leningrad. There Natalia Dudinskaya became her teacher. At the age of 17, Lopatkina won the All-Russian competition named after Vaganova. In 1991, the ballerina graduated from the academy and was accepted into the Mariinsky Theater. Ulyana quickly achieved solo parts for herself. She danced in Don Quixote, The Sleeping Beauty, The Bakhchisarai Fountain, and Swan Lake. The talent was so obvious that in 1995 Lopatkina became the prima of her theater. Each of her new role delights both viewers and critics. At the same time, the ballerina herself is interested not only in classical roles, but also in the modern repertoire. Thus, one of Ulyana’s favorite roles is the part of Banu in “The Legend of Love” directed by Yuri Grigorovich. The ballerina works best in the roles of mysterious heroines. Its distinctive feature is its refined movements, its inherent drama and high jump. The audience believes the dancer, because she is absolutely sincere on stage. Lopatkina is the winner of numerous domestic and international awards. She is a People's Artist of Russia.
Anastasia Volochkova (born 1976). The ballerina remembers that her future profession she identified it already at the age of 5, which she told her mother about. Volochkova also graduated from the Vaganova Academy. Natalia Dudinskaya also became her teacher. Already in her last year of study, Volochkova made her debut at the Mariinsky and Bolshoi theaters. From 1994 to 1998, the ballerina's repertoire included leading roles in "Giselle", "Firebird", "Sleeping Beauty", "The Nutcracker", "Don Quixote", "La Bayadère" and other performances. Volochkova traveled halfway around the world with the Mariinsky troupe. At the same time, the ballerina is not afraid to perform solo, building a career parallel to the theater. In 1998, the ballerina received an invitation to the Bolshoi Theater. There she brilliantly performs the role of the Swan Princess in new production Vladimir Vasiliev " Swan Lake". In the main theater of the country, Anastasia receives the main roles in "La Bayadère", "Don Quixote", "Raymonda", "Giselle". Choreographer Dean creates especially for her new batch Fairy Carabosse in Sleeping Beauty. At the same time, Volochkova is not afraid to perform modern repertoire. It is worth noting her role as the Tsar-Maiden in The Little Humpbacked Horse. Since 1998, Volochkova has been actively touring the world. She receives the Golden Lion prize as the most talented ballerina in Europe. Since 2000, Volochkova has left the Bolshoi Theater. She begins performing in London, where she conquered the British. Volochkova returned to the Bolshoi for a short time. Despite the success and popularity, the theater administration refused to renew the contract for the usual year. Since 2005, Volochkova has been performing in her own dance projects. her name is constantly heard, she is the heroine of gossip columns. The talented ballerina recently began to sing, and her popularity grew even more after Volochkova published her nude photos.
Maya Plisetskaya was, and remains today, one of the most famous dancers of our time. The only one who danced even at 65 years old, and at 70 she continued to appear on stage.
Few ballerinas could compare with Plisetskaya in grace and plasticity. By the way, “that very flap of the wing” with which she captivated the viewer while performing “The Dying Swan”, the dancer in her youth spied on living majestic birds, continuously watching them for hours, memorizing their every movement.
The ballerina’s interpretation of the main roles in productions of “The Sleeping Beauty”, “Giselle”, “Swan Lake”, “The Nutcracker”, “Raymonda”, as well as in ballets written especially for her by Rodion Shchedrin - in “Carmen Suite”, “ Anna Karenina", "The Seagull".
Maya Plisetskaya. 1964 Source: ©Evgeny Umanov/TASS
Russian ballet has always occupied a special place in the world history of art. Many Russian ballerinas became world-famous stars and the standard to which dancers around the world were and continue to be equal.
Matilda Kshesinskaya
Polish by origin, she was always considered a Russian ballerina. Matilda was born and raised in the family of Felix Kshesinsky, a ballet dancer at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg.
After graduating from the Imperial Theater School, the girl joined the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater, where she became famous for her inimitable performances of leading roles in the ballets Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, and Esmeralda.
In 1896, contrary to the opinion of choreographer Marius Petipa, she rose to the very top of the ballet hierarchy, becoming the prima of the Imperial Theaters. Her perfect plasticity of the arms, which is characteristic of the Russian ballet school, was organically combined with the technicality of the legs. This has always been an advantage of Italian ballet school. To reach this peak, Matilda took private lessons for several years from the famous dancer and teacher Enrico Cecchetti.
Matilda Kseshinskaya. Source: © Vadim Nekrasov/Russian Look/Global Look Press Matilda was the favorite of the choreographer Mikhail Fokine and took part in his productions of Eunika, Chopiniana, Eros,
At the beginning of the twentieth century, Kshesinskaya began to tour Europe and instantly captivated the demanding European public with her extraordinary plasticity, bright artistry and cheerfulness.
Leaving Russia shortly after October Revolution, Mathilde settled in Paris and continued to dance. Kshesinskaya died in December 1971, just a few months short of her 100th birthday. She was buried in Paris, in the cemetery of Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois.
Matilda Kshesinskaya. Source: © Vladimir Winter/Russian Look/Global Look Press
Anna Pavlova
The daughter of a simple washerwoman and former peasant was able not only to enter drama school, but also to join the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater after graduation. A few years later, Anna becomes one of the leading ballerinas of the empire. On the stage of the Mariinsky Theater, Pavlova danced the main roles in Giselle, La Bayadère, The Nutcracker, Raymond, and Corsair.
Anna Pavlova in the ballet miniature "The Dying Swan". Source: Global Look Press Anna's performance style and ballet technique were greatly influenced by choreographers Alexander Gorsky and Mikhail Fokin, and Pavlova won the hearts of the audience by dancing “The Dying Swan” to the music of Saint-Saëns.
Paris met the ballerina in 1909 during Diaghilev’s famous “Russian Seasons”. From that moment on, the fame of the Russian ballerina spread throughout the world. However, after some time, Pavlova leaves Diaghilev’s troupe.
After the outbreak of World War I, Pavlova settled in London and never returned to Russia. Her last performance on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater took place in 1913.
The great ballerina's tours took place all over the world - in the USA, Japan, India, and Australia. Anna Pavlova died during a tour in The Hague in 1931, having caught a serious cold during a rehearsal in an unheated hall.
Anna Pavlova in the garden of her home in London. 1930 Source: © Knorr + Hirth/Global Look Press Agrippina Vaganova
Maya Plisetskaya always considered ballerina and choreographer Agrippina Vaganova her main teacher.
“Vaganova made ballerinas out of almost nothing. Even with bad data, they knew what to do. Many who were at the top of the position then would dance in the corps de ballet today,” recalled Maya Mikhailovna.
Now the Academy of Russian Ballet bears her name. But the path to success for the ballerina was very difficult. It’s not for nothing that her close friend, Alexander Blok’s wife, called her “the martyr of ballet.”
Agrippina Vaganova. Photo: vokrug.tv and vaganovaacademy.ru And it all started with the fact that a very short girl from a ballet point of view with muscular legs and too broad shoulders was only predicted to have a place in the corps de ballet, although she passed the final exam at the St. Petersburg Theater School simply brilliantly. If she got any roles, they were all insignificant. And Maurice Petipa did not see any future prospects in a girl with too rigid hand movements.
“Only towards the end of my career, completely exhausted morally, did I come to the title of ballerina,” Vaganova later recalled.
And yet she managed to perform Odile in Swan Lake, as well as the main roles in the ballets The Stream, Giselle and The Little Humpbacked Horse. However, soon the ballerina turned 36 years old and was sent into retirement. Agrippina was left without work and livelihood.
Only 3 years later she was accepted into the staff of the Mariinsky Theater ballet school as a teacher. So, all her dreams that Vaganova could not realize on stage, she embodied in her students, who became the best ballerinas in the country - Galina Ulanova, Natalya Dudinskaya and many others.
Vaganova in ballet class. Screenshot of archived video. TV channel “Culture”, program “ Absolute pitch about Agrippina Vaganova" Galina Ulanova
The girl, born into a family of choreographers, was destined to become a ballerina. Even if little Galya tried to escape her predestined fate, her mother, a ballet teacher, simply would not have allowed her to do so. But years of hard training at the ballet barre brought their results.
Ulanova graduated from the choreographic technical school in 1928 and immediately joined the troupe of the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater. The attention of spectators and critics was riveted to her almost from the first steps on this stage.
Leading parties began to trust her within a year. And she did it masterfully, with incredible artistry. Hardly anyone before or after her managed to perform the scene of Giselle’s madness as soulfully as Ulanova did. And this role is considered one of the most triumphant in the great ballerina’s repertoire.
Galina Ulanova in Giselle's madness scene. Still from the 1956 film-ballet “Giselle” The ballerina left her beloved Mariinsky Theater when she went into evacuation during the Great Patriotic War. In those years, she performed in front of wounded soldiers, danced on the stages of Perm, Sverdlovsk and Alma-Ata. At the very end of the war, the ballerina joined the Bolshoi Theater troupe.
According to the general opinion of ballet connoisseurs and critics, the most best role Ulanova's career became Juliet in Sergei Prokofiev's ballet.
Galina Ulanova and Alexander Lapauri in a scene from the ballet "Romeo and Juliet", 1956 Choreographer Alexander Gorsky graduated from the St. Petersburg Ballet School in 1880. His worldview was strongly influenced by the teacher N.I. Volkov, who was also the teacher of Legat and Fokin.
Simultaneously with his diverse performing activities, Gorsky attended conducting courses and classes at the Academy of Arts, carefully studied the productions of L. Ivanov and M. Petipa, and developed the theory of dance by V. I. Stepanov. It was his mastery of a dance recording system that helped him transfer The Sleeping Beauty to the stage of the Bolshoi Theater in three weeks in 1898. In Moscow, the young choreographer was amazed by the performances of the new Art Theater, meeting Chaliapin, Golovin, and young easel artists. In 1900, Gorsky transferred Glazunov's Raymonda to the Bolshoi Theater, after which he received an official offer to become the director of the Moscow troupe. For his creative debut, he chose the ballet Don Quixote, which was staged for the first time in Moscow.
However, Gorsky did not resume the choreography, but took up a new edition of the ballet, which has been preserved to this day in Russia and abroad. The choreographer strengthened the dramaturgy of the libretto, transformed the role of the corps de ballet, enriched the production with Spanish folk elements, and changed the canonical adagio pair dance, replaced the scenery and costumes. The premiere on December 6, 1900 caused a flurry of critical attacks from retrogrades and enthusiastic applause from young democrats. Next, Gorsky began a new edition, significantly improving his 1st act; resumed “The Little Humpbacked Horse” and set “Waltz-Fantasy” to music. Last work was a plotless “white ballet” designed to express the sounds of music in dance. In 1901-1902 Gorsky began a fundamental production based on Hugo’s novel “The Cathedral” Notre Dame of Paris" The mimodrama with dances “Gudula’s Daughter” (“Esmeralda”) was positively received by the young part of the troupe and the progressive audience. A challenge to acquisitiveness powerful of the world This was a choreographic satire based on Pushkin’s “The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish,” which was published in 1903. A year later, new editions of La Bayadère and The Magic Mirror appeared on the Moscow stage, and in 1905 modern interpretation ballet "Pharaoh's Daughter", in which the dances were done in the style of ancient Egyptian bas-reliefs, and the image of slaves made us think about surrounding reality. Thanks to Gorsky's activities, the position of the Moscow ballet was strengthened by a successfully revised classical repertoire.
A whole generation of artists grew up on the productions of the reformer choreographer, searching for an authentic plastic image: M.M. Mordkin, S.V. Fedorova, V.A. Karalli, M.R. Reisen, V.V. Kriger, A.M. Messerer, I.A. Moiseev and others.
Ballerina Sofia Fedorova was extremely emotional on stage, had an outstanding temperament and looked great in character dances, amazed the most picky critics with its debut.
The role of Mercedes, the Khan's Wives, and the gypsy and Ukrainian dance performed by her attracted the attention of the viewer. Her fate tragically repeated that of main character ballet "Giselle", which she performed on stage. At the same time, V.A. Karalli danced at the Bolshoi Theater, who went down in history not so much for her lyrical images, how many semi-fantastic rumors associated with her name. Having grown up in an acting family, Victorina Krieger was remembered for her successful performances of the roles of Little Red Riding Hood, the Tsar Maiden, and Kitri.
Mikhail Mordkin certainly met the hopes of Gorsky, who not only staged characteristic numbers for him, but also assigned leading roles in his ballets (Phoebus, Khan, Nur, Hitaris, Solor, Mato). However, the best role in his repertoire remained the role of Colin from “ Vain precaution" The young dancer of a heroic role easily coped with characteristic and classical roles and quite quickly eclipsed the premiere of Tikhomirov in the roles of Siegfried, Albert, Désiré. At the same time, Mordkin often improvised and introduced innovative techniques of characteristic plasticity into canonical roles. Being the leading dancer of the Bolshoi Theater, he was the first to risk making individual tours throughout Russia and abroad.
Among the male cast of the St. Petersburg stage of this time, Nikolai Legat (son of the famous dancer Gustav Legat) should be noted. Touring in 1899 with a group of artists at the Paris Opera, Legat clearly demonstrated to foreigners the advantages of the Russian school over the Italian one, and later his teaching skills served the development of the English Royal Ballet. It was he who “discovered” the secret of performing fouette for Russian ballerinas.
Among the St. Petersburg ballerinas, the most famous names were the names of O.O. Preobrazhenskaya and M.F. Kshesinskaya.
Olga Preobrazhenskaya managed to defeat Italian dancers in their homeland, at Milan's La Scala theater. Critics and the public unanimously recognized its superiority. Subsequently, she focused her efforts on developing theoretical foundations Russian teaching methods.
Matilda Kshesinskaya(daughter of the mimic actor F. Kshesinsky) quickly achieved a leading position in the St. Petersburg troupe. Having mastered the complex Italian technique, she was able to perform the famous 32 fouettés. In 1904, she was the first Russian to be awarded the title of prima ballerina. Despite the fact that the successful career of a ballerina is often associated with closeness to the royal family, we must pay tribute to her personal skill, which made it possible to complement soft Russian plasticity with European technicality.
Did you like it? Don't hide your joy from the world - share itShe soon became one of the first Russian film stars, releasing eight films in 1915. After the revolution of 1917, Caralli emigrated, lived in Lithuania, where she taught dance in Kaunas, worked in Romania, and acted in France and Austria. She eventually settled in Vienna, where she gave ballet lessons. Vera Caralli died in Baden, Austria, on November 16, 1972, at the age of eighty. three years. She submitted a petition asking to return to her homeland, received a Soviet passport on November 1, 1972, but two weeks later she was gone.
Matilda Kshesinskaya graduated from the Imperial Theater School in 1890. She danced at the Mariinsky Theater from 1890 to 1917.
Olga Preobrazhenskaya began studying ballet in 1879 under the guidance of Nikolai Legat and Enrico Cecchetti at the Vaganova School. After 10 years, Preobrazhenskaya was accepted into the Mariinsky Theater, where Matilda Kshesinskaya became her main rival. Since 1895, Olga Preobrazhenskaya toured Europe and South America, successfully performed at La Scala. In 1900, Preobrazhenskaya became a prima ballerina. In 1921, Olga Preobrazhenskaya left the USSR; from 1923 she lived in Paris, where she opened a ballet studio and continued pedagogical activity. In addition, Olga Preobrazhenskaya taught in Milan, London, Buenos Aires, and Berlin.
Olga Iosifovna Preobrazhenskaya died in 1962. She was buried in the Cemetery of Saint-Genevieve des Bois.
Lyubov Roslavleva received her choreographic education at the Moscow Theater School from the Spanish choreographer and teacher Jose Mendez. Since 1892, Lyubov Roslavleva performed at the Bolshoi Theater. In 1902, Lyubov Roslavleva took part in tours in Monte Carlo and Warsaw.
At a very young age, Olga Spesivtseva toured with the Diaghilev Russian Ballet in the USA with great success. She was Nijinsky's partner in Les Sylphides and The Specter of the Rose. Since 1918, Olga Spesivtseva became the leading dancer, and since 1920, prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater. Soon after the revolution of 1917, she became the wife of a major Soviet security officer, Boris Kaplun, who helped her emigrate with her mother in 1923 to France, where during 1924-1932. performed at the Paris Grand Opera, becoming the leading guest ballerina of the Paris Opera.
Since 1932, Spesivtseva has been working with Fokine's troupe in Buenos Aires, and in 1934, as a star, she visits Australia as part of Anna Pavlova's former troupe. Last performance Spesivtseva in Paris took place in 1939. After that, she moved to the USA.
In 1943, mental illness worsened, Spesivtseva was increasingly losing her memory. Thus ended the career of the great ballerina. From 1943 to 1963 Olga Spesivtseva spent time in a psychiatric hospital, her memory gradually recovered, and the outstanding ballerina recovered. Recent years Olga Spesivtseva spent her life in a boarding house on the farm of the Tolstoy Foundation, Inc., created by the youngest daughter of the writer Leo Tolstoy, Alexandra Lvovna Tolstoy, near New York City.
Olga Spesivtseva
Vera Aleksandrovna Trefilova (in some sources Ivanova; October 8, 1875, Vladikavkaz - July 11, 1943, Paris) - Russian ballet dancer and teacher.
In 1894, Vera Trefilova graduated from the St. Petersburg Theater School (teachers Ekaterina Vazem and Pavel Gerdt). From 1894 to 1910 Vera Trefilova worked at the Mariinsky Theater. After the revolution, Vera Trefilova left the USSR and settled in Paris, where she opened her own ballet school. In 1921-1926. Vera Trefilova danced in Diaghilev's Russian Ballet, performing the main roles in the ballets The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and The Vision of a Rose. Last time Vera Trefilova danced in 1926 with Diaghilev. Vera Trefilova died on July 11, 1943 in Paris.
Anna Pavlova
Anna Pavlovna (Matveevna) Pavlova (January 31, 1881, St. Petersburg - January 23, 1931, The Hague, Netherlands) - Russian ballet artist, prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater in 1906-1913, one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century. After the outbreak of the First World War, she settled in Great Britain and constantly toured with her troupe around the world, performing in more than 40 countries and presenting the art of ballet in many of them for the first time. Anna Pavlova's tours contributed to the establishment of the world fame of Russian ballet. The choreographic miniature-monologue “The Dying Swan” performed by the ballerina became one of high standards Russian ballet school. The performing style of Anna Pavlova, as well as Tamara Karsavina, testifies to the heyday of ballet impressionism at the beginning of the 20th century.
Anna Pavlova in the ballet “Pharaoh's Daughter” to the music of Caesar Pugni 1910
Agrippina Yakovlevna Vaganova (1879 - 1951) - Russian and Soviet ballet dancer, choreographer and teacher, founder of Russian theory classical ballet. People's Artist of the RSFSR (1934). Laureate of the Stalin Prize, 1st degree (1946). The author of the book “Fundamentals of Classical Dance” (1934), which became fundamental for the Russian ballet school of the 20th century, and the developer of his own methodological system of classical dance, which became the basis for the training of domestic ballet dancers.
Vaganova did not come up with anything new in movements. She summarized everything that came before her, largely using the lessons of Olga Preobrazhenskaya. There were good teachers before Vaganova, but they taught intuitively, and she systematized their techniques and compiled a method of gradual teaching classical dance. In the French school there was a sagging elbow, and in the Italian school it was too tight. Vaganova combined French softness and Italian neatness of hands, found a middle ground, and the result was the Russian school. Another merit of Vaganova is that she, together with Fyodor Vasilyevich Lopukhov, preserved Russian ballet - its repertoire, school, professional skills - during the post-revolutionary devastation.
Tamara Karsavina
Tamara Platonovna Karsavina (February 25, 1885, St. Petersburg, Russian Empire- May 26, 1978, London, UK) - Russian ballerina. She performed as a soloist at the Mariinsky Theatre, was a member of Diaghilev's Russian Ballet and often danced in tandem with Vaslav Nijinsky. After the revolution she lived and worked in Great Britain.
The Bride in the ballet "The Blue God" of 1912; photo and sketch of Lev Bakst's costume
Galina Ulanova
Galina Sergeevna Ulanova (December 26, 1909, St. Petersburg - March 21, 1998, Moscow) - Soviet ballet dancer, choreographer and teacher. Prima ballerina of Leningradsky academic theater Opera and Ballet named after S.M. Kirov (1928-1944) and the State Academic Bolshoi Theater of the USSR (1944-1960). Choreographer-repetiteur of the Bolshoi Theater of Russia (1960-1998). Twice Hero of Socialist Labor (1974, 1980). People's Artist of the USSR (1951). Winner of the Lenin Prize (1957). Four-time winner of the Stalin Prize, 1st degree (1941, 1946, 1947, 1950). State Prize Laureate Russian Federation(1997). Laureate of the Presidential Prize of the Russian Federation (1997). The most titled ballerina in the entire history of Russian ballet. One of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century.
Ekaterina Maksimova
Brought up in the best traditions of the academic school, Maksimova had a light, elastic jump, swiftly precise rotation, natural grace, and elegant softness of lines. Her dance was marked by elegance, technical virtuosity, and filigree details. Together with her husband, dancer Vladimir Vasiliev, she formed one of the outstanding ballet duets of the 20th century. Among the ballerina's other partners were Maris Liepa and Alexander Bogatyrev.
Maya Plisetskaya
Maya Mikhailovna Plisetskaya (November 20, 1925, Moscow, USSR - May 2, 2015, Munich, Germany) - ballet dancer, representative of the Messerer-Plisetsky theatrical dynasty, prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater of the USSR in 1948-1990. Hero of Socialist Labor (1985), People's Artist of the USSR (1959). Full holder of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, laureate of the Anna Pavlova Prize of the Paris Academy of Dance (1962), Lenin Prize (1964) and many other awards and prizes, honorary doctor of the Sorbonne University, honorary professor of Lomonosov Moscow State University, honorary citizen Spain. She also acted in films, worked as a choreographer and as a teacher-tutor; wrote several memoirs. She was the wife of composer Rodion Shchedrin. Considered one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century
Natalia Igorevna Bessmertnova (1941, Moscow - 2008, Moscow) - Soviet ballerina, teacher and tutor. People's Artist of the USSR (1976). Laureate of the Lenin Prize (1986), the USSR State Prize (1977) and the Lenin Komsomol Prize (1972).
The beautiful ballerina Lyudmila Semenyaka performed on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater when she was only 12 years old. The talented talent could not go unnoticed, so after some time Lyudmila Semenyaka was invited to the Bolshoi Theater. Significant influence Galina Ulanova, who became her mentor, influenced the ballerina’s work. Semenyaka coped with any part so naturally and effortlessly that from the outside it seemed as if she was not making any effort, but was simply enjoying the dance. In 1976, Lyudmila Ivanovna was awarded the Anna Pavlova Prize from the Paris Academy of Dance.
Lyudmila Semenyaka, Andris Liepa and Galina Ulanova at a rehearsal. |
At the end of the 1990s, Lyudmila Semenyaka announced her retirement from her ballerina career, but continued her activities as a teacher. Since 2002, Lyudmila Ivanovna has been a teacher-tutor at the Bolshoi Theater.
Ulyana Vyacheslavovna Lopatkina (born October 23, 1973, Kerch, Ukrainian SSR, USSR) is a Russian ballet artist, prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater in 1995-2017. People's Artist of Russia (2006), laureate of the State Prize (1999) and the Prize of the Government of the Russian Federation (2015).
Svetlana Zakharova
Svetlana Yurievna Zakharova (born June 10, 1979, Lutsk, Ukrainian SSR, USSR) is a Russian ballet dancer. Soloist of the Mariinsky Theater in 1996-2003, prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater (since 2003) and Milan's La Scala Theater (since 2008). People's Artist of Russia (2008), laureate of the State Prize of the Russian Federation (2006).
Nina Aleksandrovna Kaptsova (October 16, 1978, Rostov-on-Don, USSR) is a Russian ballet artist, prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater of Russia. Honored Artist of Russia (2010). Kaptsova’s lyrical and dramatic roles in the ballets “Giselle”, “Spartacus”, “La Sylphide”, “The Nutcracker”, “Sleeping Beauty”, “Romeo and Juliet” brought Kaptsova worldwide fame.
Diana Vishneva
Diana Viktorovna Vishneva (born July 13, 1976, Leningrad) is a Russian ballet dancer, prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater (since 1996) and the American Ballet Theater (2005-2017). Winner of the Lausanne Prize competition (1994), laureate theater awards“Benois of the Dance”, “Golden Spotlight” (both 1996), “ Golden mask"(2001, 2009, 2013), laureate of the State Prize of the Russian Federation (2000), People's Artist of Russia (2007).
Evgeniya Viktorovna Obraztsova is a ballet dancer, a soloist of the Mariinsky Theater since 2002, and a prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater since 2012. Honored Artist of Russia, laureate of the Golden Mask Award
